Offenders with similar MO to Mr Cruel

Sadly there is no shortage of serial rapists and child abductors out there. In the era Mr Cruel was offending, there were several other rapists active across Melbourne’s suburbs.

So what is it about Mr Cruel’s M.O and signature that makes him unique?

Below I have listed aspects of Mr Cruel’s MO and signature and some other sex offenders from Victoria and elsewhere who share these specific traits.

Aspects of Mr Cruel’s MO and signature shared by other offenders

You will see that some features are more common than others.

For example, tying up victims seems to be a fairly common method for rapists to control their victims and satisfy a specific psychosexual desire. Using trickery and red herrings to confuse victims and divert police is also a common enough tactic.

Aspects of Mr Cruel’s MO and signature that are unique

But removing forensic evidence and bathing victims is much less common. Mr Cruel is the only known offender to have brushed victims’ teeth and cut victims’ nails.

Turning on the radio during assaults also seems to be a unique feature of his crimes, shared with only one other known offender. Other aspects of Mr Cruel’s signature like dressing up victims, using medical equipment and giving victims food are also less common, at least in reported crimes.

Also, while rapes on single women in their homes and abuse of children by people known to them or by strangers in public are common enough, assaults on homes where entire families are present is thankfully extremely rare.

Even more unusual is abducting children from their beds in the night, taking them to an unknown premises to abuse them then releasing them alive. Very few offenders have successfully achieved this and gotten away with it.

Similar offenders to Mr Cruel

You will see some names appear again and again.

Neville Mansfield‘s home invasion rape in 1993 shared many characteristics of Mr Cruel’s 1987 home invasion in Lower Plenty, as did Algirdis Hrekowsky‘s 1971 attack. Robert Keith Knight‘s abductions of two 12 year old girls also resembled Mr Cruel’s abductions in some remarkable ways.

And there are so many similarities between Mr Cruel and Peter Vaitos and George Kaufman, that Mr Cruel may well have modelled himself on these two offenders, who were active in the late 70s and early 80s.

Mr Cruel also shared uncanny similarity to three American rapists: Joseph James DeAngelo, Jon Simonis and Richard Starrett. In fact, when they first heard of him, police believed that Richard Starrett could be Mr Cruel.

Police also considered links between Mr Cruel and the Sydney’s unknown Lover’s Lane Abductor, due to the number of similarities between their MOs, including leaving the radio on during assaults..

NB There is no suggestion that any of these offenders is Mr Cruel. Some were outside Australia or in prison during Mr Cruel’s attacks. I have grouped them together in an effort to understand what type of offender Mr Cruel was and which aspects of his MO were unique.

1. Home invasion/rapists with multiple people present

Mr Cruel entered homes where families were present, controlled multiple adult victims during his attacks, and raped at least one victim while her parents were tied up

• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (entered home armed with knife and wearing tea-towel over face, tied up, gagged and blindfolded children and babysitter, raped mother)
• Warrick Joseph Stirling – Kilsyth, 1978 (child present)
• Algirdis Hrekowsky – Noble Park, 1971 (Bound, blindfolded husband and wife in home invasion/rape. Threatened to blow husband’s head off)
• Raymond Edmunds aka Mr Stinky – Eastern suburbs, 1971-84 (raped women at knifepoint in the homes at night with children present. Wore face mask/stocking)
• Fake tradie rapist – Nunawading, 1997 (raped girl in home with four children present)
• Grant Stewart Matheson – 1991 (broke into home and raped woman while three chidren present)
• Balaclava Killer – Gold Coast, 1979-80 (attacked couples in their homes and cars, made woman tie husband’s hands then raped woman in front of him)
• Mark Ostler – Northcote, 1990 (raped woman and 9yo daughter in home invasion. Tied up husband with belt and raped mother in front of him.)
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1976-79 (woke sleeping victims, bound, gagged, blindfolded and raped them, ate food and ransacked home. Husbands/boyfriends present)
• Jon Simonis – 1980-81, Texas (lab technician known as ‘ski mask rapist’ who surprised victims in their homes, bound, gagged victims and forced husbands, boyfriends to watch rape.)

2. Snatching victims from bedroom in the middle of the night

Mr Cruel took all his victims from their beds or homes late at night or in the early hours of the morning

• Bernard Joseph Sims – Koo Wee Rup, 1996 (attempted abduction of 10yo girl from bed)
• Dieter Pfennig – Adelaide, 1993 (Abducted 10yo Louise Bell through her bedroom window – body never found) .
• Wei Yin Chan – Springvale South, 1992 (abducted and murdered his girlfriend’s 8yo daughter)
• Raymond Peterson – Mildura, 1991 (snatched 7yo girl from bed her and assaulted her in her family car, attempted to abduct 11yo sister)
• Vladimir Kubas – Central Victoria, 1986 (abduction of 13yo girl from her home)
• Unknown kidnapper of Eloise Worledge – Beaumaris, 1976 (8yo girl abducted and presumed murdered)
• Unknown kidnapper of Renee Aitken – Narooma NSW, 1984 (5yo girl abducted from bed and presumed murdered)
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1975 (attempted abduction of 16yo Beth Snelling from her bed; shot father trying to escape)
• Les Camilleri – Glenroy, 1992 (13yo Prue Bird last seen alive preparing lunch in the kitchen of her mother’s house)*
• Unknown kidnapper of Rhianna Barreau – Morphett Vale, Adelaide, 1992 (12 yo girl abducted from home after returning home from shops and presumed murdered)*
• Edward James Tappe – multiple since 1977, including abduction of a child as she was entering a block of flats*
• Unknown man who abducted 12yo girl from her bedroom and assaulted her at the showgrounds in in Glen Innes, Dec 1997.
• Unknown ‘Sutherland Rapist’ – Kirrawee NSW, 1985 (abducted woman from home; blindfolded, tied her and drove her to unknown location before releasing her.)
• Terry John Williamson – Bulli NSW, 1988-1989 (Man in balaclava abducted 11yo boy, 15yo girl and attacked another girl in their bedrooms at knifepoint. Drove boy to Mt Kembla, blindfolded and assaulted him in car before releasing him in bushland.)

*Victim taken from home during daytime

3. Taking victims to a lair to abuse them

Mr Cruel took Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas to a flat or house under a flight path for 18 hours and 50 hours respectively before releasing them near their homes

• Robert Keith Knight – Rye, 1996 (abducted and took 12yo victim to house for 16 hours where he abused her, took photos and gave her a bath before releasing her)
• Colin Harold Doo – Romsey, Vic, 1996-2008, (lured children to shed in his father’s backyard where he abused, photographed and fed them snacks)
• Leslie Neil Cunliffe – Geelong, 1999 (abducted 21yo woman by posing as cop, took her to a shed where he bound, gagged and raped her before she was rescued)
• Richard Starrett – US, 1989 (kidnapped girls from their homes, took them to his house while his wife was interstate, chained them in a closet, videotaped and assaulted them, then released them near where he’d abducted them),
• John Francis Leaver – Orange NSW 1980 (abducted 8yo boy and 11yo girl and took them to his premises, chained and abused girl)
• Geoffrey Milton Waters – Marrickville NSW 1978 (abducted 13yo girl from Melbourne and kept her chained in his Marickville flat for 10 days)
• Martin Allan Huxtable – Port Melbourne 1991 (abducted woman from outside pub, took her to his flat where he tied and raped her for 10 hours)
• Anthony James Pitt – Ballarat, 1998 (held 16yo girl captive in mine shaft for 18 hours, bound, gagged and raped victim)
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (Belinda Hall and Linda Cooke both abducted in lovers lanes by man in balaclava, who restrained their boyfriends, bound, gagged and blindfolded them with tape, drove them to an underground bunker where he chained them to a bed, feeding them, bathing them for 18 and 67 hours. Left radio on)
• Unknown ‘Sutherland Rapist’ – Kirrawee NSW, 1985; Miranda NSW 1986 (abducted woman from home; blindfolded, tied her and drove her to unknown location to assault her before releasing her. Tied, blindfolded woman in her home in 1986 but she escaped from his car)

4. Using red herrings/trickery to confuse victims and police

Mr Cruel sprawled “Payback. Asian drug deal. More to come.” on the Chan’s car, staged a call to someone he called ‘Bozo’ during the Lower Plenty attack and during the Lynas abduction, he demanded a ransom and pretended to speak to an accomplice.

• Brian Elkner – South-eastern suburbs, 1972-1974 (assaulted six girls in their homes, used ‘trickery’ to enter, tied and gagged them, threatened with a knife and assaulted them)
• Peter Vaitos, – Eastern suburbs, 1978-79 (attacked 13 girls and women in their homes, spoke in American accent)
• Fake Tradie Rapist – Inner suburbs, 1984-97 (posed as a tradesman to enter homes in high-rise commission flats before threatening victim with knife and assaulting them)
• Noel Geoffrey Gorrie – Elwood 1974 (tricked 17yo girl to enter his flat by telling her his wife need help, then tied up and raped her, dressing victim in his wife’s underclothing)
• Christopher Charles Richardson – Cheltenham 1974 (entered victim’s flat by telling ‘wholly false story’, before threatening with knife, raping her and pulling telephone from wall)
• Leslie Neil Cunliffe – Geelong, 1999 (abducted 21yo woman by posing as cop, took her to a shed where he bound, gagged and raped her before she was rescued)
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1976-79 (pretended to be robbing victims, used fake accents, pretended to talk to accomplice etc)
• Clive Barwell – Yorkshire, 1982-96 (used fake Scottish accent during series of rapes and abduction of women in carparks)
• Trevor Ross Hemer – Eastern suburbs, 1994 (posed as doctor to gain entry to migrant families’ homes before raping victims)
• Colin Simpson Henderson – Inner suburbs, 1981-1984 (raped women at knifepoint in their homes after applying to rent rooms through ads in The Age)
• Kenneth John Roy – Thomastown, 1992 (tricked victims into thinking they were auditioning for a movie)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (disguised his voice and asked victims questions designed to leave the impression he was from out of town)
• Unknown murderer of Jonbenet Ramsey – US, 1996 (killer staged crime scene and left bizarre ransom note to confuse investigators)

5. Wearing mask/balaclava

Mr Cruel reportedly wore an open faced blue balaclava in the Lower Plenty attack, a dark green or black balaclava with stitching around the mouth and eyes in the Wills and Lynas abductions, and a brown balaclava in the Chan abduction

• Algirdis Hrekowsky – Noble Park, 1971 (Bound, blindfolded husband and wife in home invasion/rape. Threatened to blow husband’s head off)
• Peter Vaitos – Eastern suburbs, 1978-79 (attacked 13 girls and women in their homes, wore black balaclava and gloves)
• Raymond Edmunds aka Mr Stinky – Eastern suburbs, 1971-84 (raped women at knifepoint in the homes at night with children present. Wore face mask/stocking)
• George Kaufman – Oakleigh, 1982-86 (waited for single women in their homes with knife, then bound, gagged and blindfolded them with their own clothes, wore balaclava and gloves, bathed himself and victims)
• Raymond Peterson – Mildura, 1991 (wearing beanie/balaclava with slits cut for eyes; snatched 7yo girl from bed and assaulted her)
• Jon Simonis – 1980-81, Texas (lab technician known as ‘ski mask rapist’ who surprised victims in their homes, bound, gagged victims and forced husbands, boyfriends to watch rape then cleaned up crime scene to remove evidence)
• Balaclava Killer – Gold Coast, 1979-80 (attacked couples in their homes and cars, always wore a balaclava)
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1976-79 (Wore ski mask. Bound, gagged, blindfolded and raped victims, ate food and ransacked home.)
• Mark Ostler – Northcote, 1990 (raped woman and 9yo daughter in home invasion wearing pillow case as mask. Tied up husband with belt and raped mother in front of him.)
• Stephen Walter Brown – Armadale, 1989-92 (raped 11 women who lived alone, wearing balaclava and knife)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (entered home armed with knife and wearing tea-towel over face, tied up, gagged and blindfolded children and babysitter, raped mother)
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (Belinda Hall and Linda Cooke both abducted in lovers lanes by man in balaclava, who restrained their boyfriends, bound, gagged and blindfolded them with tape, drove them to an underground bunker where he chained them to a bed, feeding them, bathing them for 18 and 67 hours. Left radio on)
• Unknown ‘Sutherland Rapist’ – Sutherland NSW, 1969-1988 (assaulted couples in lovers’ lanes: wore dark red balaclava and armed with knife or gun, tied up and locked boyfriend in boot before raping girls.)
• Terry John Williamson – Bulli NSW, 1988-1989 (Serial rapist who attacked 11 victims at knifepoint wearing balaclava and gloves. Tied and blindfolded victims. Abducted 11yo boy, 15yo girl from their homes. Drove boy in boot to Mt Kembla, blindfolded and assaulted him in car before releasing him in bushland.)
• Phillip Alexander Kenworthy – Surrey Hills, 1982-1985 (Rapist who wore stocking, entered women’s bedrooms, covered their face, tied their hands with rope, gagged with handkerchief and took photos.)
• Grant Stewart Matheson – 1991 (Wearing mask and gloves, broke into house and bound and gagged 35yo woman with medical tape he had obtained from a hospital where he worked, repeatedly raped her while three young children slept.)

6. Blindfolding/hooding victim

Mr Cruel blindfolded his victims with surgical tape and cotton eye pads

• Terrence Shores – Victoria, 1965-90 (abducted and raped multiple girls after getting them into his car by trickery or threatening them with a knife. Blindfolded at least one victim)
• Robert Keith Knight – Rye, 1996 (abducted and abused 12yo victims, pulling bag over their head)
• Unidentified – Caulfield, 1986 (abducted woman from home, blindfolded her and forced her into his car before she escaped)
• Terrence John Andrews – Hawthorn, 1982 (police informant bound two women, placed pillow cases over their heads and raped them in flat)
• Algirdis Hrekowsky – Noble Park, 1971 (Bound, blindfolded husband and wife in home invasion/rape. Threatened to blow husband’s head off)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (tied up children, babysitter, and victim, gagged them with socks and placed pillowcase over heads during home invasion/rape)
• George Kaufman – Oakleigh, 1982-86 (waited for single women in their homes with knife, then bound, gagged and blindfolded them with their own clothes, wore balaclava and gloves, bathed himself and victims)
• Clive Barwell – Yorkshire, 1982-96 (serial rapist who smeared superglue over one victim’s eyes and pulled a bag over another victim’s head)
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1976-79 (gagged, blindfolded victims with ripped up towels)
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (Belinda Hall and Linda Cooke both abducted in lovers lanes by man in balaclava, who restrained their boyfriends, bound, gagged and blindfolded them with tape, drove them to an underground bunker where he chained them to a bed, feeding them, bathing them for 18 and 67 hours. Left radio on)
• Unknown ‘Sutherland Rapist’ – Kirrawee NSW, 1985; Miranda NSW 1986 (abducted woman from home in Aug 1985, blindfolded, tied her and drove her to unknown location before releasing her. Tied and blindfolded woman in her home in 1986 and tried to abduct her but she escaped)
• Terry John Williamson – Bulli NSW, 1988-1989 (Serial rapist who attacked 11 victims at knifepoint wearing balaclava and gloves. Tied and blindfolded victims. Abducted 11yo boy, 15yo girl from their homes. Drove boy in boot to Mt Kembla, blindfolded and assaulted him in car before releasing him in bushland.)
• Van Hung Tran – Yagoona NSW, 1983; 1988 (abducted, gagged, bound, raped 17yo in 1983; Blindfolded, gagged and handcuffed Shane Bentley to tree, bound, gagged, raped and murdered Sandra Peresan in 1988)
• Phillip Alexander Kenworthy – Surrey Hills, 1982-1985 (Rapist who wore stocking, entered women’s bedrooms, covered their face, tied their hands with rope, gagged with handkerchief and took photos.)
• Darrin Wheeldon – Dandenong, 2011 (Tied landlord to bed, hooded her with pillowcase, beat, raped and photographed her, pretending to make a phone call before taking her on 3 day roadtrip and eventually locking her in a cupboard.)

7. Gagging victim

Mr Cruel gagged Lower Plenty victims with electrical tape, Sharon Wills with a red rubber ball when she screamed

• George Kaufman – Oakleigh, 1982-86 (waited for single women in their homes with knife, then bound, gagged and blindfolded them with their own clothes, wore balaclava and gloves, bathed himself and victims)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (tied up children, babysitter, and victim, gagged them with socks and placed pillowcase over heads during home invasion/rape)
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1976-79 (gagged, blindfolded victims with ripped up towels)
• Clive Barwell – Yorkshire, 1982-96 (serial rapist who gagged and bound one victim and pushed her into a canal)
• Geoffrey Milton Waters – Marrickville NSW 1978 (abducted 13yo girl from Melbourne and kept her chained in his Marickville flat with handcuffs, chains, restraining device and gagged with a rubber ball for 10 days)
• Jon Simonis – 1980-81, Texas (lab technician known as ‘ski mask rapist’ who surprised victims in their homes, bound, gagged victims and forced husbands, boyfriends to watch rape then cleaned up crime scene to remove evidence)
• Brian Elkner – South-eastern suburbs, 1972-1974 (assaulted six girls in their homes, used ‘trickery’ to enter, tied and gagged them, threatened with a knife and assaulted them)
• Steven John Greenwood – Kew, 1984 (bound, gagged and raped woman in her home)
• Gary John Barker/Collingwood, Bendigo, 2013 (serial rapist, tied victim with electrical tape and stuffed stocking in her mouth)
• Anthony James Pitt – Ballarat, 1998 (held 16yo girl captive in mine shaft for 18 hours, bound, gagged and raped victim)
• Ian Melrose Pattison – St Kilda, 1981 (abducted woman, forced her into his car boot, bound, gagged, mutilated and raped her)
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (Belinda Hall and Linda Cooke both abducted in lovers lanes by man in balaclava, who restrained their boyfriends, bound, gagged and blindfolded them with tape, drove them to an underground bunker where he chained them to a bed, feeding them, bathing them for 18 and 67 hours. Left radio on)
• Van Hung Tran – Yagoona NSW, 1983; 1988 (abducted, gagged, bound, raped 17yo in 1983; Blindfolded, gagged and handcuffed Shane Bentley to tree, bound, gagged, raped and murdered Sandra Peresan in 1988)
• Phillip Alexander Kenworthy – Surrey Hills, 1982-1985 (Rapist who wore stocking, entered women’s bedrooms, covered their face, tied their hands with rope, gagged with handkerchief and took photos.)
• Grant Stewart Matheson – 1991 (Wearing mask and gloves, broke into house and bound and gagged 35yo woman with medical tape he had obtained from a hospital where he worked, repeatedly raped her while three young children slept.)

8. Removing forensic evidence

Mr Cruel wiped sinks and benchtops to remove fingerprints, dumped victim in garbage bags and took evidence away with him

• Jon Simonis – 1980-81, Texas (lab technician known as ‘ski mask rapist’ who raped victims in their homes then cleaned up crime scene and victims and took evidence with him. Said to be “familiar with police procedures and the techniques of medical investigators”)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (poured soap and water over victim. Used face washer to clean her body and then washed the floor to remove clues )
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (bathed victims carefully to remove evidence of assaults)

9. Restraining/tying up victims

Mr Cruel used nylon rope and handcuffs on the Lower Plenty family, a neckbrace on victims he abducted, copper wire on Wills family

• Brian Elkner – South-eastern suburbs, 1972-1974 (assaulted six girls in their homes, used ‘trickery’ to enter, tied and gagged them, threatened with a knife and assaulted them)
• Christopher Clarence Hall aka Ascot Vale Rapist – North-western suburbs 1987-1993 (In one crime mistakenly attributed to Mr Cruel, Hall tied up an ex-nun raped her, and left with her ATM card before returning to attack her)
• Noel Geoffrey Gorrie, Elwood 1974 (tricked 17yo girl to enter his flat by telling her his wife need help, then tied up and raped her, dressing victim in his wife’s underclothing)
• Leslie Neil Cunliffe – Geelong, 1999 (abducted 21yo woman by posing as cop, took her to a shed where he bound, gagged and raped her before she was rescued)
• Ian Melrose Pattison – St Kilda, 1981 (abducted woman, forced her into his car boot, bound, gagged, mutilated and raped her)
• Anthony James Pitt – Ballarat, 1998 (held 16yo girl captive in mine shaft for 18 hours, bound, gagged and raped victim)
• Klaus Fichtner – Melbourne’s East, 70s-80s (raped girls during guitar lessons at his home. Ran bath and tied girl to the bathroom sink, made something to eat and returned to abuse her.)
• John Norman Hennebery – Lilydale 1981 (abducted girl, tied and raped her)
• Algirdis Hrekowsky – Noble Park, 1971 (Bound, blindfolded husband and wife in home invasion/rape. Threatened to blow husband’s head off)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (tied up children, babysitter, and victim with stockings, gagged them with socks and placed pillowcase over heads during home invasion/rape)
• Deryk John Pruckl – Geelong, 2002 (tied up and raped woman in her motel room)
• Gary John Barker/Collingwood – Bendigo, 2013 (serial rapist, tied victim with electrical tape and stuffed stocking in her mouth)
• Shane Blackham – Vermont South, 1989 (broke into 19yo woman’s home, tied her up and raped her)
• George Kaufman – Oakleigh, 1982-86 (waited for single women in their homes with knife, then bound, gagged and blindfolded them with their own clothes, wore balaclava and gloves, bathed himself and victims)
• Steven John Greenwood – Kew, 1984 (bound, gagged and raped woman in her home)
• John Francis Leaver – Orange NSW 1980 (abducted and chained up 11yo girl),
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1976-79 (bound victims tightly with ligatures, often shoelaces, stacked dishes on husbands/boyfriends)
• Clive Barwell – Yorkshire, 1982-96 (serial rapist who abducted women from carparks, tied them up and raped them. Bound one victim with electric cable)
• Geoffrey Milton Waters – Marrickville NSW 1978 (abducted 13yo girl from Melbourne and kept her chained in his Marickville flat with handcuffs, chains, restraining device and gagged with a rubber ball for 10 days)
• Martin Allan Huxtable – Port Melbourne 1991 (abducted woman from outside pub, took her to his flat where he tied and raped her for 10 hours)
• Terrence John Andrews – Hawthorn, 1982 (police informant bound two women, placed pillow cases over their heads and raped them in flat)
• Jon Simonis – 1980-81, Texas (lab technician known as ‘ski mask rapist’ who surprised victims in their homes, bound, gagged victims with precut duct-tape and forced husbands, boyfriends to watch rape)
• Donald George Hatherley – St Kilda, 1985 (abducted woman outside 7/11, took her to his apartment, chained and raped her. Dressed her in black negligee while he wore a dress and pink nightie)
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (bound victims with coat hangers, drove them to an underground bunker where he chained them to a bed for 18 and 67 hours)
• Unknown ‘Sutherland Rapist’ – Sutherland NSW, 1969-1988 (assaulted couples in lovers’ lanes: tied up and locked boyfriend in boot before raping girls. Also abducted woman from home in Aug 1985, blindfolded, tied her and drove her to unknown location before releasing her.)
• Van Hung Tran – Yagoona NSW, 1983; 1988 (abducted, gagged, bound, raped 17yo in 1983; Blindfolded, gagged and handcuffed Shane Bentley to tree, bound, gagged, raped and murdered Sandra Peresan in 1988)
• Phillip Alexander Kenworthy – Surrey Hills, 1982-1985 (Rapist who wore stocking, entered women’s bedrooms, covered their face, tied their hands with rope, gagged with handkerchief and took photos.)
• Terry John Williamson – Bulli NSW, 1988-1989 (Serial rapist who attacked 11 victims at knifepoint wearing balaclava and gloves. Tied and blindfolded victims with their own clothes.)
• Darrin Wheeldon – Dandenong, 2011 (Tied landlord to bed with dressing gown cord and raped her, before taking her on 3 day roadtrip, tying her with duct tape and locking her in a cupboard.)
• Grant Stewart Matheson – 1991 (Wearing mask and gloves, broke into house and bound and gagged 35yo woman with medical tape he had obtained from a hospital where he worked, repeatedly raped her while three young children slept.)

10. Using wardobe/cupboard

Mr Cruel locked family members of his victims in cupboards in the Lower Plenty, Wills and Chan attacks and the unconfirmed Donvale attack. In the unconfirmed Warrandyte attack he hid in a walk-in-wardrobe to surprise his victim.

• Maurice Marion – Western suburbs, 1974 (home invasion rapes/sexual assaults at gunpoint on women in their homes, locked one victim in cupboard)
• Richard Starrett – US, 1989 (kidnapped girls from their homes, took them to his house while his wife was interstate, chained them in a closet, videotaped and assaulted them, then released them near where he’d abducted them)
• Darrin Wheeldon – Dandenong, 2011 (Tied landlord to bed, hooded her with pillowcase, beat, raped and photographed her, before taking her on 3 day roadtrip, tying her with duct tape and locking her in a cupboard.)

11. Making victims count upon release

Mr Cruel told Nicola Lynas and the Lower Plenty victim to count before seeking help

• Christopher Clarence Hall aka Ascot Vale Rapist – North-western suburbs 1987-1993 (burglary rapes on women and girls in their homes. Made victims count to 100 before calling for help. One of crimes was mistakenly attributed to Mr Cruel.)

12. Bathing victims

Mr Cruel bathed Sharon Wills, Nicola Lynas and his Lower Plenty victim in between assaults

• Robert Keith Knight – Rye, 1996 (abducted and took 12yo victim to house for 16 hours where he abused her, took photos and gave her a bath before releasing her)
• Klaus Fichtner – Melbourne’s East, 70s-80s (raped girls during guitar lessons at his home. Ran bath and tied girl to the bathroom sink, made something to eat and returned to abuse her.)
• George Kaufman – Oakleigh, 1982-86 (waited for single women in their homes with knife, then bound, gagged and blindfolded them with their own clothes, wore balaclava and gloves, bathed himself and victims)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (poured soap and water over victim. Used face washer to clean her body)
• Richard Starrett – US, 1989 (kidnapped girls from their homes; shot his last victim in the shower)
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (bathed victims carefully to remove evidence)

13. Ripping phone from wall or cutting phone line

Mr Cruel ripped the phone from the wall in the Lower Plenty attack and unconfirmed Donvale attacke. He cut the phone line in Lynas and Wills abductions.

• Christopher Charles Richardson – Cheltenham, 1974 (entered victim’s flat by telling ‘wholly false story’, before threatening with knife, raping her and pulling telephone from wall)
• Jamie John Williams – Bendigo, 90s (raped elderly woman in her home and cut phone line)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (cut phone line, bound, gagged and hooded children, babysitter, and victim during home invasion/rape)

14. Eating/Giving victims food

Mr Cruel ate lamb, milk and biscuits during Lower Plenty attack. He also gave milk and sandwich to victims he abducted.

• Colin Harold Doo – Romsey, Vic, 1996-2008, (lured children to shed in his father’s backyard where he abused, photographed and fed them snacks)
• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (tied, gagged and hooded children, babysitter, and victim during home invasion/rape, helped himself to food and poured wine)
• Klaus Fichtner – Melbourne’s East, 70s-80s (raped girls during guitar lessons at his home. Ran bath and tied girl to the bathroom sink, made something to eat and returned to abuse her.)
• George Kaufman – Oakleigh, 1986 (ate chocolate while waiting in victim’s flat for her to return),
• Donald George Hatherley – St Kilda, 1985 (abducted woman outside 7/11, took her to his apartment, chained and raped her. Offered her coffee)
• Joseph Deangelo – California, 1976-79 (spent several hours in home, ransacked home, ate food and drank beer.)
• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (kept victims for 18 and 67 hours and fed them)
• Robert Keith Knight – Rye, 1996 (abducted and took 12yo victim to house for 16 hours where he drugged her with Coca-Cola laced with sleeping tablets and abused her)

15. Dressing up victims

Mr Cruel dressed Nicola Lynas in her school dress and tennis skirt during his assault

• Noel Geoffrey Gorrie – Elwood 1974 (tricked 17yo girl to enter his flat by telling her his wife need help, then tied up and raped her, dressing victim in his wife’s underclothing)
• Donald George Hatherley – St Kilda, 1985 (abducted woman outside 7/11, took her to his apartment, chained and raped her. Dressed her in black negligee while he wore a dress and pink nightie)
• Colin James Creed – Adelaide, 1981 (rogue cop who raped woman at knifepoint and dressed victim in ‘provocative underclothing’)
• Robert Keith Knight – Rye, 1996 (abducted and took 12yo victim to house for 16 hours where he abused her, took photos of her in various items of female apparel)

16. Filming attacks

Mr Cruel is believed to have filmed his assaults on Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas after one of the girls saw a tripod at the foot of the bed she was tied to

• Colin Harold Doo – Romsey, Vic, 1996-2008, (lured children to shed in his father’s backyard where he abused, photographed and fed them snacks. Had camera on tripod.)
• Leslie Spencer – Melbourne, 1981-1985 (filmed himself performing explicit acts on young girls under the guise of research)
• Robert Keith Knight – Rye, 1996 (abducted and took 12yo victim to house for 16 hours where he abused her, took photos of her in various items of female apparel and gave her a bath before releasing her)
• Phillip Alexander Kenworthy – Surrey Hills, 1982-1985 (Rapist who wore stocking, entered women’s bedrooms, covered their face, tied their hands with rope, gagged with handkerchief and took photos.)
• Darrin Wheeldon – Dandenong, 2011 (Tied landlord to bed, hooded her with pillowcase, beat, raped and photographed her, pretending to make a phone call before taking her on 3 day roadtrip and eventually locking her in a cupboard.)

17. Brushing victims’ teeth

Mr Cruel made all his victims brush their teeth

• No other known offenders

18. Turning on radio during assault

Mr Cruel left radio on during his assaults on the Lower Plenty victim, Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas

• Unknown ‘Lover’s Lane abductor’ – Sydney, 1992 (Belinda Hall and Linda Cooke both abducted in lovers lanes by man in balaclava, who restrained their boyfriends, bound, gagged and blindfolded them with tape, drove them to an underground bunker where he chained them to a bed, feeding them, bathing them for 18 and 67 hours. Left radio on)

19. Discussing news reports about crime with victim

Mr Cruel spoke to Nicola Lynas about the media coverage of her abduction

• No other known offenders (there must be others – please let us know in the comments below who we’ve missed)

20. Mr Cruel’s colloquialisms

Mr Cruel used several distinctive colloquialisms, including the terms “bozo” “worry wart” “yous” and “missy”, “You’re not going to be a hero are you?” to John Wills, “Think you’re worth $25,000?” to Nicola Lynas; “Do you feel brave?” to Lower Plenty parents, “really sharp knife” & “blow your heads off” to Lynas sisters, “My freedom is more important than your life” to Hampton victim.

• Neville Mansfield – Shepparton, 1993 (ran knife along victm’s body and said ‘Feel how sharp it is’)
• Peter Vaitos – Eastern suburbs, 1978-79 (told 14yo victim in Blackburn he would blow her head off if she didn’t co-operate)
• Russell St bombers Stan Taylor, Peter Reed, Craig Minogue – Kangaroo Ground, 1986 (Violent raid by 3 armed men in balaclavas during school holidays. Couple tied and handcuffed and woman sexually assaulted. Threatened to “Blow your heads off”)
• Algirdis Hrekowsky – Noble Park, 1971 (Threatened to blow husband’s head off)

21. Use of medical equipment

Mr Cruel used elastoplast to blindfold victims at Lower Plenty, cotton eye pads and a neckbrace on victims he abducted

• Christopher Clarence Hall aka Ascot Vale Rapist – North-western suburbs 1987-1993 (burglary rapes on women and girls in their homes. Used elastoplast to bind victim. One of crimes was mistakenly attributed to Mr Cruel.)
• Grant Stewart Matheson – 1991 (Wearing mask and gloves, broke into house and bound and gagged 35yo woman with medical tape he had obtained from a hospital where he worked, repeatedly raped her while three young children slept.)