Crim City podcast: Anita Cobby’s murder and memories still make me cry

The brutal murder of Lilie James at St Andrew’s Cathedral school last month rocked Sydney, and sparked memories of another horrific killing: that of nurse Anita Cobby.

The brutal murder of Lilie James at St Andrew’s Cathedral school rocked Sydney and brought back memories of another horrific killing: that of nurse Anita Cobby.

Both were vibrant young women who had so much to offer the community in their chosen careers until they were taken so cruelly and violently by evil men.

Josh Hanrahan and I were recording Crim City when he asked me about the Anita Cobby murder in 1986.

The emotions overwhelmed me.

Yes, I choked up, and maybe cried a little, as images of Anita, and the utter terror frozen in her eyes after she had been brutalised by five men before her throat was cut — sprang into my mind’s eye.

Brutally murdered, decades apart: Anita Cobby, left, and Lilie James, right. Pictures: Supplied

Then there is John Cobby, Anita’s husband.

He has become a good mate who still — illogically — blames himself to this day for the loss of his beautiful partner.

Listen to season two of the Crim City podcast here:

John’s first words, whenever I call him, are: “Please tell me one of them has died”.

His life mission now is to outlive the five killers.

There was also the young copper who said he couldn’t be intimate with his wife for two years after seeing Anita’s body in the paddock at Prospect in western Sydney where she had been left.

You can’t rank murders, because they are all equally horrible, and devastate so many people who are involved.

But as a reporter, when you get up close to one like Anita Cobby’s you can’t help but be affected. It’s stuff you can’t shake.