Shock way Rachelle Childs’ family found out prime suspect was dead

Despite the decades-long investigation to find Rachelle Childs’ killer, her family was not contacted by the police to say the chief suspect in her murder had died in a hotel room in Thailand.

The family of Rachelle Childs was not contacted by NSW Police to say the prime suspect in her murder had suddenly died in a hotel room in Thailand, despite the decades-long investigation to find her killer.

Instead, Rachelle’s sister and mother, Kristy and Anne Childs, found out that Kevin Steven Correll, 69, was dead in a phone call from his estranged daughter, Jazz.

Jazz publicly spoke out against her father in this masthead’s multimedia podcast investigation series, Dear Rachelle, and described him as a “sociopath” – but she had never spoken with the Childs family prior to his body being discovered on Friday.

She called the Childs family because she had previously promised to call her father’s victims when he died.

Rachelle Child's sister Kristy visit Rachelle's gravesite in Sydney. Picture: News Corp

Rachelle’s mother Anne Childs. Picture: Adam Yip

When NSW Police was asked why the Childs family was not contacted about Mr Correll’s death, a spokesman told this masthead it was the responsibility of DFAT.

“Deaths of Australian Nationals overseas are managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,” they said.

A spokesman from DFAT confirmed it was providing consular assistance to Mr Correll’s family.

Former NSW Detective Inspector Mick Ashwood has run homicide investigations where a principle person of interest died during the case.

Speaking to this masthead on Monday, he said: “It’s disappointing that [NSW Police] haven’t been in contact.

“It’s been a few days [since Mr Correll’s death], and in the newspapers yesterday. They should have been contacting Kristy and Anne.

“They should have been told because, in their minds, he is a prime suspect.”

Jazz also told this masthead on Monday that her feelings about her father’s death were mixed – but she couldn’t bring herself to cry before she spoke with Kristy.

“I couldn’t bring myself to say the words,” she said.

“I just told her that I was making the call [about his death] … she was confused and I had to say the words, and that’s when the tears just wouldn’t stop.”

She acknowledged and respected that friends of her family wanted to remember the good aspects of Mr Correll, but said no one should deny the harm he inflicted on others.

“That’s not right,” she said.

“He helped a lot of people [and] there are a lot of people who are justifiably celebrating his death and I support them 100 per cent, even though it hurts me. I support them.

“They’re allowed to be happy that he can’t hurt anyone any more. But I’m sad that my dad will only be remembered for that.”

Mr Correll’s ex-girlfriend, who only wanted to be identified as Evelyn, believes he once drugged her during a trip to his former home on the NSW south coast.

She told this masthead she felt “borderline joyful” when she found out he was dead.

Rachelle Childs’ gravesite, alongside her father’s, in Sydney. Picture: Supplied

“I raised a glass of champagne last night to the skies thanking whoever took him,” she said on Monday.

“There’s not going to be another beautiful girl hurt or stalked ever again, so that was my joy, and I know that sounds a terrible thing to say, but you know, the devil has two faces and he definitely did.”

She said a lot of people who were previously too scared to speak would likely now come forward with horror stories about Mr Correll.

Mr Correll’s body was found facedown in the bathroom of his room at the Expat Hotel in Patong, on the holiday island of Phuket, at about 10am on Friday.

An autopsy was performed on Monday to determine a cause of death.

Originally published as Shock way Rachelle Childs’ family found out prime suspect was dead