Innerchild
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The original article where the cop held the kimono up seems to imply that the kimono was stolen from Victoria Clarke but doesn't give many specifics.
"The West Australian, Perth Wednesday Feruary 17 1988
Kimono clue to a brutal killing
by Cyril Ayris
This kimono may be the clue that helps
solve the brutal killing of Victoria Heather
Clark, 30, in Victoria Park last September.
It was dropped by a man that walked
into a Huntingdale house early on Monday
morning and lay on top of a sleeping
18-year-old girl...
The kimono is the first good clue the police
have been given in recent sex attacks in the area.
Det-Sgt Max Kiernan said the man
apparently walked into the house..."
Post arrest other articles appeared stating the kimono was stolen off a clothesline.
[FONT=&]A WOMAN'S silk dressing gown stolen off a washing line 28 years ago is believed to have been the vital clue that helped lead police to finally make an arrest in the Claremont serial killer case.
[/FONT]http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/claremont-serial-killings-silk-kimono-believed-to-be-vital-clue/news-story/d5498c5d0593771d7f526f90646d52f0
It seems to me the Feb 17th West Aust article (Kimono Clue to a Brutal Killing) was deliberately misleading. It wasn't confirmed until December 2016 that it was DNA (a new concept at the time in Aust, although had been used in prosecutions in other countries) they had on the kimono. I believe this DNA was the clue.
The article on 22 year old woman raped in early May 1988 with identikit (rsbm above) linked this May rape, the south side rapist attacks (of which they seemed to be counting the Huntingdale attack BRE is charged with, Feb 1988) with the murder of Victoria Clark. No kimono linking them, but could be DNA or just guessing.
With Vanessa Devlin's sexual assault and murder on Friday 17th June 1988, the first newspaper report in the Saturday West Australian on 18th June linked to Victoria Clark's murder.
The West Australian June 18[SUP]th,[/SUP] 1988, page 1. By Steve Lague. New Southside murder hunt.
Police find partially clothed body of Vanessa Roberta Devlin 23 years old. Certain similarities to other attacks by south side rapist... South side rapist may be responsible for more than 16 attacks on women in the past 2 years. They include the murder of Victoria Clark aged 30...
Sunday Times Perth June 19[SUP]th[/SUP] 1988 Page 1(text already posted, headlines only here) Murder Hunt Car Clue Dead in bedroom Page 2 Have you seen a car like this? Picture of a Datsun Is a sexfiend on the loose? Police hunt sex killer.
However cops seemed very confident that if they caught this person, they would have not only VD's killer but the southside rapist and VC's murderer. I wonder whether they had DNA or knew they could get the DNA to go with the link between VC and Huntingdale attack?
Sunday Times Perth, June 26[SUP]th[/SUP] 1988. Pg 30 Arrest, but rapist search still on by Andrew Masterson.
James Alexander Tilbury (46) was arrested for Vanessa Devlin murder. A man is still sought for the southside rapes and the Victoria Clark (30) murder. There had been nine rapes in 1986, five in 1987 and one so far this year.
The West Australian June 28[SUP]th[/SUP]. Page 3. Murdered hitch hiker faced heroin charges James A Tilbury in court facing charges for the murder. 10 days after the murder, case solved!
Cops made statement that they still were still looking for and hoped to catch the person responsible for the south side rapes and VS's murder...and the owner of the car they had splashed over papers. My opinions only.