Reservoir underwear thefts: Joshua Murrell charged with theft, stalking, trespass

An alleged Reservoir underwear thief is facing further charges after police appealed for victims to come forward.

A Melbourne man is facing more than 30 criminal charges as police allege he spent six years stalking and stealing underwear from female neighbours.

Joshua Murrell, 34, was arrested in Reservoir in July on 10 charges including theft, stalking, trespass, and weapons possession, for offences allegedly occurring in the suburb between January 2020 and July 2022.

Court documents reveal police have served 23 additional charges on Murrell since his July 11 arrest, with allegations his offending extended beyond his home suburb of Reservoir to nearby Preston and Heidelberg West, and began as far back as 2016.

Multiple alleged victims claimed to have been targeted repeatedly over a number of years.

One woman told police she installed security cameras in her courtyard after repeated thefts of underwear and activewear from her clothesline in 2021 and 2022.

Another woman claimed to have had 45 items stolen in similar circumstances between 2016 and 2018 and to have moved out of her home “out of fear in relation to the ongoing thefts”.

A July 6 search of Murrell’s home allegedly found more than 5000 women’s clothing items including bras, underpants, gym tights, handbags, shoes, and a personalised weightlifting leotard, along with an imitation handgun, homemade dildos and other sex toys, and a homemade sex doll dressed in activewear.

Murrell made a brief, unrepresented appearance at Heidelberg Magistrates Court on July 28, via videolink from a remand centre.

He made no application for bail and was remanded to return to court on August 19.