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The death houses of Sydney: How leafy suburban homes became bloody crime scenes

FIRST photos of a derelict Sydney hoarder house in which a mummified body lay for 10 years have emerged. We take a look inside the Greenwich property and other houses of horror around the city.

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IT might not be obvious to the unsuspecting eye, but there are a number of leafy suburban homes across Sydney that have been the scene for some of the city’s most gruesome deaths.

From bloody massacres to bizarre crime scenes, here is a look inside Sydney’s horror homes.

GREENWICH

A derelict hoarder house in Greenwich where a mummified body was found wrapped in carpet is due to come up for sale at a whopping $1.8 million.

The listing has offered a first glimpse of what was inside the Greendale St home when cleaners discovered the nearly 10-year-old corpse there in May.

Inside the murder hoarder house where Bruce Roberts lived for more than 10 years.
Inside the murder hoarder house where Bruce Roberts lived for more than 10 years.

Pictures provided exclusively to The Daily Telegraph revealed rooms of garbage and debris stacked to shoulder height, including old newspapers and cardboard.

The rubbish extended to the corridors, while years of dust and cobwebs covered the walls and doors.

REAL ESTATE: The history of the Greenwich hoarder

One of the bedrooms was filled with hundreds of garbage bags of rubbish that reached to the ceiling in some parts.

The property had belonged to deceased owner Bruce Roberts, a reclusive hoarder who died of a heart attack almost a year before the body was discovered.

The old hoarder house that belonged to Bruce Roberts after it was cleaned.
The old hoarder house that belonged to Bruce Roberts after it was cleaned.
A mountain of rubbish was found in the home.
A mountain of rubbish was found in the home.

It was reported that when forensic cleaners discovered the body lying hidden underneath a roll of carpet it was so badly decomposed a post-mortem examination was required to determine the gender and age.

The body was later revealed to be that of small-time thief Shane Snellman, who was believed to have been shot and suffered significant trauma.

A spokesman from NSW police said the death was “suspicious” and they were still investigating whether Mr Roberts had any involvement.

Boxes of rubbish was inside the home.
Boxes of rubbish was inside the home.
The Greenwich house had overgrown trees and bushes.
The Greenwich house had overgrown trees and bushes.

EPPING

Kathy Lin was greeted by a terrifying sight when she returned home to discover the bodies of her family members, unaware that her husband was responsible for the murders.

Rober Xie was found guilty of murdering his brother-in-law Min “Norman” Lin, 45, Mr Lin’s wife Yun Li “Lily” Lin, 43, her sister Yun Bin “Irene” Lin, 39, and the Lins’ two sons Henry, 12, and Terry, 9 in July, 2009.

Inside this modest home in a quiet suburban street was a bloodbath.
Inside this modest home in a quiet suburban street was a bloodbath.
The room of Irene Lin, with a blood-stained door handle.
The room of Irene Lin, with a blood-stained door handle.

The murder scene, which horrified even experienced police officers, had no forced entry as Xie had used a key to gain access to the home.

Min and Lily Xie were the first to be murdered, with the killer bringing a “hammer-like” weapon down hard on their heads and faces, leaving them to die in a pool of blood.

MORE: INSIDE A KILLER’S GRISLY TRAIL OF CARNAGE

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Irene, Lily’s sister, was the second person to be killed. Her facial injuries were so severe that the first responding officers wondered if a shotgun had been used.

It’s believed the killer used a key to enter the door.
It’s believed the killer used a key to enter the door.
A blood smear was even found on the stairwell.
A blood smear was even found on the stairwell.

Evidence suggested that there was a “furious struggle” in the bedroom where the two children were killed, fuelling suggestion they woke up and tried to escape.

The violent murders were so brutal that blood had been splashed on walls and surfaces across the house, with investigators having to be careful where they stepped to avoid the large pools of blood.

In 2012, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom house was sold for $766,000 — the material fact was disclosed to all qualified buyers, with death certificates included in the contract.

A view of inside the Lin home on the day of the murders.
A view of inside the Lin home on the day of the murders.
The Lin home was an ordinary family home.
The Lin home was an ordinary family home.

ROZELLE

A 66-year-old man disguised himself as a woman and entered the Rozelle home of his long-time business partner where he stabbed him and his brother to death, leaving them to bleed out on the floor.

Giuseppe Di Cianni was sentenced to at least 30 years in jail for the attacks on Albert and Mario Frisoli, with Acting Justice Robert Shallcross Hulme describing the ambush as “frenzied”.

Justice Hulme said the murders were premeditated, with Di Cianni doing surveillance at his victim’s home in the days leading up to the murders and wearing a woman’s wig and a scar to avoid being caught on CCTV cameras located around the home.

This Rozelle house that was the scene of a double murder in 2009. Picture: Realestate.com.au
This Rozelle house that was the scene of a double murder in 2009. Picture: Realestate.com.au

The court heard Mario was killed by Di Cianni simply because he was “in the way” as he had arrived home before his brother and was

“It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that Di Cianni had so little regard for human life that Mario was killed simply to facilitate the killing of Albert Frisoli,” Justice Hulme said.

It was revealed Di Cianni’s motivation for the murders was a “longstanding antipathy” towards his business partner, with each victim receiving dozens of stab and slash wounds

“Both victims must have put up some resistance but the offender persisted with the attack,” Justice Hulme said.

Inside the home which became a bloody crime scene. Picture: Realestate.com.au
Inside the home which became a bloody crime scene. Picture: Realestate.com.au

Di Cianni left a trail of bloodied footprints as he fled from the scene to the waiting car of his close friend and accomplice, Josephine Pintabona, who was handed a minimum sentence of three years for driving the getaway car and giving police a false alibi to protect the man.

Di Cianni will not be eligible for parole until 2040, when he will be 96.

In 2014, the house sold at auction for $2,265,000 — some $200,000 above reserve. The house was later renovated.

NORTH RYDE

Sef Gonzales stabbed and bludgeoned his sister Clodine and parents Terry and Mary Loiva in their family home in Ryde on July 10, 2001.

He then attempted to make the murders appear to be a hate crime by writing “F … off Asians KKK” on a wall.

The then 21-year-old later broke down at a press conference and pleaded with the public to help catch the killers.

Sef Gonzales stabbed and bludgeoned his sister Clodine and parents Terry and Mary Loiva in their family home in Ryde on July 10, 2001.
Sef Gonzales stabbed and bludgeoned his sister Clodine and parents Terry and Mary Loiva in their family home in Ryde on July 10, 2001.
A bloody aftermath was pictured after Sef Gonzales murdered his family.
A bloody aftermath was pictured after Sef Gonzales murdered his family.
The Sef Gonzales case highlighted a huge problem with the Sydney property at the time.
The Sef Gonzales case highlighted a huge problem with the Sydney property at the time.

He later admitted he had also composed a fake email to himself saying a hitman had been paid to kill his three family members, which was passed on to police.

Gonzales was arrested in June the next year and later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Sef Gonzales case highlighted a huge problem with the Sydney property at the time, with the house a Buddhist couple putting up an $80,000 non-refundable deposit on a home without being told about its history.

Real estate firm LJ Hooker later paid back the deposited sum and two agents were fined by the NSW Office of Fair Trading

A bedroom inside the home.
A bedroom inside the home.
Inside the North Ryde home where Sef Gonzales murdered his family.
Inside the North Ryde home where Sef Gonzales murdered his family.

The house sold for $720,000 to another buyer a year later and it later became mandatory for agents to reveal when a murder has occurred inside a home within the past five years.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636. If it is an emergency please call 000.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/the-death-houses-of-sydney-how-leafy-suburban-homes-became-bloody-crime-scenes/news-story/6707322a667cd547ebc96bdc9a023fdf