Bogie shooting: Committal hearing for murder accused Darryl Valroy Young in late August

Two years after the alleged execution-style shooting of three family members on a Qld cattle property, loved ones will face the man charged with the murders for the first time as their country community struggles to process its pain.

Police tape sealing off Shannonvale Rd about 3km from crime scene where Mervyn and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe were shot and killed at Bogie, Central Queensland.

Families living in the rural area where three people were allegedly gunned down in a neighbour dispute remain fearful two years on, as loved ones of the trio prepare themselves to face the triple murder-accused in person for the first time since the shooting.

The alleged execution-style slaying has left a deep scar on the Whitsunday community of Bogie, now forever marred by fear and distrust.

Contractors working in the area were wary, keeping a watching eye when strange vehicles drove by, one neighbour said.

“Even at our home, the kids know if a vehicle comes that we don’t know then they know where they need to hide,” the neighbour said, adding for young children “that’s quite confronting”.

“We say to the kids, run to … go and wait for us.

“We’re still processing.”

Maree and Merv Schwarz and Graham Tighe all died after a shooting at a Bogie property west of Mackay. Ross Tighe (bottom right) survived a gunshot wound to the stomach after undergoing emergency surgery.

It is the new uncomfortable reality for the Bogie township, where Mervyn and Maree Schwarz and Maree’s son Graham Tighe, 35 were shot to death at the fence line between two cattle properties in the early morning of August 4, 2022.

Police allege the family had been called to attend a pre organised meeting with neighbour Darryl Valroy Young over a dispute involving boundary lines, a water bore and the return of unbranded cattle.

Ross Tighe was flown to Mackay Base Hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the abdomen on the 4th August, 2022. Picture: ABC/Melissa Maddison

Maree’s other son Ross Tighe, who had been with them, was also shot and suffered a life-threatening bullet (which is still lodged in his stomach and can’t be removed) wound.

Severely traumatised and suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, he is the sole survivor and only eyewitness to what allegedly unfolded.

He has alleged after a brief discussion between the two parties, Mr Young retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and started shooting.

Darryl Valroy Young is charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after a shooting incident at the fence line of his Bogie property.

Police allege after watching his family gunned down, a critically injured Ross was forced to hide in the bushes as shots rang out around him before he could flee the horror scene and raise alarm.

By that night, Mr Young was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder over the shooting incident and has been in custody since his arrest.

Since the tragedy those directly impacted have had an excruciating wait, with the court process pitted with delays.

Everyone still “just wants answers”, the neighbour said.

“And you’re constantly up against town gossip … which makes it hard.”

But a committal hearing draws near, marking what could be a major step in the murder case — its move up to the supreme court.

It will also be the first time any loved one of the trio face 61-year-old Mr Young in person as he will be at Bowen courthouse for the two-day hearing at the end of August.

“It’s very confronting to think he will be there,” the neighbour said.

Relatives and friends of the Schwarz and Tighe families attend Bown Magistrates Court for the directions hearing earlier this year in the case against Mr Young. Picture: Janessa Ekert

Family and supporters of the Schwarz and Tighe family are expected to pack out the courtroom where survivor Ross Tighe will be one of seven people questioned as part of the committal process.

Extra armed police will also be on site to ensure everything runs smoothly.

As Sunday marks the anniversary of the terrible tragedy, neighbours say the shooting will be on everyone’s mind.

It also coincides with a coronial inquest into another triple homicide that occurred just four months later – the shooting murders of police constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow and neighbour Alan Dare were murdered on December 12 on a property at Wieambilla.