Infamous society murders killer Matthew Wales, closer to walking free
More than 20 years after brutally killing his mother and stepfather, and burying their bodies in a shallow grave, Matthew Wales could soon walk free from prison.
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Matthew Wales-King, the man jailed for what became known as the society murders, could be free by early next year.
Wales King has served 23 years and two months of a 24-year prison term for killing his mother Margaret and stepfather Paul King after they shared dinner at his Armadale home in 2002.
Now 57, his earliest release date is May 11 next year, the 24th anniversary of his arrest by homicide squad detectives who investigated the murders.
But sentencing remissions for lockdowns mean that some time could be shaved off his term, though not enough to mean he walks out of prison gates this year.
Most of Wales-King’s sentence was served at maximum security Barwon Prison, near Geelong, but he was reportedly transferred to a Loddon Prison in central Victoria in recent years.
The Herald Sun understands Wales-King has caused no trouble in his marathon time in custody, boosting his chances of being freed at the start of his parole period.
It is likely he has already been undergoing some period of preparation for release into a world which has undergone many changes since the night of the killings.
It is unclear what family or other support will be available when he gets out.
Wales-King invited his mother and stepdad for dinner at the Burke Rd home he shared with wife Maritza and their toddler son on the night of April 2, 2002.
He had crushed blood pressure tablets which were served in the soup, incapacitating them.
Wales-King then bludgeoned them with a lump of wood before dumping their Mercedes-Benz at Middle Park.
Suspicion quickly fell on the dinner host, who left behind a wealth of clues including incriminating purchases of rope, shackles, concrete blocks, digging implements and a map.
In another crucial clue, Wales-King paid on his credit card to hire the trailer he used to transport their bodies to Cambarville, north of Melbourne.
It was 27 days after the killings that the poorly concealed bodies were found.
Wales-King’s wife, Maritza, lied to homicide squad investigators to protect her husband but was found to have had no part in the murders.
It is not known whether Maritza has maintained contact with Matthew.
The couple’s toddler son would now be aged well in his mid-20s.
Originally published as Infamous society murders killer Matthew Wales, closer to walking free
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