$1m reward offered to help solve murder of St Andrews mum and gangland lover

A night out at a St Andrews pub could be key to solving the gruesome double murder of young mother Heather McDonald and her gangland lover.

A crime scene photo of the St Andrews property where Michael Scievella and Heather McDonald were murdered.

A $1 million reward will on Tuesday be posted for a cold case gangland murder of a couple in Melbourne’s northeast.

Crime figure Michael Schievella and his partner Heather McDonald were slain in the most horrific fashion at their St Andrews home on the morning of September 16, 1990.

Schievella, 44, was shot dead and McDonald, 36, had her throat cut. Both victims were bound and gagged.

Ms McDonald’s children, aged eight and nine, were at the house at the time.

Notorious hitman Rodney Charles Collins — who died in 2018 — has long been a suspect in the killings.

But homicide squad investigators are believed to be not locked into any theory and are looking closely at Mr Schievella’s visit to the St Andrews Hotel on the night before he was murdered.

Heather McDonald was brutally slain in her St Andrews home.

Crime figure Michael Schievella had met with “associates” in the pub the night before the couple were murdered.

Detective Insp Tim Day said Schievella, a drug dealer with an extensive criminal history, met with associates at the pub.

Police want to speak to anyone who was involved in an altercation with Schievella at the hotel or left the venue with him in the hours before the murders.

“This remains a strong avenue of inquiry for our investigation and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have information, particularly regarding who he was with at the hotel that night and what an argument he had was in relation to,” Insp Day said.

Police said they had spoken to “a number of people” over the years as part of their probe.

“Circumstances can change a lot over 30 years and we are hopeful that the right

person with the right information is now ready to speak to police,” Insp Day said.

Heather’s son woke at 8am and went to the lounge to watch television where he said he saw Schievella talking to a man in a balaclava.

That man ushered the child to his bedroom, bound his hands and closed the door.

Michael Scievella and Heather McDonald were slain inside the St Andrews property.

The boy heard voices from a bedroom area, including someone asking “have you got any money on you?” and “where have you hidden your money?”.

He said Schievella said “don’t do that to her” before there were loud thuds and he started screaming.

Ms McDonald’s daughter later woke to the phone ringing and found the door of the main bedroom closed.

She then found her brother and untied him before they found bloodied sheets covering the bodies of their mother and Schievella in the backyard.

The children then ran through paddocks to Mittons Bridge Rd and waved down a neighbour.

Insp Day said the killings were horrific enough on their own.

“It’s even more tragic given we had two young children who were confronted by the

sight of their mother and her partner who had been killed in this way,” he said.

“I have no doubt that it’s an incident which has had a significant impact on them and

that over 30 years on, they still feel this loss.”

Police said the Director of Public Prosecutions would consider the granting of indemnification from prosecution to anyone who provided information about the identity of the principal offender or offenders Schievella-McDonald case.

Any information would be treated as confidential and could be given to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or by visiting the website www.crimestoppersvic.com.au