New theory, suspects unearthed in Mr Cruel cold case

Two new suspects potentially involved in one of Australia’s most frightening and long-running cold cases have been unmasked, as a new “Mr Cruel” theory emerges.

A front page story in the Herald Sun on Karmein Chan.

A Geelong-based internet sleuth claims to have unmasked two suspects potentially involved in one of Australia’s most frightening and long-running cold cases.

It comes as a bombshell new theory emerged that the so-called Mr Cruel “never existed” and the chilling series of child abductions, rapes and murder across Melbourne were the work of multiple offenders in the 1980s and early 90s.

Grovedale truck driver Trev Gross, who is part of a large community of amateur online detectives dedicated to solving the decades-old mystery, said he believed investigators “could be dealing with at least two monsters” and urged police to investigate a link between two convicted pedophiles both involved at a former youth group.

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana announcing a $1 million reward in relation to the Karmein Chan (pictured) murder. Picture: Andrew Tauber

However, a respected criminal psychologist with intimate knowledge of the frightening series of child rapes has questioned the victimology between the offenders, saying “to be abusing young boys by day and then abducting young girls at night doesn’t quite fit, but it’s not impossible”.

Mr Gross says he has provided a dossier to police naming Barry Francis Watson as a person of interest, who lived in Park Orchards in the city’s northeast and within a short drive to all four sickening crimes widely attributed to Mr Cruel.

He was the leader of a Church of England Boys Society group affiliated with the Anglican Church and would later be convicted for the horrific abuse of multiple children, aged between 9-13, across at least a 20-year period from the 1970s.

He took his own life in 2019 days before he was scheduled to appear in court facing new historic child sex crimes.

The second, who the Addy has chosen not to name for legal reasons, is a heinous sexual predator in prison.

Mr Cruel’s offending began in August 1987, when an 11-year old girl was horrifically abused at her Lower Plenty home as her parents and brother lay tied up in the adjacent bedrooms.

A description of Mr Cruel after his first attack on a young girl in her Lower Plenty home.

He would go on to abduct three more girls, aged 10-13, from their homes in Ringwood, Canterbury and Templestowe, killing his last known victim, Karmein Chein.

The 13-year-old was found a year later at Edgars Creek in Thomastown with three gunshot wounds to the head.

The alleged Park Orchards suspect lived within a 16km radius of all four crimes and abused several other school-aged children, including at least one female, in the area.

He would lure his victims to his home under the guise of being a “teacher-like” figure, also committing sickening attacks at a nearby sports reserve.

“His position as youth leader aligns with some long held theories Mr Cruel was a teacher or someone who had access to schoolchildren,” Mr Gross said.

All of the attacks happened in or around the school holidays.

An FBI profile of the likely offender, issued in 1991, stated:

“The offender has an intense interest in children, especially children in the age group he is assaulting. He will spend a great deal of time with these children in what appears to be selfless dedication to students.’’

David Sprague, head of Operation Spectrum, holding poster of supposed Mr Cruel victims.

However criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro, who assisted detectives during the Mr Cruel investigation, said there were “clear differences” in the sex of his known victims and that of Watson.

“Yes, this guy was an active offender at the same time and lived in the vicinity of all crimes,” Watson-Munro said.

“He probably doesn’t quite fit the profile, in my opinion.”

Mr Cruel was meticulous in his detail and his motivation never to be caught, according to Mr Watson-Munro, telling one alleged victim, “My liberty is more important than your life”.

Former criminal investigator Mike King, who has tracked the Mr Cruel case using geographical mapping, has always believed the offender lived close by to all crimes.

“The fact that it’s all in about a 20-minute drive from each other, in that area the offender has to feel comfortable in order to function,” he said.

The Addy provided information on the potential suspects to investigators involved in the 35 year mystery, who were unable to comment on individuals or specific avenues of inquiries.

“The investigation into a number of incidents believed to be possibly linked to “Mr Cruel” remains active and ongoing,” a spokeswoman said.

“This includes the abduction and sexual assault of three girls between 1987 and 1990, as well as the 1991 murder of Karmein Chan.

“Any new information provided to police about these matters will be assessed and thoroughly investigated.”

Mr Cruel. Police sketch of the dark green balaclava used by the kidnapper of Nicola Lynas. Picture: Photo File

Detectives said significant forensics have already been undertaken on exhibits over the years and further testing would be prioritised when new technology allowed.

Authorities have invested an estimated $4m in an effort to catch the masked sadist, with a specialist Spectrum Taskforce created at the height of the investigation.

More than 27,000 suspects have been interviewed and close to 30,000 homes searched.

A former taskforce source, speaking to Channel 7’s The Hunters program last month, revealed DNA taken from an earlier victim thought to be linked to Mr Cruel, and DNA from his second victim, Sharon Wills, did not match.

The revelation “dismantled” the one offender theory, according to the source.

“For all we know we could be dealing with two, three or four offenders,” he said.

“One thing we do know is that we don’t have Mr Cruel.”

A $1m reward remains on offer for information leading to an arrest into the abduction and murder of Karmein Chan, along with $200,000 each for the abductions and assaults on Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppers.com.au.

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Originally published as New theory, suspects unearthed in Mr Cruel cold case