Killer goes to the grave with untold secrets
One of Queensland’s most notorious murderers has died in jail, just a week before the Whiskey Au Go Go fire bombing inquest starts, where he was listed as a witness.
Police & Courts
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One of Queensland’s most notorious murderers has died in jail going to the grave with untold secrets just a week before the Whiskey Au Go Go fire bombing inquest.
Garry “Shorty” Dubois, 74, who killed the McCulkin family in 1974, was found in his single occupancy cell at Maryborough Correctional Centre on Monday about 4.30am.
The Courier-Mail understands Dubois took his own life.
Officers and paramedics tried to resuscitate the triple killer for about 50 minutes but he was pronounced dead at 5.20am.
In 2016 Dubois was sentenced to life in jail for raping and murdering Leanne McCulkin, 11, and her sister Vicki, 13.
He was also found guilty of the manslaughter of their mother Barbara McCulkin, 34.
Dubois and accomplice Vince O’Dempsey took the McCulkins from their Highgate Hill home and drove them to an area of bushland.
A criminal associate of the men, Peter Hall, told a trial Dubois confessed the killings to him, saying O’Dempsey took Mrs McCulkin off into the darkness where he believed she was strangled.
When O’Dempsey returned, the pair raped the girls before killing them.
“As he explained to me, he didn’t feel real good at the time, but he eventually complied, and after that was over, O’Dempsey killed one and asked him to kill the other. He said he couldn’t do it, so O’Dempsey killed the second one,” Hall claimed.
He said Dubois told him they buried the bodies when the sun came up, saying “it was a horrific sight”.
O’Dempsey was found guilty of all three murders and a single count of deprivation of liberty.
The McCulkins bodies have never been found.
During their trials, the court heard the motive may have been that O’Dempsey wanted to silence Mrs McCulkin, fearing she might implicate them in the firebombing of the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in 1973 that killed 15 people.
Her husband Billy was an associate of Dubois and O’Dempsey.
The inquest, which was to recommence next Monday, had Dubois listed as
a witness in the case.
A spokesman for the Coroners Court of Queensland said his death would not cause any interruption to the start of the inquest, which is due to begin on Monday.
“The impact, if any, that Mr Dubois’ death will have on the inquest will need to be considered,” he said.
“Mr Dubois was not scheduled to give evidence during the two weeks of sittings commencing 14 June 2021.
“Further sittings will be scheduled later in 2021.”
Because Dubois died in custody, his death will be investigated by the Queensland Police Service’s Corrective Services Investigation Unit.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner in relation to his death.
An inquest will also be required to be held in relation to his death.
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