TV program airs double murderer’s grisly legacy and the detectives who brought him to justice

THESE are the two murders that left Sydneysiders shocked at how gruesome they were — and those involved nearly got away with it.

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IN LATE 1994 the northern beaches was rocked by two grisly murders, but it was months before the two crimes were linked and not until the next year that two people were charged.

Now the murders of ­Stephen Dempsey in August 1994 and of Ezzedine Bahmad in November that year are the subject of a TV program, Murder Calls Australia, which airs Wednesday night on Channel 9.

Stephen Dempsey.

Stephen Dempsey.

Someone who remembers the investigation into the murders is Northern Beaches crime manager Inspector Craig Wonders, who was one of the local detectives working with homicide squad detectives to crack the case and put two people behind bars — Richard Leonard and his girlfriend Denise Shipley.

Richard Leonard and Denise Shipley.

Police searching Deep Creek for Stephen Dempsey

Mr Dempsey, 34, was killed at Deep Creek Reserve on August 2 by an arrow from a compound bow fired by Leonard, who hid Mr Dempsey’s body in the creek and returned that night and dismembered it.

Leonard then took the body parts home and put them in a freezer.

Police about to search Deep Creek Reserve for Stephen Dempsey.

It was not until December that year that Leonard and Shipley disposed of Mr Dempsey’s body in Pittwater, where it was found on December 21.

By then, Leonard had killed another man — 42-year-old taxi driver and father of seven Ezzedine Bahmad.

Leonard and Shipley had taken the drug LSD on November 17 and hailed a taxi to take them from the city to Collaroy Plateau, where Mr Bahmad was fatally attacked with a knife.

Ezzedine Bahmad.

Ezzedine Bahmad.

During the frenzied attack, Leonard and Shipley also sustained wounds and it was only after Leonard sought treatment at St Vincent’s Hospital that detectives realised the murders of Mr Dempsey and Mr Bahmad were linked.

Leonard was sentenced to two life sentences — never to be released — while Shipley was sentenced to 3½ years in jail for being an accessory after the fact.

Insp Wonders said the two investigations — one into Mr Dempsey’s disappearance and one into Mr Bahmad’s murder — were being run side-by-side at Mona Vale police station until the two were linked after Leonard’s appearance at St Vincent’s Hospital for treatment.

Richard Leonard.

Richard Leonard.

He said a nurse at the hospital called police, who interviewed Leonard and Shipley and then lodged a report.

He said that report was picked up by detectives ­investigating Mr Bahmad’s murder.

Then, as detectives investigated Leonard, evidence was found that linked him to the murder of Mr Dempsey after his body was found in Pittwater, including Leonard’s compound bow and he had used arrow heads identical to the one lodged in Mr Dempsey’s torso.

Inspector Craig Wonders was involved in the investigation

“It became an investigation into a serial-type offender,” Insp Wonders said.

“From our point of view, they were two murders that certainly generated fear and concern in the community.

“It was extremely satisfying to be part of the investigation at the time and to work with experienced homicide and local detectives, and to see the combination of community information, forensic science and traditional investigative methods result in the arrest, charge and ultimate convictions of Leonard and Shipley.”