National alert: Thomas Myler arrested at Wellington Point following national manhunt
A man wanted over the brutal daylight execution of a bikie associate was arrested with his girlfriend after falling out with the last remaining suspect in the stabbing murder that shocked Brisbane.
Police & Courts
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One of two men wanted for the alleged Brisbane stabbing execution of bikie associate Levi Johnson has been charged with murder, but the other remains on the run.
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman confirmed on Friday night that 35-year-old Thomas Friedrich Myler was arrested at Wellington Point just hours after a white Nissan Patrol allegedly involved in the incident was located at Starwood Court, Capalaba, a couple of suburbs away from the crime scene.
Myler has been charged with murder - serious organised crime.
He was also charged with unlawful possession of motor vehicle, enter premises, authority required to possess explosives and drive vehicle not fitted with interlock.
His matter was briefly mentioned in Brisbane Magistrates Court this morning.
There was no appearance and no application for bail, with the matter adjourned to October 4.
The arrest came after police issued warrants and put out national alerts with law enforcement agencies for Myler and Kyle Martin, 24, who remains on the run and is also wanted for murder.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said the murder charge would also carry an aggravating factor that they were allegedly participants in a criminal organisation – a little-known group calling themselves “13 Kings”.
Mr Johnson, 23, was stabbed to death in Mansfield on Monday after four men cornered him in a gym carpark.
Mr Johnson ran from the car but was attacked nearby before the men fled – one on foot and three in a Nissan Patrol.
Two of the men, Stuart Galloway and Luke Thomas Moore, both 34, have been charged with murder.
Brisbane regional crime co-ordinator Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said about 7pm on Friday, a member of the public provided a tip to police, leading them to a residence on Skinner Ave, Wellington Point, where officers later arrested Myler and another woman believed to be his girlfriend.
But not before the pair allegedly buried “a number” of guns at a separate property in Chandler.
“We were able to get assistance from PolAir and a short time after that a vehicle, a Mazda 323, left this (Wellington Point) address,” Superintendent Massingham said.
“That vehicle has been taken to an address in Chandler, where we believe the wanted person and his girlfriend buried a number of firearms on a property.”
Myler and the woman then returned to the Wellington Point home, which was soon surrounded by police.
Both voluntarily left the house “after some minutes” and were taken into custody.
No other persons were at either home at the time of the arrests and police are yet to determine if the residences have any connection to a criminal organisation.
Kyle Martin, who is also wanted over Levi Johnson’s murder, is still at large however, police suspect he has remained locally in Queensland.
Superintendent Massingham revealed Myler and Martin appeared to have had a falling-out and had chosen to split up.
“It would appear from some words that were spoken tonight by this man (Myler) that that relationship is somewhat fractured and that’s obviously something we will be looking at in the coming days,” he said.
But he warned that after finding Myler was in possession of a loaded weapon, that Martin would also likely be “armed and dangerous.”
The woman believed to be Myler’s girlfriend has not yet been charged in relation to her connection with either Myler or Levi Johnson.
“The female at this stage is still being questioned and a determination was made after about whether there’s any charges pending with respect to her aiding this individual from avoiding police custody over,” Massingham said.
“That will take some time, probably take most of the night and we’ll probably take some further advice with respect to that tomorrow.”
Forensic testing is currently being done on both the Mazda and Nissan Patrol and at both residencies.
Superintendent Massingham thanked the public for their support and information which has led to the three arrests in connection with Levi Johnson’s murder.
Earlier on Friday, Det Supt Massingham said police had raided 40 addresses looking for Myler and Martin and anyone found to be helping to hide the men could face charges of accessory to murder.
“Today we have taken the important step of taking our arrest warrants for each of these individuals with respect to the murder of Levi Johnson and also a circumstance of aggravation to the commission of that offence,” he said.
“It will be alleged that each of them was a participant in a criminal organisation at the time of the commission of the offence.
“That step is an important step in our investigative process. Nationally now all police services have been advised that these persons are subject to arrest if located for these offences.
“Importantly as well, this now brings into play those people that are either harbouring or assisting either of these individuals and the offence of accessory to murder can be preferred for those persons that continue to harbour or assist these two men.”
Det Supt Massingham said the charge of accessory to murder is a serious offence that can carry a sentence of life imprisonment.
“I’ve instructed detectives on this task force to look at any person, when these people are located, that may have indeed assisted them along the way,” he said.
He said police will allege that prior to the attack, the men were lying in wait at the Carindale shopping centre for Mr Johnson to return to his car.
He alleged the men followed him to the car park of the Mansfield gym where he was attacked.
“We say that the four individuals met at a location nearby, that they observed the victim, Mr Johnson, for some time,” Det Supt Massingham said.
“(They) waited for him to depart a particular location and then followed him where they eventually cornered him in the car park of the gym at Mansfield or Carindale.”
He said police were appealing for anyone who might have dashcam footage for two specific areas of the Carindale shopping centre car park where they believe the men lay in wait for Mr Johnson to leave.
He said the first car park is the blue external car park near the old Sizzler restaurant or Hungry Jacks where vehicles enter via Creek Rd.
He said police were looking for footage of this area between 12.30pm and 2.10pm Monday.
The second car park area relates to the purple car park near Big W where people enter via Winstanley St.
Police would like dashcam footage from anyone leaving or entering the car park between 11.05am and 1pm.
Det Supt Massingham called on Martin to give himself up.
He said police would continue to raid properties where he could be hiding.
“I consider them to be potentially armed and dangerous,” he said.
Det Supt Massingham said Martin most likely still in Brisbane, potentially in the Birkdale, Ransome or Capalaba areas.
“That’s where the majority of sightings or reported sightings come from,” he said.
He said police would allege Mr Johnson’s murder was premeditated and planned.
He said the motive was still unclear.
“This is a tragedy. My thoughts are still with the people that witnessed this horrific event,” Det Supt Massingham said.
“It clearly was traumatising, it was confronting … and it was (allegedly) a large number of males that were intent on causing significant injury and ultimately death to an individual.
“Part of the evidence that we have gathered shows that they were certainly intent on pursuing him wherever he went and wherever he stopped.
“Certainly it was something that was ferocious, it happened extremely quickly.”
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