LegallyBrunette
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$500,000 reward to catch Rodney James Mitchell's killer
23 May 2013
COLD-case investigators will today post a huge reward to solve a brutal 1983 lover's lane killing.
Operation Busied investigators have been quietly working on the murder of Rodney James Mitchell, which took place 30 years ago today.
They will announce a $500,000 lure to crack the case.
Police believe the man who shot Mr Mitchell may be linked to two earlier sexual assaults at the same spot. The balaclava killer is suspected of raping two women months before the murder of Mr Mitchell and only about 200 metres away, and raping four women and killing a man in the Gold Coast region between 1979 and 1980.
In all those cases, the man had been wearing a balaclava, tied his victims' hands with green twine taken from a garbage bag and been armed with a sawn-off shotgun.
Mr Mitchell was parked in his car, a 1981 red Mitsubishi Sigma GL, rego BEC 816, with a female friend in the Police Paddocks Reserve in Rowville when the killer made his move.
Wearing a balaclava and brandishing a sawn-off shotgun, he ordered Mr Mitchell from the red Mitsubishi Sigma that was parked at the end of Greenbank Ave.
Mr Mitchell complied but then tried to disarm the gunman.
In the struggle, the 37-year-old was shot in the chest and died at the scene.
Police say the gunman then returned to the car and tied the woman's hands together, trapping her in the front passenger seat.
They drove on to Churchill Park Drive, where the terrified woman somehow opened her door and rolled on to the road.
The driver sped away and was last seen heading southeast towards Berwick.
Mr Mitchell's car was found the next morning at Caulfield station in what is now known as Sir John Monash Drive.
A witness provided a description of a man seen running from the car at 6.35am that day, and police have again released an image of that man.
Mr Mitchell was a popular sales manager for a Camberwell envelope company, and the father of a 13-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl, according to newspaper reports at the time. About 250 people attended his funeral in Belgrave, where he had lived and been secretary of the football club.
Detective Sen-Sgt Ron Iddles, of the homicide squad, said he hoped the $500,000 incentive would yield details that could help solve the crime.
"I'm hoping that by raising the reward from $50,000 to $500,000 we will be able to provide some justice for Rodney and his family," Sen-Sgt Iddles said.
"There is someone out there who knows what happened. I want that person to imagine how it would feel to wait 30 years for justice."
He added: "We will continue to search for those responsible for these terrible crimes, no matter how long it takes."
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000
Image of suspect.
Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/nationa...er/story-fnii5sms-1226648697062#ixzz2U2ssJGKW
http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1521114/police-boost-reward-in-cold-case-murder/?cs=12
23 May 2013
COLD-case investigators will today post a huge reward to solve a brutal 1983 lover's lane killing.
Operation Busied investigators have been quietly working on the murder of Rodney James Mitchell, which took place 30 years ago today.
They will announce a $500,000 lure to crack the case.
Police believe the man who shot Mr Mitchell may be linked to two earlier sexual assaults at the same spot. The balaclava killer is suspected of raping two women months before the murder of Mr Mitchell and only about 200 metres away, and raping four women and killing a man in the Gold Coast region between 1979 and 1980.
In all those cases, the man had been wearing a balaclava, tied his victims' hands with green twine taken from a garbage bag and been armed with a sawn-off shotgun.
Mr Mitchell was parked in his car, a 1981 red Mitsubishi Sigma GL, rego BEC 816, with a female friend in the Police Paddocks Reserve in Rowville when the killer made his move.
Wearing a balaclava and brandishing a sawn-off shotgun, he ordered Mr Mitchell from the red Mitsubishi Sigma that was parked at the end of Greenbank Ave.
Mr Mitchell complied but then tried to disarm the gunman.
In the struggle, the 37-year-old was shot in the chest and died at the scene.
Police say the gunman then returned to the car and tied the woman's hands together, trapping her in the front passenger seat.
They drove on to Churchill Park Drive, where the terrified woman somehow opened her door and rolled on to the road.
The driver sped away and was last seen heading southeast towards Berwick.
Mr Mitchell's car was found the next morning at Caulfield station in what is now known as Sir John Monash Drive.
A witness provided a description of a man seen running from the car at 6.35am that day, and police have again released an image of that man.
Mr Mitchell was a popular sales manager for a Camberwell envelope company, and the father of a 13-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl, according to newspaper reports at the time. About 250 people attended his funeral in Belgrave, where he had lived and been secretary of the football club.
Detective Sen-Sgt Ron Iddles, of the homicide squad, said he hoped the $500,000 incentive would yield details that could help solve the crime.
"I'm hoping that by raising the reward from $50,000 to $500,000 we will be able to provide some justice for Rodney and his family," Sen-Sgt Iddles said.
"There is someone out there who knows what happened. I want that person to imagine how it would feel to wait 30 years for justice."
He added: "We will continue to search for those responsible for these terrible crimes, no matter how long it takes."
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000
Image of suspect.
Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/nationa...er/story-fnii5sms-1226648697062#ixzz2U2ssJGKW
http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1521114/police-boost-reward-in-cold-case-murder/?cs=12
