Haunting detail in final images from officer murdered in Wieambilla massacre as coroner delivers bombshell finding
A haunting detail has emerged in bodycam footage from a police officer murdered in a horrific ambush, as the families of the slain officers reveal their disappointment at an inquest finding.
A haunting detail has emerged in bodycam images from one of the police officers murdered in a cold-blooded ambush in regional Queensland.
State Coroner Terry Ryan on Friday handed down his official findings into the bloody massacre at Wieambilla on December 12, 2022 – marking the culmination of a harrowing inquest procedure into the six who died.
Queensland Police constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, were shot dead by members of the Train family – brothers Nathaniel and Gareth and his wife Stacey – while performing a welfare check on Nathaniel at the property in Queensland’s Western Downs region.
Moments after Constable Arnold was fatally shot in the torso, Constable McCrow was shot in her upper left back and shoulder area, before being shot again in the lower right leg and upper left leg.
In still images captured from her bodycam, a rifle-carrying man in a khaki shirt and jeans – identified by Mr Ryan to be Gareth Train – is seen walking towards her.
The images have previously been released by the coroners court but in his findings Mr Ryan named and identified the Train brothers in the constables’ final moments.
Mr Ryan said Constable McCrow discharged her police-issued Glock handgun before the man in khaki fatally shot her at close range.
One infamous image from the inquest captures Gareth Train removing Constable Arnold’s load-bearing vest, utility belt and radio.
His face is clearly captured on Constable Arnold’s bodycam.
Mr Ryan said Gareth was captured removing the same items from Constable McCrow, discarding them in bushland.
The slain officers’ handguns, tasers, handcuffs and radios would be taken back to the Train home.
In another still from Constable McCrow’s footage, another man in camouflage can be seen kneeling nearby with a rifle “effectively keeping guard over Gareth”.
Mr Ryan said the second man could positively be identified as Nathaniel Train.
The two officers and constables Keely Brough and Randall Kirk had unknowingly walked into a trap set by the Train family and were met by gunfire within minutes of entering the property.
Constable Kirk was injured after fleeing gunfire from the Trains while Constable Brough fled into bushland – the Trains lighting fires on the property in a bid to flush her out.
Neighbour Alan Dare was murdered by the family while investigating these fires.
Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey were all shot dead by Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) officers later in the night, following a lengthy standoff.
In his findings, Mr Ryan said it was not possible to conclude if the Trains committed an act of terror as defined by law, referencing the constellation of the trio’s shared psychotic delusion and persecutory beliefs.
Families, government, police respond
Outside court, Judy McCrow – the mother of Constable McCrow – said her family and Constable Arnold’s family were both “initially disappointed” with the recommendations.
“But we need time to read, process and respond to the findings, and ensure that, as families, our concerns and issues that were raised during this process have been listened to and respected,” Dr McCrow said.
“Delivered just 21 days before the third anniversary of the murderous ambush … his recommendations have triggered emotional pain and stress.
“From the outset, we’ve stressed any coronial recommendations must prevent a tragedy like this happening again.
“I understand agencies have no legislative requirement to respond to the coroner’s recommendations.
“But we believe it is vitally important the recommendations are immediately implemented – not just in Queensland but right across Australia.”
In a statement prepared on behalf of both families, Dr McCrow thanked Mr Ryan for his work and revealed the Arnold and McCrow families would continue to “forever grieve and live shattered lives”.
“These recommendations, of course, come too late for Matt and Rachel – and Alan Dare – who we believe should still be alive today if better processes were in place,” Dr McCrow’s statement reads.
“As parents, siblings and extended family, we will continue to channel our grief into bringing about systemic change.
“There will never come a day, hour, minute or second we will stop thinking about Matt and Rachel and all the wonderful family events they should have been a part of.”
Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said the coroner’s findings were “very important”.
“Like any inquest, there’s always findings that help to improve the safety of the community and of our officers, and that’s our number one priority,” Ms Scanlon said.
“And whilst I won’t say too much today, the findings are there for people to digest well and truly after today’s handing down.”
Police Minister Dan Purdie thanked the coroner for his report, noting the third anniversary of “one of the darkest and most harrowing events in Queensland’s history” was just weeks away.
“The Queensland Police Service and the Crisafulli government will closely consider all findings and recommendations as we continue to strengthen the safety of our frontline,” Mr Purdie said.
“We must learn every possible lesson from this tragedy to ensure it doesn’t happen again to honour those we lost – and to make Queensland safer.”
Survivors gave evidence to inquest
Harrowing evidence was given by surviving police officers, senior police figures and experts during the inquest, which finished in late August 2024.
It was examining a range of issues related to the attendance of constables Arnold, McCrow, Kirk and Brough at the Wains Rd property, who exactly fired the shots that killed constables McCrow and Arnold and Mr Dare, the communication between NSW Police and Queensland Police in relation to Nathaniel’s missing person’s report, the motivations of the Train family and whether any policy changes could prevent similar deaths in the future, among other issues.
At its conclusion Ruth O’Gorman, counsel assisting the coroner, made several recommendations for Mr Ryan to consider ahead of his official findings being delivered.
One included recommending the Queensland government implement mandatory mental health assessments for weapons licence applicants.
Coroner pays tribute to ‘enduring grief’ of families
The families of the slain officers and multiple police officials packed Brisbane Magistrates Court for Mr Ryan’s findings.
After entering at 11.30am, he acknowledged all the families and their “enduring grief”.
Mr Ryan began by summarising the events of the tragic day – including how the four constables from the Tara and Chinchilla police stations began attending the at-first routine missing person’s job.
Nathaniel had been formally listed as a missing person in December 2022.
After hopping over the padlocked gate of the Wains Rd property, a shot rang out minutes.
“Constable Arnold was shot and killed by Nathaniel Train,” Mr Ryan said.
“Moments later, Constable McCrow was killed by Gareth Train.”
Mr Ryan said the circumstances of Nathaniel’s illegal entry into Queensland back in December 2021 during the Covid border lockdowns were not in contention – with the court being told his vehicle became stuck in floodwaters.
Nathaniel damaged the entry gate and discarded items, including ammunition, in the water.
“I have concluded the investigation was adequate,” Mr Ryan said of the probe into Nathaniel’s illegal border crossing.
He found NSW Police officers acted “in accordance” with relevant policies in broadcasting Nathaniel’s missing person’s report.
Before attending, a note was sent to Queensland Police which included information about Nathaniel’s firearm and Gareth’s hatred of police – including the threats to his nephew, Aidan Train.
Emails provided by Stacey Train earlier that day were not provided.
“I accept the evidence given by a number of witnesses from both Queensland and NSW Police … that if the emails had been provided, Queensland Police officers would have had the opportunity to do a more complete risk assessment,” Mr Ryan said.
“The officers who were sent did not have that opportunity.”
Mr Ryan said it was not possible to know if additional information was provided, a different outcome would have resulted.
“In the circumstances, I am not able to make any definitive finding,” he said.
Mr Ryan made recommendations surrounding the expansion of Queensland Police’s aerial reconnaissance – including the use of drones – in his findings, which are due to be published online.
Mr Ryan continued by saying all constables were appropriately trained for their attendance on the job, but their Glock handguns were “woefully inadequate” to match the Trains’s high-powered rifles.
“Even if they had been wearing a vest with high-armoured plates, I am not satisfied this would have prevented their deaths,” he said.
“It is difficult to see how any officers would have been adequately equipped to respond (to what lay in wait).”
Inside delusional worldview of homicidal killers
Nathaniel, Gareth and Tracey had been living “off-grid” with little electricity and tank water ahead of the attack, while stockpiling weapons and fortifying their Wains Rd property.
This included the construction of sniper hides along the property’s bushland, an “observation point” and the alteration of a curve in the track leading to their house, which the inquest was told was built to limit the manoeuvrability of approaching vehicles.
In his findings, Mr Ryan concluded all three of the Trains were suffering from a shared psychotic delusion and were “unwell” and driven by “persecutory beliefs”.
“They were intent on killing the officers and if necessary, intent on dying rather than being taken into custody,” he said.
Mr Ryan found all three were acting “defensively” in what the Train family regarded as an “evil advance” on them.
“It is not possible to conclude Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel committed a terrorist act,” he said.
Mr Ryan found no government had any intel or information regarding how the Train family would act in the “unprecedented and extremely violent” way they did on December 12, 2022.
During the inquest, consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Andrew Aboud gave evidence the trio’s delusions primarily focused around Gareth Train’s obsession with “neurological bioweapons”, “religions” and his distrust of authorities.
Dr Aboud gave evidence these delusions progressed from the conspiracies about CIA-run military program MKUltra, to weapons manufacturer Raytheon, to believing the Covid-19 vaccination was a way for the government to target the population.
Gareth began to view believe the vaccines were turning people into “non-humans” wearing “meat suits”.
Before the shootings, he sent a series of emails warning he and Nathaniel would be ready to greet the “bully men” (a slang term for police) … as they deserve” and said: “If trouble arrives on my doorstep, it will be dealt with forthwith, as it always has”.
Originally published as Haunting detail in final images from officer murdered in Wieambilla massacre as coroner delivers bombshell finding
