Queensland police believe NT’s own ‘Hannibal Lecter’ Andrew Albury is responsible for Mt Isa murder

Police believe the Territory’s own ‘Hannibal Lecter’, Andrew Albury, is responsible for the murder of a woman in Queensland in the 80s.

QUEENSLAND police believe the Territory’s own ‘Hannibal Lecter’, Andrew Albury, is responsible for the murder of a woman in Mt Isa in the 80s.

Albury is serving a life sentence in the NT for the brutal murder and mutilation of Gloria Pindan on Mitchell St, Darwin on November 25, 1983.

The Mount Isa Criminal Investigation Branch have taken out an arrest warrant for Albury, but because he is serving a life sentence in the NT it is unlikely he will ever face trial.

Mount Isa District Officer Acting Superintendent Jason Smith said there was significant evidence to charge Albury.

Murderer Andy Albury is led by detectives through the Darwin Airport. Albury was convicted of killing a woman in Darwin's Mitchell Street in November 1983 and mutilating her body.

“While it is possible for QLD Police to seek transfer of Albury to Queensland during his NT prison sentence, there are a number of considerations in this space including the impact of a trial upon the remaining witnesses,” he said.

“We have not made this application.”

Police believe they’ve made a breakthrough in the cold case murder of Mt Isa woman Patricia Carlton, 37 years after her husband Kelvin Condren was wrongfully jailed for the crime.

Albury confessed to killing an Aboriginal woman in Mt Isa in late September 1983 but when he was put on the stand at Condren’s trial, he recanted his admission to the killing.

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A/Supt Smith said the ‘cold case investigation’ began in March 2020 with the help of the Homicide Investigation Unit.

“The murder of Patricia Carlton is a significant offence in Mount Isa’s history, and while there has been a lot of discussion and some resolution in regard to the arrest of Kelvin Condren, until now the death of Patricia Carlton had not been revisited and a determination made,” A/Supt Smith said.

“We saw this as something that was needed and subsequently took on the ‘cold case’.”

A/Supt Smith said he hoped the fact there was sufficient evidence to charge Albury would bring closure.

“We have investigated the homicide of Patricia Carlton and came to the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence to charge Andrew Albury, and hope that this result provides some closure to Patricia’s family and Kelvin Condren,” he said.

“In the event that Andrew Albury is considered for release from NT prison, I will seek extradition so that he can stand trial in QLD.”

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