Cult leader dies before facing justice over alleged role in 2yo girl’s horrific death

A cult leader who was facing charges over his alleged role in covering up the horrific death of a two-year-old girl has died before facing trial.

WARNING: Disturbing content

A former NSW cult leader who was charged with monstrously covering up the horrific killing of a helpless two-year-old girl by burning her body in a barrel and sieving her ashes nearly four decades ago will never face justice after he died.

Alexander Wilon, the leader of the Ministry of God sect, was due to face Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court last week; however, the court heard that he had died, bringing the long-running saga over the death of Tillie Craig to a sad and unsatisfying conclusion.

In June this year, the court heard he was terminally ill after a major stroke and was unfit to face trial.

The court was told he had suffered brain damage, lung disease and amnesia, with prosecutors and a judge agreeing he was unfit to be tried.

Wilon had been charged over his alleged attempts to cover up the death of Tillie at her mother’s hands on his cult’s property near Oberon in central NSW in July 1987.

He was not charged over her killing, and earlier this year, Tillie’s mother Ellen Craig was sentenced to a maximum of nine years after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

She admitted to beating her two-year-old with a piece of irrigation pipe until she stopped breathing at the cult’s Porters Retreat property.

Ministry of God cult leader Alexander Wilon.

Tillie Craig was beaten to death. Picture: ABC

“To say that the circumstances of Tillie’s death are tragic would be a gross understatement,” Supreme Court Justice Natalie Adams said when she sentenced Craig earlier this year.

The court was told that children in the cult were required to do chores and Craig beat her daughter to death because she was unhappy with the two-year-old’s sweeping.

A witness saw her beat the girl on the legs and back and continued to beat her even when she began crying and lying face down on the ground.

Wilon, who also went by the name Alfio Nicolosi, is alleged to have played a role in covering up Tillie’s death, which remained under a shroud of secrecy for decades before Craig was extradited from New Zealand to face court.

He was not at the property at the time, but when he returned he was told “Tillie’s dead”.

During Craig’s sentence proceedings, the court was told that Wilon attempted to pray to resurrect her before the decision was made to burn her body in a barrel.

Alexander Wilon during his 2021 arrest. Picture: NSW Police.

Her body was placed in a 44-gallon drum, along with wood, old clothes and motor oil, Justice Adams said in her August sentencing of Craig.

“Mr Wilon lit the fire in the drum,” Justice Adams wrote.

“Once the flames were lit, Mr Wilon sent (another cult member) and Ms Craig away.

“Mr Wilon stood over the drum whilst it burned and continued to put wood, old clothes and old motor oil on the fire. The fire burned for hours.

“He burnt the body until there was nothing left.”

When the drum had cooled, Mr Wilon sifted Tillie’s ashes, using a large metal sieve, in an effort to ensure there were no unburnt remains and threw the barrel into a river, the Supreme Court was told.

Mr Wilon died before facing trial. Picture: ABC.

He was charged with accessory after the fact to murder and interfering with a corpse.

In September 2022, Wilon was hit with a raft of additional charges after he was accused of physically and sexually assaulting a teenage boy and girl and two women from 1987 to 2000.

He was facing 23 additional charges, including counts of sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.