Frozen in horror: Bogie massacre neighbour’s never-before-told story of survival

A remote Queensland town remains traumatised by how three ‘beautiful’ people were allegedly slain, execution style, while police say a fourth was left to run for his life. Twelve months on, we talk to some of those most affected.

It was early Thursday morning when four family members set off for what police allege was a pre-organised meeting with a neighbour at the boundary line between their two properties, oblivious to the horror that was about to unfold.

Before 9am, three people would be dead, allegedly shot execution-style with a rifle at close range, while a fourth ran for his life.

The small community is still reeling from the deaths.

“It’s unsettling to … drive the same road where it all happened,” one neighbour said.

“You still think, this is where they went on their last day.

“This is where they drove, this is exactly what they were doing when they met a terrible fate.”

Friday, August 4, 2023 marks 12 months since the remote, regional township of Bogie, west of Bowen, was ripped apart by the alleged shooting murders of Mervyn and Maree Schwarz, and Maree’s son Graham Tighe, 35.

Maree and Merv Schwarz (left) and Graham Tighe (top right) all died after a shooting at a Bogie property west of Mackay. Ross Tighe (bottom right) survived a gunshot wound to the stomach after undergoing emergency surgery.

It would be hours before police arrived at the terrible scene – the boundary between two cattle properties: Sutherland and Shannonvale.

And for several hours, after word of the shooting had spread until there was an arrest, the community lived in fear.

In some ways that small community is still fearful and on edge as the matter progresses through the courts.

‘NEVER THE SAME AGAIN’

“We’ll never be the same again,” the neighbour said.

Sole survivor Ross Tighe, Graham’s brother, allegedly witnessed the mass shooting and despite life threatening injuries from a bullet wound to his stomach managed to flee the bloody scene.

Police allege he hid in bushes as gunshots continued to ring out before making it to a farm ute, which he drove from the meeting point down Shannonvale Rd before turning on Normanby Rd and stopping just over two kilometres down the roadway.

Flagstone property where Ross was taken after being allegedly shot and wounded by Darryl Young. Picture: Greg Stolz

Luckily a neighbour came across the vehicle, with Ross critically injured inside, rushed him to a nearby homestead Flagstone and called for help.

“If he’d been a couple of minutes earlier, or if Ross had been a couple of minutes later, they would have completely missed each other on that road,” the neighbour said.

An oil stain on the road is a terrifying reminder of what happened that day for those who travel Normanby Rd.

“Any time you drive past you go, ‘sh-t’ they are so lucky that (the neighbour) left home when he did (and) saw Ross (on) the side of the road,” the neighbour said.

“No one would have been any the wiser until a long time later.”

Ross was able to raise the alarm sparking a massive resource-intensive police response to reports of a shooter at large.

He was later picked up by RACQ CQ Rescue, including a trauma team who brought blood that helped keep him alive until he was able to receive lifesaving surgery at Mackay Base Hospital.

Critically injured Ross Tighe arrives at Mackay Base Hospital via RACQ CQ Rescue. Picture: Zoe Devenport

Neighbours watched as the rescue service landed, and by now word that something terrible had happened had started to trickle across the rural township.

6O-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH ALLEGED MURDERS

As the community went into lockdown, gripping their own firearms a little tighter, specialist police drove into the rugged terrain with little information about what they faced.

Police tape seals off Shannonvale Rd about 3km from crime scene.

Officers had to traverse a large area before they came across the scene, but by nightfall people had arrested Darryl Valroy Young, who would be charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Mr Young had been at his home, Shannonvale, when police took him into custody.

Police will allege the 60 year old invited the family to have a discussion at their property lines.

Darryl Young

It will also be alleged he murdered the trio over boundary lines and unbranded cattle.

Matters are ongoing in Bowen Magistrates Court with the next mention date listed in September. My Young is yet to enter a plea to any charge.

‘SOMETHING FROM WILD WEST’

When details of the shooting began to spread the community was horrified to learn what had unfolded.

“You wouldn’t think it would happen in today’s time,” one member said.

“You picture it as something from the wild west.”

Bogie is a small rural town in with Whitsunday Regional Council area, between Collinsville and Bowen, with a population of just over 200 people at the last census.

Division 6 councillor Mike Brunker said while members of the general public had moved on, the strain would remain on loved ones and those closest to the families involved “on both sides”.

“These sort of things drag out for years … it’ll be a struggle … until the end of the court case,” Mr Brunker said.

Councillor Mike Brunker speaks in Bowen about the Bogie mass shooting.

The Schwarz family had moved from the Clermont area to Bogie after buying the Sutherland cattle property in mid 2021.

The property has been sold this year by the remaining members of the family.

“Your heart breaks for them,” a neighbour said.

Mr Young purchased Shannonvale in 2012 and it is understood some of his family remain at the property while he is in custody on remand.

‘THEY JUST GET UP AND KEEP GOING’

The Bogie deaths was one of two triple homicides to grip rural Queensland in 2022 – four months later police constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow and neighbour Alan Dare were murdered on December 12 on a property at Wieambilla.

Mr Brunker praised the strength and grit of “rural people”.

Flowers were left on the roadside near the property where the fatal shooting occurred. Picture: DANIEL SHIRKIE

“They just get up and keep on going,” he said.

The 12 month anniversary will be a “time of sadness” for those still living in the Bogie community.

“Remembering that your little community will never be the same again,” the neighbour said.

“Everyone is still talking about it … it’s still very much on everyone’s mind.”

Some had spend time with the Schwarz family just months and weeks before their death.

“They were beautiful people,” the neighbour said.

“It’s unbelievable that something like that can happen up here.”

Originally published as Frozen in horror: Bogie massacre neighbour’s never-before-told story of survival