Australia Australia - Mr Cruel, serial child rapist, active 1987-1990, Melbourne, Vic. Unsolved

[PrimeSuspect]

The Case of Mr Cruel - Part of the Mapping Evil with Mike King podcast series

An unknown man – known as 'Mr Cruel' – committed a series of horrific crimes which terrorised Melbourne, Australia in the late 1980's. He is responsible for the abduction and sexual assault of three girls between the ages of 10 and 13 and the murder of a 13-year-old girl in 1991.

He committed his crimes wearing a black ski mask, meaning none of his victims could provide an identifiable description of his face. Law enforcement’s only likeness of Mr Cruel is a terrifying police sketch depicting his mask.

From 1987 to 1991, Mr Cruel terrorised the quiet, suburban areas of Melbourne.

On multiple occasions, he took victims from their homes to an unknown location where he sexually assaulted them before dropping them off in other suburban areas to be found and returned to their families.

The perpetrator is known as Mr Cruel because of the meticulous planning of his attacks and his tendency to trick the parents of victims by pretending his only motive was to rob them before kidnapping their children. He also planted red herrings at crime scenes to investigators.

To this day, Mr Cruel remains unidentified.

The Case of Mr Cruel

 

[PrimeSuspect]

The hunt for Mr Cruel

A sketch of Mr Cruel's bedroom - made by a victim who was released.

On the night of April 13, 1991, Karmein read to her sisters, then aged seven and nine, before they watched a documentary about Marilyn Monroe in Karmein's bedroom. About 9pm the two eldest girls headed for the kitchen to make a snack. Waiting for them in the hallway was a man wearing a green-grey tracksuit and dark balaclava, and wielding a long silver carving knife. He grabbed the two by the hair and ordered them back into Karmein's bedroom.
........

After a while, the two forced the door and rang their father at the restaurant. There was no sign of the man or their sister.
........
According to a confidential police report there were ''No outward signs that children reside at the premises - no outside play equipment, no bicycles etc - [the children were] mostly confined to indoor recreation.'' Yet the intruder knew not only that children lived in the house but they were home alone.
........

In the three previous cases the victims had been released, which gave the investigating police hope Karmein would be found alive.
This hope was extinguished a year later when a man walking his dog at Edgars Creek in Thomastown found her body. She had been shot three times in the head, execution-style.

This didn't fit the offender's known pattern. In the previous cases he had assured his victims they were not in danger.
One told police, ''He appeared to be acting out a fantasy like he was married to me. He showed this by the affection he showed to me and how chummy he was to me.''
........

The FBI profile suggests the Mr Cruel nickname is counter-productive as he would present as a likeable everyman rather than a sex predator.

''He is a functional individual, one with steady employment, is generally regarded as a good neighbour, polite, quiet, somewhat introverted, but may be involved in certain community-minded projects.''
Much is known about Mr Cruel. All that is missing is a name.

The hunt for Mr Cruel

Unbelievable this man has never been caught, he's a dangerous fantasist, a murderer, and he's out there somewhere! Police believe Karmein might have removed his balaclava and so he killed her. I don't believe he stopped, he's moved on or temporarily was unable to use his premises because of a live in partner, once free again, strikes someplace else.

 

[LadyL]

creepy and terrifying
maybe he went to prison for something else
or died
he sure wouldn't have stopped on his own IMO

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Superintendent Fryer says someone in the community must know the killer's identity.
"The reality is the person who committed these crimes is in amongst our society, or was at the time," he said.
"He was associating with people, more than likely held a job down, so there is someone out there who has information that hasn't been passed on as yet."

Former police officer Colin McLaren, who led the original taskforce into the Mr Cruel case, says there is a good chance the killer is dead.
"His offences stopped. He was ramping up from the early or mid '80s, entering homes and eventually graduating to kidnapping, and then of course we lost Karmein Chan," he said.
"He might have got to the stage where he either suicided or he died or he left the country permanently."

New suspects in Mr Cruel investigation

BBM, I think this is wishful thinking by the former cop. Mr Cruel could be alive today, he'd be in his sixties or seventies, he's somebody's relative, friend, employer/employee, neighbour. Most likely lives or lived in another town and state, took a break and began again somewhere else. We've got missing children and young people over the years in various states, he could've changed his mo, imo.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

creepy and terrifying
maybe he went to prison for something else
or died
he sure wouldn't have stopped on his own IMO

I would like to believe he was dead or incarcerated after these attacks and killings, just not knowing is awful, hate to think of him being free and growing old and reaping the benefits like a normal, law abiding citizen would, smugly knowing he got away with his crimes.

 

[Detective Willy]

IMO he must have either died or been imprisoned 30 years ago. These type of sickos rarely stop and their crimes normally escalate.

I think this is an excellent summary of the case below that does not take too long to read. It must have been written around 2015?

StoryMapJS: Mr Cruel

 

[PrimeSuspect]

IMO he must have either died or been imprisoned 30 years ago. These type of sickos rarely stop and their crimes normally escalate.

I think this is an excellent summary of the case below that does not take too long to read. It must have been written around 2015?

StoryMapJS: Mr Cruel

Thanks, that was a good article.
So there were 7 suspects (probably more but these were top of the list in this article), one of them is dead, one has moved to Canada, another changed his name by deed poll and the rest are unable to be located, they keep a low profile. He's out there, somewhere, imo.

 

[apabld]

Recent TV special on the case.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Forensic technology links Mr Cruel suspect to Melbourne electrical industry


https://www.theaustralian.com.au/br...y/news-story/318bc9381837cde0682077c84be75ca0



Behind Paywall

 

[lonewanderer]

I had heard about Mr Cruel a few years ago.

Listening to my true crime stories, I was reminded a lot of Mr Cruel when I heard the case of The Beast of Jersey.

The Beast basically terrorized the island of Jersey between 1957 and 1971.

He wore a creepy mask and would kidnap and SA young children of both genders, taking them from their homes and returning them. Murder was not his MO, and there is not solid proof he ever killed any of his victims, though it is said he threatened to.

He gave red herrings that the victims could hear, much like Mr. Cruel. He would mention how he needed a smoke when he didn't smoke, much like Mr Cruel would make calls with no one on the other end.

It is highly unlikely they are the same person, as The Beast was caught and served prison time between 1971-1981 before dying in 1994.

I don't think they are the same person, but I always look for similarities in cases.

 

[dotr]

Pictured is a sketch of what a Channel 9 investigation determined Mr Cruel may look like

New witness claims she'll lead cops to feared child killer 'Mr Cruel'

A woman who believes she knows where feared child killer Mr Cruel lives is fighting to speak with Melbourne homicide squad detectives.

www.dailymail.co.uk

April 29 2023 rbbm. Lengthy article.
''A woman who believes she knows where feared child killer Mr Cruel lives claims she is being ignored by 'stubborn' homicide squad detectives.

Mr Cruel, whose identity is still unknown, assaulted at least four young girls in Melbourne in the late 1980s and early 1990s, abducting three and killing one.

Karmein Chan, a 13-year-old private schoolgirl snatched from her home after her sisters were forced into a wardrobe, was shot three times in the head.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the Melbourne woman, who asked to remain anonymous, has fought for three years to be formally interviewed by Victorian homicide detectives who have refused to speak with her apart from a brief phone conversation.

'I can't sleep knowing what I know and not being able to tell Karmein's family. This has really impacted me mentally and I think the police have been pretty cold in not even offering me any kind of support.'''


''He forced the girls he assaulted to wash and carefully brush their teeth and fed some of them meals even while they were being abused.

No useful forensic evidence was recovered from any of his crime scenes. There were no fingerprints to compare or any trace of DNA.

The woman claims she contacted Crime Stoppers multiple times in the hope of being interviewed by cold case detectives in charge of the case.''

''Last year, Channel Nine's Under Investigation produced an image of a man it believed was Mr Cruel, suggesting he may have worked or posed as a substation employee, or lived closeby.

Mr Cruel's first victim was not removed from her house and was instead assaulted just metres away from her parents, who'd been bound and gagged.''
''Apr 10, 2023
The story of Karmein Chan is one of absolute devastation.''

 

[dotr]

• 
• 3 Aug 2023 rbbm.
• How child killer 'Mr Cruel' snatched kids in Australia's most chilling cold case

''FOR five years, a masked child killer dubbed "Mr Cruel" terrorised the suburbs of Melbourne.
Mr Cruel, whose identity is still unknown 40 years later, assaulted at least four young girls in the late 1980s and early 1990s - abducting three and killing one. ''
''The mask-clad killer tied up parents and siblings - and snatched girls as young as 11, who he held for up to 50 hours.

He allegedly forced his victims to wash and carefully brush their teeth and fed them meals - even while they were being abused.

And Mr Cruel is the prime suspect in the brutal murder of 13-year-old schoolgirl Karmein Chan who was snatched from her home after her sisters were forced into a wardrobe.

The 13-year-old was shot three times in the head.''

Mr Cruel is believed to have videotaped, or taken still photos, of his attacks - raising the prospect of potential evidence.''

''Earlier this year, a woman claimed to know detailed information on the abduction of Karmein - and suggested the killer is still alive and living in Melbourne.

Last year, Channel Nine's Under Investigation published an image of a man believed to be Mr Cruel.''

''It suggested the child killer may have worked or posed as a power station employee, or lived close by.

Most of his victims lived near an electricity substation, investigators said.

Senior law enforcement investigator, Mike King, told presenter Liz Hayes: "The fact that it's all in about a 20 minute drive from each other, in that area the offender has to feel comfortable in order to function.

"From a geographic perspective we just have to keep thinking, why is he comfortable in this area?

"Why is he selecting the victims where he is? And why is he disposing of them where he is?"

 

[dotr]

Possible breakthrough in case of Mr Cruel who abducted young girls

Mr Cruel, whose identity is unknown, assaulted at least four young girls in Melbourne in the late 1980s, abducting three and killing one. New details of the attacks could lead to a breakthrough.

www.dailymail.co.uk

This map from Cold Case Investigations shows the sites where Mr Cruel attacked and abducted children, where he released them and where Karmein Chan's body was dumped

Cutting edge technology has revealed Mr Cruel's victims were abducted or released near electrical substations, suggesting he may have worked or pretended to work in the electrical industry


This sketch of Mr Cruel's bedroom was made with the help of one of his child victims. Mr Cruel kept the first child he abducted for 18 hours and the second for 50. The last child he snatched, Karmein Chan, was found dead a year after her disappearance. She had been shot in the head

 

[dotr]

2022

 

[iamshadow21]

Superintendent Fryer says someone in the community must know the killer's identity.
"The reality is the person who committed these crimes is in amongst our society, or was at the time," he said.
"He was associating with people, more than likely held a job down, so there is someone out there who has information that hasn't been passed on as yet."

Former police officer Colin McLaren, who led the original taskforce into the Mr Cruel case, says there is a good chance the killer is dead.
"His offences stopped. He was ramping up from the early or mid '80s, entering homes and eventually graduating to kidnapping, and then of course we lost Karmein Chan," he said.
"He might have got to the stage where he either suicided or he died or he left the country permanently."

New suspects in Mr Cruel investigation

BBM, I think this is wishful thinking by the former cop. Mr Cruel could be alive today, he'd be in his sixties or seventies, he's somebody's relative, friend, employer/employee, neighbour. Most likely lives or lived in another town and state, took a break and began again somewhere else. We've got missing children and young people over the years in various states, he could've changed his mo, imo.

I think it might be a situation like Joseph DeAngelo. He quit in the mid to late eighties, most probably primarily because of the pioneering breakthrough of DNA starting to be used to solve crimes. This offender seems similarly forensically aware. The way he forced his victims to clean themselves and brush their teeth. He understood trace evidence that could be left in and on the body, and how to remove it. He also had Joseph DeAngelo's lack of hesitation to kill if he could be identified, if the theory about why he killed Karmein is accurate. DeAngelo killed several times before it became a consistent part of his MO, each time because someone confronted him or stumbled across him. Claude Snelling, and Brian and Katie Maggiore. Detective William McGowen only survived because the shot DeAngelo fired at him hit his flashlight, not his head, a difference of a couple of inches.

MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

The stopping and eating a meal from the victim's kitchen in the middle of an attack at a victim's home is also very similar to DeAngelo.

MOO

 

[lonewanderer]

The stopping and eating a meal from the victim's kitchen in the middle of an attack at a victim's home is also very similar to DeAngelo.

MOO

I find Mr. Cruel to basically be an upgraded and powered up version of Beast of Jersey.

They both used clever red herrings, didn't really have murder as their primary MO, targeted children.

I have always wondered if Mr. Cruel had served overlapping prison time with Beast of Jersey or read about him when searching for inspiration.

Beast of Jersey was in prison when many of the Mr. Cruel crimes occurred.

I have also read speculation that Mr. Cruel was the Baklava Killer who was also Australian and active around the same time.

 

[lonewanderer]

To go further into the Beast of Jersey comparison, I snipped and edited a bit of a post I made in another Mr. Cruel thread:

The Beast of Jersey and Mr. Cruel have a lot of similarities.

The Beast basically terrorized the island of Jersey between 1957 and 1971.

It's all but mathematically impossible for them to be the same person as The Beast was caught and served prison time between 1971-1981 before dying in 1994.

The Beast wore a creepy mask (but also had an outfit with spiked wrist bracelets) and would kidnap and SA young children of both genders, taking them from their homes and returning them. Murder was not his MO, and there is not solid proof he ever killed any of his victims, though it is said he threatened to.

He gave red herrings that the victims could hear, much like Mr. Cruel. He would mention how he needed a smoke when he didn't smoke, much like Mr Cruel would make calls with no one on the other end.

One thing the Beast did that I have never heard speculated for Mr Cruel is that The Beast was a Satan worshipper. He would sometimes try to kidnap adult women at places like bus stops, and they reported him to have a very musty odor. This was because the outfit he used was specifically for carrying out his madness.

The way he was caught was actually quite comical. He ran out of his car for some reason after a pair of cops pursued him. He was in his outfit and when he was apprehended, he tried saying he was dressed that way because he had just came from an orgy and did not want his wife to find out.

The Beast personal life made him appear to be a kind man that cared deeply for children.

I wonder how many more similarities and differences there are for the two?

I also wonder if Mr Cruel could have been inspired some by The Beast? Had he heard about him? Read about him during a prison stint?