Mr Cruel is in the spotlight – and in the crosshairs – again this July, with three new publications landing, including an article in the Age, a new podcast series and a primetime major network TV special called The Hunters.
New podcast on the murder of Karmein Chan
First up, whoismrcruel.com has teamed up with Melbourne Marvels on a new series of podcasts about the unsolved abduction and murder of Karmein Chan in 1991.
In this series, we will analyse contemporary media reports of the case in the hope that it may give us a different perspective on the Mr Cruel mythos.
In episode 1 of this series below, we dissect the very first media conference Victoria Police held on the crime, the day after Karmein was abducted and also what was reported in The Age and the Herald-Sun on 14-15 April 1991.
New profile of Mr Cruel
The podcast comes after an article was published by veteran crime reporter John Silvester in the Age on July 4th sharing details from a new profile of Mr Cruel by a team of profilers at STALK Inc (System to Apprehend Lethal Killers).
The profile suggested that Mr Cruel may have been a burglar who progressed to kidnapping children and that he might have been prominent in “beautification” works along Edgars Creek where Karmein Chan’s body was found. We have pointed out before that Mr Cruel displayed many behaviours that showed real-world experience in breaking and entering. And it seems that beautification work was indeed happening in the area…
The “STALK Inc” profile also suggested that Mr Cruel may be known as an avid photographer. The fact that Mr Cruel photographed his victims was kept secret until 2006, so it is certainly likely he continued to show an interest in photography at least until then. We have recently learned that one of the Spectrum Taskforce’s seven suspects was in fact a professional photographer, showing that this is an angle they took very seriously. More anon. Until then, here is a list of sex offenders known to have filmed their victims.
New prime-time series The Hunters
Last but not least, true crime journo Adam Shand has announced a new series on Channel 7, kicking off on Monday 22 July at 7.30pm with a 2-hour special investigation into Mr Cruel. Shand has been teasing some major revelations via his Facebook page, which gives us hope that this will not be just another rehash of the same old facts, but a genuine exercise in investigative journalism that reveals breathes new life into the Mr Cruel crimes. Be sure to tune in and share your thoughts in the comments below.
