‘Untold sadness at every milestone event’: Family of murdered mum want answers

Mother-of-five Mary Anne Fagan was found naked, bound and gagged on her bed in 1978. Now her children have revealed the family’s secret 45-year torment.

The children of murdered mum Mary Anne Fagan want answers, 45 years after her gruesome death.

The family of an Armadale mother of five whose 1978 murder is under cold case investigation hold out hope they will finally get answers.

It is 45 years this week since Mary Anne Fagan was murdered and her children have spoken publicly for the first time of their desire to know what happened.

No one has ever worked out why the killer stabbed Ms Fagan 14 times in her Dandenong Rd home on February 17, some time between 11am and 12.30pm.

She had earlier returned home from a school run in the family’s Holden station wagon and was later seen by a witness speaking to council workers in the street.

Two of the children found her naked body, bound and gagged, on her bed after they were forced to break in when they returned to a locked house about 4.10pm that afternoon.

The phone had been disconnected and their baby sibling was crying in another room.

Mrs Fagan’s husband, the late RAAF serviceman Group Captain Collins Fagan, was left to raise the children, Anthony, Katherine, Rebecca, Collins and Patrick alone.

Katherine – who was 13 at the time – said this week what followed was decades of silence among the siblings about the catastrophic event.

Mary Anne Fagan was murdered in 1978.

A radiant Mary Anne on her wedding day.

“We never spoke about it. Ever,” Katherine told the Herald Sun.

That ended last year when they cleaned out the North Caulfield family home where their father continued to live until his death in 2010.

In the attic, they found where he had lovingly stored their mum’s belongings in boxes, unable to part with them.

Katherine said there were personal items, thank you notes, diaries and clothes from her days in the swinging London of the 1960s.

It was an experience that made their mum seem real, especially for Collins and Patrick who were so young at the time.

“There was mum’s whole life. It led us to talk about it. It was difficult for us but bittersweet and lovely,” she said.

“He (dad) was so devastated he just couldn’t deal with it (discarding her possessions),” Katherine said.

Katherine said Collins did a remarkable job – with the help of Mary Anne’s mother and supportive schools – to send five well-adjusted people into the world after what had happened.

“He really had to be head down, bum up and say ‘I’ve got to get these kids through’,” Katherine said.

“I probably thought about it every day for years and years. I think we were very lucky to have those support mechanisms and dad’s strength.”

Their mother – though lost early – was also a big factor in that, Katherine said.

“We all got through all right. We had a great start. Mum was very authentic and honest,” she said.

Mary Anne’s husband Group Captain Collins Fagan did a remarkable job of raising the children alone. Picture: News Corp

Collins Fagan had spoken to his wife by phone at 11am that day and his devastation was raw in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“There is no reason on earth why she should deserve such a brutal end – the agony is constantly with me,” he said.

“I’ve searched my mind thoroughly and I can’t think of anyone who could carry out such a heinous crime against my wife – there is just no reason.”

A coroner’s inquest revealed Malvern City Council had been repairing the road nearby the day Mrs Fagan was murdered.

The inquest heard some of the workers who spoke to Mrs Fagan on the morning she was killed had given unsatisfactory evidence.

One witness had been “far from honest with the information he gave to police”, but the hearing did not offer answers to the cold case.

Son Anthony recalled his mother as a fun, generous and loving woman with a beautiful smile.

“We were very close and for her to be taken from the family was incredibly painful. Dad did an amazing job to raise us under the most difficult circumstances with the mantra to carry on `as she would have wanted’. There has been untold sadness at every milestone family event,” he said.

Daughter Rebecca said she was loving, caring and was always there for the children.

“I remember her smile and her laughter,” Rebecca said

“Mum has missed her five children growing up, birthdays, family occasions, weddings, grandchildren. Building on a beautiful long relationship with dad.”

Detective Senior-Const. Steve Kelly of the homicide squad said the family deserved answers.

“We still don’t know why Mary Anne was murdered, however we continue to hope that we will get information that leads to detectives finding who is responsible,” Sen-Const. Kelly said.

“It is never too late to tell us what you know and any piece of information, no matter how

insignificant you might consider it to be, could be exactly what investigators need.

Reports at the time said police believed it almost certain the killer was an airman, but they did not discount other possibilities including that he may have worn the uniform to lull Mrs Fagan into opening the door.

RAAF police assisted the homicide squad, as did other organisations who had similar looking uniforms at the time.

One witness who sighted the man was taken to all Victorian RAAF bases to inspect parades of servicemen.

Air force supply stores were checked in case the killer had recently bought their uniform.

Detectives who worked the case said the man would have to be “very strong” because of the nature and number of the wounds.

Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a

confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au