Mr Cruel child killer case: Ex-teachers names given to police
UPDATE: POLICE announce $1 million reward for Karmein Chan murder, as two ex-teachers are among men newly dobbed in to police as possibly being child-abducting murderer Mr Cruel.
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TWO former teachers are among a number of men newly dobbed in to police as possibly being child-abducting murderer Mr Cruel.
The names of both men were provided to police after the Herald Sun last week revealed new evidence about the unsolved Mr Cruel crimes.
Today police confirmed they have increased the reward to anyone who can provide information to solve the abduction and murder of his last known victim, Karmein Chan, 25 years ago to $1 million.
The Herald Sun revealed the increase last week.
Crime Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana believes someone holds the key to solving the murder.
“This unsolved murder has been extremely devastating to the Chan family,” Assistant Commissioner Fontana said today.
“We are hoping that today’s $1 million announcement will encourage someone out there with crucial information or direct knowledge of this murder to come forward.”
New evidence also revealed by the Herald Sun last week included that a former Melbourne University lecturer recently admitted he is the prime Mr Cruel suspect.
The Herald Sun discovered yesterday that when police searched the former lecturer’s home after the Mr Cruel attacks they found a balaclava and a knife hidden in his roof.
Mr Cruel used a balaclava and a knife during his attacks on children.
That prime suspect is now aged 75 and still lives in the house where police discovered his disguise and weapon of choice.
He is one of seven suspects that police couldn’t rule out as being Mr Cruel.
Police have searched around 30,000 homes and interviewed 27,000 people in relation to this case over the years.
A reward of up to $1 million will be paid at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner of Police for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or people responsible for the abduction and murder.
Any payment of a reward will be subject to the applicant signing a deed of confidentiality prior to payment.
In appropriate cases, the DPP may consider, according to established guidelines, the granting of indemnification from prosecution to any person who provides information as to the identity of the principal offender or offenders in this matter.
It is 25 years today since Mr Cruel kidnapped his last known victim, 13-year-old Karmein Chan.
She was taken from her Templestowe home about 8.40pm on April 13, 1991.
Karmein’s body was found almost a year later in a shallow grave at Thomastown. She had been shot at least three times in the head.
THE SUSPECTS: MR CRUEL INTERACTIVE MAP
Mr Cruel had earlier attacked an 11-year-old girl in her Lower Plenty home in 1987, abducted Sharon Wills, 10, in 1988, and kidnapped Nicola Lynas, 13 in 1990.
He released Sharon after 18 hours and Nicola after 50 hours.
The two former teachers nominated to police this week as possibly being Mr Cruel both had connections to some of the victims.
A profile of Mr Cruel, prepared by Victoria Police detectives from the Mr Cruel Spectrum taskforce after many hours spent interviewing victims and consulting experts, including some from the FBI, suggested a person like a teacher could be Mr Cruel.
It said he could be married or living with a woman who goes away around school holidays, when some of the attacks occurred.
The profile suggested Mr Cruel would be intelligent and well-organised. He would seem genuinely interested in and dedicated to children.
Callers to Crime Stoppers since the Herald Sun series of articles on Saturday of last week have also provided detail of other men they believe should be investigated over the Mr Cruel attacks.
Police have never liked the Mr Cruel tag given to the kidnapper by the media.
They feared it would create the impression the offender was a monster.
While what he did to his victims was certainly monstrous; he would probably be seen by people who knew him as a normal, everyday person.
Anybody with information about Mr Cruel, or any of the crimes attributed to him, should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or provide information online through www.crimestoppersvic.com.au — a $300,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of Mr Cruel is still available.
The Herald Sun revealed on Wednesday last week that Victoria Police is expected to increase that reward to at least $1 million.
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