Family fight to have killer’s name released as Tania Burgess’ murderer freed from prison while his name and face remain hidden

The baby-faced murderer stabbed Tania Burgess 48 times. Today he walked from jail, name hidden, an anonymous man in his 30s. His family is fighting to have his name released.

‘DL’ leaving King Street Supreme Court in Sydney handcuffed in 2005 in the back of a Juvenile Justice vehicle after being found guilty of the murder of Tania Burgess. Picture: Supplied

A baby-faced killer who stabbed a teenage girl to death 17 years ago has been released back in the community where no one will know his horrific past. Central Coast teen Tania Burgess was just 15 years old when she was stabbed brutally 48 times on her way home from school.

Her killer has been known only as “DL” because of juvenile protection laws and was released on Monday ahead of his 18-year sentence ending in July next year.

Tania’s distraught mother Mandy Burgess is fighting for the suppression order to be lifted now that he is back in the community.

“I don’t want to wake up one morning and hear in the news or have a phone call and hear someone else has been through what we have been through,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

Ms Burgess came face-to-face with her daughter’s murder at the parole hearing which allowed his release.

Mandy Burgess holds a picture or her murdered daughter, Tania. Tania's killer, right, who can be known only as JL, walked free on Monday. Pictures: NewsWire/Supplied

Although the State Parole Authority has imposed a suite of harsh restrictions on the man now in his 30s, Ms Burgess says the people who meet him deserve to know what he did to Tania.

Despite being convicted of the crime, DL has never admitted guilt.

“To the public he looks like a normal man. He’s grown up, he’s different, his face has changed. He doesn’t have that baby face he had at 16 any more,” she said.

“I feel that with his name and photo out there in the community, in the newspapers, in the media, it gives the community a little bit more protection than knowing his 30-year-old man has been incarcerated and doesn’t know any better and he could reoffend.”

Ms Burgess says she has been battling “mixed emotions” as DL is released.

“It’s a really weird feeling … I don’t feel safe knowing he’s out there.”

Victims advocate Howard Brown, who represented the Burgess family during the parole hearing, said DL was going to be released to the care of his parents and would be free to live anonymously.