Shandee’s Story: Accused’s abusive letter to murder victim

Accused killer John Peros sent Shandee Blackburn a hate-filled letter five times in the one month at the end of their relationship.

John Peros, pictured in 2019, sent former girlfriend Shandee Blackburn a hate-filled letter five times in the one month. Picture: Daryl Wright

Accused killer John Peros sent former girlfriend Shandee Blackburn a hate-filled letter five times in just one month at the end of their troubled relationship.

Titled “Things About Shandee I Don’t Like”, it was a numbered list brimming with jealousy, mistrust, anger and abuse.

Jurors were read the letter at the opening of Mr Peros’s 2017 trial for Shandee’s murder – but they were not told how much of it was untrue.

Jurors weren’t told how much was untrue in the letter, discussed in the latest Shandee’s Story podcast episode.

“I have been told by a few people you are only good for a good time,” reads part of the letter.

“You flirt with every guy you talk to. You lied to me … you can never be trusted.”

A new episode of investigative podcast series Shandee’s Story features the letter while analysing the start of Mr Peros’s trial for the savage murder of the 23-year-old as she walked home from work in Mackay, Queensland, in February 2013.

Prosecutor Joshua Phillips opened the Crown case with a ­description of Mr Peros sneaking up on Shandee and stabbing her more than 20 times, slicing her larynx or voice box, leaving her with no way to call out.

Then he began to explain why the attack occurred, saying it was a case “as old as time” of love turning to hatred.

“The relationship … ended about a year or so before she was killed,” Mr Phillips said.

“At the time it ended, John Peros wrote up a list. There were 30 things he didn’t like about Shandee Blackburn.”

The personal attacks in the letter were incredibly difficult for Shandee’s family and friends. Documents seen by The Australian show Mr Peros sent it to her iPhone five times in March 2012.

Mr Peros’s list accused Shandee of cheating on former boyfriends, “denying” him sex, failing in bed, concealing a potential pregnancy, and secretly being in contact with former partners, among other things.

“We had to leave the club ­because you seen your ex-boyfriend that you cheated on over 10 times,” it reads.

“Your sex drive is shit. You don’t want to f..k as much as me.”

Much of the letter is so extreme it is not being reprinted here. Spelling has been corrected for readability in sections used.

The Australian’s Hedley Thomas says it is possible jurors hearing the vile abuse would have judged Shandee, not the man on trial. “In my view, Shandee was being victim blamed and shamed here and she had no way of rebutting the lies and abuse,” he said. “The jurors were not told how much of that foul rant was ­untrue or grossly exaggerated – the product of John’s very ­unusual paranoia.

“He was paranoid about even his best friends. And his deep-seated trust issues with women led him to see them as sluts – as pieces of meat to satisfy his sexual needs.”

Mr Peros’s top criminal ­defence lawyer, Craig Eberhardt, told the jury the letter was written when the pair were in the throes of a messy break-up.

“She wanted to continue the relationship and he wrote that document simply to explain to her why their relationship wasn’t going to work,” Mr Eberhardt said. “Within that relationship, each of them used very coarse language … both to insult the other but also as terms of endearment at times,” he added.

Mr Peros was acquitted by the jury. A coroner last year found he did kill Shandee, but did not find new evidence to charge him again under double jeopardy laws.

He denies any involvement.