Police recount their steps in Shandee Blackburn’s murder

Words: David Murray | Hedley Thomas | Louise Starkey Producer: Louise Starkey

Paramedics desperately tried to save Shandee Blackburn’s life after she was attacked with a knife and she lay motionless alongside the gutter of Boddington Street, Mackay, on February 9, 2013.

The 23-year-old had been viciously stabbed more than 20 times while walking home from a night shift at the Harrup Park Country Club.

The incident — initially reported as a serious stabbing — was upgraded to a homicide by Sergeant Peter Cowan after he arrived at the scene and was notified of how bad Shandee’s condition was by paramedics.

His side of the story is featured in the first episode of The Australian’s new podcast series, Shandee’s Story, alongside that of his brother Anthony, who was acting officer-in-charge of Mackay’s Criminal Investigation Branch at the time.

After emergency services attended to Shandee at the scene, she was taken to Mackay Base Hospital, where medical staffers continued their resuscitation attempts and police eventually managed to identify her.

Peter began coordinating an initial local search of the ground and gutter, while Anthony informed Shandee’s mother, Vicki, of the incident hours after it occurred down the road from the townhouse they shared.

The second episode of Shandee’s Story, Sweating Bullets, features police’s investigation of Shandee’s former boyfriend, John Peros — highlighting how difficult it was to find him and get a statement when he was taken to the station.

The episode shares intimate details of the tumultuous relationship Peros had with Shandee, in which they accused each other of cheating and regularly were “snapping” at each other due to insecurities.