One million dollar rewards for solvable cold case murders
A woman murdered in a brutal home invasion, another attacked on a sunny beach and a mild mannered man who walked from his home and was never seen alive again. Police say the killers in these Victorian cold cases can still be brought to justice.
Cold Cases
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These are four cold cases where police are tantalisingly close to bringing killers to justice.
So, five years ago, a $1 million reward on the table for each of them.
There are strong suspects in most but no one has yet given authorities what they need to write a seven-figure cheque.
At least one of the cold cases has warmed up considerably in recent months with charges likely at some point.
Investigators hold out hopes for others.
The Herald Sun told their stories in 2015 in a series of special reports when the $1 million rewards were announced.
These are updated versions of those stories.
TRACEY HOWARD
Early on November 22, 1998, Tracey Howard walked from a nightspot in Ballarat and was never seen alive again.
Her strangled and naked body was found 37 hours later outside the regional city.
For whatever reason, it was one of those cases that never commanded saturation coverage in the media but family and friends of the vivacious 33-year-old have never forgotten.
Specialist cold case investigators said in 2015 they believed they know why Tracey died and had assessed the case as highly solvable.
Ms Howard was last seen alive as she left Cheers nightclub, a lively over-30s nightspot, at about 3am.
She had gone out with a girlfriend in a fatal spur-of-the moment decision.
A day-and-a-half later, Tracey’s body was found off Clarkes Hill Rd at Pootilla, a small settlement about 20km east of Ballarat.
The killer had gone to little effort to hide her.
There was no evidence of a sexual assault, despite clothing being scattered over about 500 metres.
Dozens of taxi drivers were interviewed to see whether they had picked up Ms Howard that night, without success.
Ms Howard was one of three women murdered in the Ballarat area in the space of eight years whose killings remain unsolved.
Nurse Nina Nicholson was bashed to death at Clunes in 1991 and Belinda Williams was killed at Buninyong in 1999.
The deaths are not connected, but each has attracted a $1 million reward.
With every year that passes — in theory — the chances of these cases being solved is diminished.
But the injection of a cash bounty has the potential to rejuvenate the inquiries, potentially exploiting loyalties that have frayed with the passage of time.
ANNETTE STEWARD
The death of Annette Maree Steward was as brutal as it was unexpected.
No one could have predicted the mother-of-two from Geelong would die in horrific circumstances at her Geelong West home 28 years ago.
Ms Steward had a steady job and was regarded as the kind of person who would do anything for anyone.
But on March 18, 1992, a killer who was probably invited in bashed and strangled the 29-year-old in the bedroom of her Hope St home.
What shapes as a major breakthrough emerged earlier this year when a man was arrested in Perth in connection with an unrelated homicide in West Australia.
He has been charged over the matter in that state.
Victoria Police homicide squad officers flew to Perth to interview the man after he was detained.
“His transfer to Victoria will be sought at an appropriate time,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
The death of Ms Steward, who worked at the Point Henry ammunition factory, understandably left her family devastated.
It also left many questions which police hope they can answer some time in the future.
A 2007 inquest examined her death but returned with an open finding.
HELEN MCMAHON
Helen McMahon loved the solitude of the expanse of beaches stretching along the Mornington Peninsula’s ocean side.
She would have had every right to think there was nothing to fear here, apart from the treacherous surf and rips on this exposed coastline.
The 47-year-old would have had no reason to think this peaceful area, where she sunbathed among the dunes, would be the hunting ground of a killer.
On February 13, 1985, Ms McMahon headed for the Rye area to take in the summer sun.
Later that day, her battered body, naked but with a towel placed over it, was found.
Had she known what we now know about Peter Dupas, she might have had second thoughts about the beach visit.
Dupas was serving a jail sentence for rape at the time but was out on pre-release day leave the day of the McMahon murder.
He went back inside to finish his stretch but, by early March, was behind bars again.
This time, Dupas had followed then raped a young woman at knifepoint at Blairgowrie, also on the Peninsula’s ocean side.
Dupas has long been a suspect in the murder of Ms McMahon, but has never been charged.
He was questioned but denied having anything to do with the crime.
Since then, his horrific propensity for murder has been exposed during a series of murder trials and inquests.
He has been convicted over the murders of Margaret Maher, found dead and mutilated at Somerton in 1997, Mersina Halvagis who was stabbed to death at Fawkner Cemetery the same year and psychotherapist Nicole Patterson, fatally stabbed in her Northcote home in 1999.
ALBERT PISANI
Albert Pisani walked from his Moe home in 1986 and was not seen alive again.
The body of the 27-year-old was found eight months later at the nearby Latrobe Valley town of Driffield.
Detective Senior Sergeat Dave Butler, of the missing persons squad, said in 2015 that a review had uncovered credible evidence a number of people were involved in his death.
He said others who lived in the Moe area at the time of the tragedy also knew what had happened.
“Our inquiries so far lead us to believe some of these people may be living in Ballarat and Tasmania and we are encouraging them to contact police,” Sen-Sgt Butler said.
“These people know something about Albert’s death and can help us identify the people involved.”
Mr Pisani worked as a cleaner with the State Electricity Commission at the time he vanished.
Sen-Sgt Butler said he was regarded as a mild-mannered young man who was cut down in the prime of his life.
He was known locally as a friendly man without enemies.
Sen-Sgt Butler said he hoped the $1 million reward and the passage of so much time would bring the breakthrough investigators needed.
Mr Pisani — who did not have a driver’s licence — walked from his home at 11am on October 10, 1986, and was reported missing five days later.
“Hopefully, it’s the catalyst to get a person or persons to talk to us. You’ve just got to hope someone has a conscience,” Sen-Sgt Butler said.
An indemnity would be considered by the Department of Public Prosecutions for anyone who can help identify the principle offenders.
Anyone with information on any of these crimes can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or go to crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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Originally published as One million dollar rewards for solvable cold case murders