Australia - 7 dead in mass shooting and suicide - Osmington WA - 11 May 2018

[Elley Mae]

Actually... I know quite a number of families living in a similar arrangement. Converted sheds can be fitted out quite tastefully with proper lining & fittings from what I've seen for permanent living and holiday homes. Cost of owning an acreage is out of reach for a lot of younger families starting out, so sharing an acreage with parents/grandparents is an option some choose (or situations such as this where a separation has occurred). If I were a single mother of 4 home-schooled autistic children, I know I'd appreciate having my parents close on hand for support. Especially if an ex husband was stalking. :thinking:

If I were being stalked you wouldn’t read it on FB, I would go to police.

 

[Estelle]

Ms Haynes said, looking back, there were signs the family was under pressure.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-...hooting-sinking-in-for-margaret-river/9758398
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"I had spoken to Cynda just on last week and I said 'you're looking tired, is everything okay?'" Ms Haynes said.

"And she said to me then, oh, their son is in hospital up in Perth, he's having major surgery and that was a concern.

"And she said, 'oh, and there are a few difficulties at home'.

"I didn't want to push. I mean, if she doesn't want to tell me she doesn't want to tell me.

"The few difficulties at home" IMO was that AC was parking his car on the border of their property every night until 7am and they were all terrified of him perhaps.

 

[MRichards]

Do you have a link to this?

I think one way this could have been carried out is if they were somehow poisoned/drugged. Otherwise, I can't see each kid staying in bed after the sound of each gun shot. Especially if they were as spaced out as the neighbours reported.

I personally cant see how any of them would stay where they were while each individual was shot.

I think Peter Miles carried out the shooting.

On the news this morning the ex husband said Peter Miles had discussed this.

In my shoes I would have put this on police record in writing ten times over.

The ex husband arrived, rang the ex wife saying he was on the boundary and would be for days.

Peter Miles had lost a son and in process losing another. Peter Miles was also looking for work.

This looks and feels Miles was in a totally helpless environment of suffering.

The ex husband knew of this but I cant understand how ex husband sits on the property boundary without actioning police intervention when firearms are on the property.

Police would have interviewed and removed the firearms immediately, possibly yhe children also if they were at risk.

The ex husband had been asked to leave but persisted.

Its like everyone wanted it to be over including the ex husband.

 

[MRichards]

I see families struggle with one autistic child, but four...

Single mother...

 

[MRichards]

Mr Miles might of thought this through but having to deal with an ex husband floating around a property boundary probably kept Mr Miles awake at night compounding an already bad situation.

The ex husband had rang Mr Miles daughter inside the property that day saying he will be outside the property for days.

While Mr Cockman believes the Miles family's own struggles were the catalyst for the alleged murder-suicide, he said he had experienced his own battles with the family, including over the custody of his children since his divorce from Ms Miles.

Mr Cockman said he had been supported by his family and his faith

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...-shooting-victims-speaks-20180513-p4zezt.html

 

[Estelle]

Actually... I know quite a number of families living in a similar arrangement. Converted sheds can be fitted out quite tastefully with proper lining & fittings from what I've seen for permanent living and holiday homes. Cost of owning an acreage is out of reach for a lot of younger families starting out, so sharing an acreage with parents/grandparents is an option some choose (or situations such as this where a separation has occurred). If I were a single mother of 4 home-schooled autistic children, I know I'd appreciate having my parents close on hand for support. Especially if an ex husband was stalking. :thinking:

I wonder if AC and his wife had gone through property settlement but were not yet divorced and she could have used that money for the conversion as AC was a builder so they must have had some assets.

 

[Estelle]

I personally cant see how any of them would stay where they were while each individual was shot.

I think Peter Miles carried out the shooting.

On the news this morning the ex husband said Peter Miles had discussed this.

In my shoes I would have put this on police record in writing ten times over.

The ex husband arrived, rang the ex wife saying he was on the boundary and would be for days.

Peter Miles had lost a son and in process losing another. Peter Miles was also looking for work.

This looks and feels Miles was in a totally helpless environment of suffering.

The ex husband knew of this but I cant understand how ex husband sits on the property boundary without actioning police intervention when firearms are on the property.

Police would have interviewed and removed the firearms immediately, possibly yhe children also if they were at risk.

The ex husband had been asked to leave but persisted.

Its like everyone wanted it to be over including the ex husband.

IMO AC could make up anything now as there are no witnesses alive to confirm or deny what he is saying. I would not believe everything he says. I also think that the police do not mind saying that the grandfather did this as he is not here to defend himself.

 

[Estelle]

I also think AC will be charged with this crime. Police often wait until the funerals are over and also watch the potential suspect for a while while collecting evidence. IMO AC had the motive and pent up anger over a long time to commit these crimes. AC has thought this out for a long time how he would do this and how he would then stage it later probably while sitting in his car over night on the border of their property for days or weeks. He looked as if he had not slept for a long time in his interview.

I also agree with a previous poster that if AC did, in fact, commit this crime, he would have shot PM first - not last - as he was the one to whom AC projected the most anger. He also had to get the guns away from PM especially if they were locked up. So the order could have been PM, his wife, his daughter and then the children. No single gunshot was heard after 5.15am after the call to the police was made by a male connected to the property when TM supposedly committed suicide.

After I heard that Tom Miles lived on the property in a caravan, I think that the call to the police at 5.15am could have been made by him as he is a "man connected to the property". My prediction is that Tom woke up after hearing the gunshots but kept out of sight as he knew he would be next if AC found out about his presence. It is very possible that AC did not even know that Tom was living there so he did not look for him.

So after AC could have staged the positions of the bodies and left the property, Tom Miles could have then phoned the police when he thought it was safe to come out of hiding.

We have not been told the contents of the two-minute phone call and have assumed that the grandfather made it (as AC also told us too) and that therefore, if he suicided, he must have shot himself after that. I think what the police have done is to go with AC's version of events to the media until they can collect the forensic evidence to charge AC.

I really cannot see how with the information we have so far that the grandfather could have had the necessary rage or depression to have committed seven murders that morning. As someone said earlier, it would have made more sense if the grandfather had murdered AC than his own family and himself.

We have never been told about who identified the bodies and it certainly was not AC who said he did not go past the gate and simply asked police about it. So it was probably Tom Miles who seems to have been purposely kept out of media reports.

There is an error which I cannot correct now so it should read "PM committed suicide" - not TM.

 

[Estelle]

Do you have a link to this?

I think one way this could have been carried out is if they were somehow poisoned/drugged. Otherwise, I can't see each kid staying in bed after the sound of each gun shot. Especially if they were as spaced out as the neighbours reported.

Surely all he had to do was to tell them, "Stay in your beds or I will shoot you too".

 

[MRichards]

On the morning of April 23, Ms Miles told friends on Facebook that Mr Cockman had parked overnight outside her property and remained there after being asked to leave. “Despite four years passing … him agreeing to our kids being homeschooled … my Ex does not stop stalking and harassing me,” she wrote.

“I’ve been told to not cause conflict in front of my kids but my family shouldn’t have to spend their Sunday night dealing with this. He stayed overnight, parked on the side of the road, opposite our top corner boundary; spoke to my kids via phone about 5pm to inform us, he was asked to leave but was still there at 7am. I am not an isolated young wife anymore. If anyone sees his van parked on *Osmington Rd please call the *ranger to move him on.”

In her Facebook message, Ms Miles posted a string of text messages she received from Mr Cockman the previous evening. Among them, he said: “Can I talk to the kids”; “Or are you to (sic) messed up”; “I will be here evrry night

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ne...FjAHegQIABAB&usg=AOvVaw390unVKc0E5I11RAwKhXIc

 

[Bey]

Mr Miles might of thought this through but having to deal with an ex husband floating around a property boundary probably kept Mr Miles awake at night compounding an already bad situation.

The ex husband had rang Mr Miles daughter inside the property that day saying he will be outside the property for days.

One thing I'm curious about... if the ex husband was stalking and sitting outside the property all night - and said he would be there on that night - where was he while the gun shots were going off...?

Another thing that keeps popping in my head. We know women can have a tendency to marry men who have similarities with their father. Did Katerina go from a controlling (?) father to an abusive husband, then leave the husband and go to the safety of her parents, only to still be a victim of an abusive male in her life?

 

[MRichards]

It must have been hell

 

[MRichards]

Suicided son, cancer son, daughter with at least 2 autistic children, unemployed, ex husband stalking the property at night.

Talk about over the edge

 

[Bey]

Btw, the order that sounds most plausible to me is:
katerina, children, mother hears noise and comes out to barn, shoot mother, phone call, shoot self (but then good point upthread that the neighbours did not report shots after 5.15...?)

OR in the theory that it was not PM:
PM shot while asleep on porch (as was suggested by someone else upthread), katerina, children, mother hears noise and comes out, shoot mother, phone call by shooter

 

[Estelle]

Would police know what order they were shot in and would they be giving AC these details, given it's and ongoing investigation? AC sure seems to know a bit about what supposedly went on that morning :thinking: he was even sure of what might be in the 000 call :scared:

If it was Peter, wouldn't it be smarter to take out his wife first so all the remaining victims would be in the one house.

But I dunno, strange.

AC has probably just chatted (not at the police station) with a low level policeman at the property when he visited it on the day the massacre happened and he asked them questions. Then AC came up with his theory of what could have happened <modsnip>

I don't understand this statement: "If it was Peter, wouldn't it be smarter to take out his wife first so all the remaining victims would be in the one house." Yes I see what you mean now - as she could have phoned the police while he went to the rest of the family or escaped in a car.

 

[Estelle]

AC is already making Funeral Arrangements for his four children

A shocked silence has settled over Margaret River, with the town adjusting to its new reality four days after the Miles and Cockman families died at their Osmington homestead on Friday.
The children&#8217;s father, Aaron Cockman, went to the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River offices on Monday afternoon, flanked by eight family members, to speak with shire president Pam Townshend.

They declined to speak to media after Mr Cockman&#8217;s lengthy interview on Sunday, but Cr Townshend confirmed the family had wanted to speak about funeral arrangements.
&#8220;He&#8217;s really well supported by his family,&#8221; she said.

&#8220;They were just really wanting to let us know what sort of things they&#8217;re looking at for funeral arrangements. Nothing is confirmed yet but they are very kindly coming to the shire early as they know it may be a big affair and there could be logistics involved. We really appreciate that, and their planning, but nothing is confirmed.

&#8220;We&#8217;re waiting for the bodies to be released and that may be another week. We asked police this morning and they said it could be up to two weeks.&#8221;

https://www.watoday.com.au/national...ares-for-family-funerals-20180514-p4zf9t.html

Katrina&#8217;s estranged husband Aaron Cockman has asked the local shire to help plan a large-scale tribute to his children.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa...funeral-plans-for-dead-children-ng-b88835970z

 

[Sillybilly]

Reminder: Websleuths is "Victim Friendly".

At this time AC is a victim and has not been named either a POI or a suspect in this case.. Do not accuse him of having involvement in the killings. You may discuss what he has said in MSM and express an opinion on what is in MSM (i.e. "Well, that's weird because ...") but your speculative opinion cannot include accusations towards him :nono:

Excerpt from The Rules: Etiquette & Information

VICTIM FRIENDLY

Websleuths is a victim friendly forum. Attacking or bashing a victim is not allowed. Discussing victim behavior, good or bad is fine, but do so in a civil and constructive way, and only when such behavior is relevant to the case.

The "victim friendly" rule extends to the family members of victims and suspects. Sleuthing family members, friends, and others who have not been designated as suspects is not allowed. Don't make random accusations, suggest their involvement, nor bash and attack them. Posting their personal information, including names, addresses, and background data -- even if it is public -- is not allowed. That does not mean, however, that statements made by family members and other third parties cannot come into discussion as the facts of the case are reported in the media.

Post accordingly. Thanks.

 

[MRichards]

Persistent stalking by ex husband.

Ex husband says Peter Miles had been thinking sbout this for a long time.

Ex husband doesn't ring police that he has concerns for his childrens safety and there are firearms in the house for mental check and fire arms confiscated by police.

Ex husband instead parks on boundary stalking making calls and text messages to ex wife about her mental health and his intentions of circling the property for days even though ex husband had been asked to leave.

Hes driven em all crazy

 

[Jax49]

One thing I'm curious about... if the ex husband was stalking and sitting outside the property all night - and said he would be there on that night - where was he while the gun shots were going off...?

snipped for focus

bbm

Excellent question...

 

[Canaille]

I have so many questions in my mind about this case. One in particular... If Peter had a son battling some sort of kidney disease, who supposedly lived on the property, why didn't Peter also kill that son and put him out of misery, too? If the son wasn't home that night, why didn't he wait and kill them all while they were there? Did Peter see his wife, daughter and grandchildren as a burden, but not the son or AC?