Casefile Revisited: Mr Cruel
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Melbourne was gripped by fear when a masked assailant began breaking into suburban family homes and abducting young children. The attacks were particularly callous, earning the assailant the moniker of ‘Mr Cruel’.
10-year-old Sharon Wills, 13-year-old Nicola Lynas and an unnamed 11-year-old girl were amongst the survivors of Mr Cruel’. Mr Cruel also became a prime suspect in the abduction and murder of 13-year-old Karmein Chan. But who exactly was the man behind the mask?
Casefile Revisited features newly re-recorded versions of classic episodes, revisiting the stories with enhanced production, fresh narration, and updated research where possible.
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Anonymous Host & Victoria Dieffenbacher
Additional writing & editing – Erin Munro
Production & music – Mike Migas
Audio editing – Anthony Telfer
Mr Cruel episode was originally released in January 2017.
Comments (19)
I’m a Dad of a young girl. Hearing Karmeins mother plea for her in absolute devastation bought me to tears. How horribly cruel. He earned his name.
Gosh, the recording of Karmein's Mum pleading for her to come home brought me to tears. 😓 I live in the Ringwood area, crazy to think a serial rapist and likely murderer got away with it.
The anguished pleas of Karmein's mother are absolutely heartbreaking.😭💔 I not only feel for her devastated parents, but also her sisters & poor dog!😔🐾💔😢
What did strike me this time was the possible link to the electrical trades... How often have you ever heard of people tied up with copper wire + Carmen's body found on State Electricity Commission land...?? A masterfully written update.
Never forget these girls.
I was a primary school kid in Melbourne during this time, Carmen’s case hugely affected us all. I’ve got a letter I wrote to my parents where I mention not being allowed outside because of the kidnappings. I still think about her often. That poor family.
I also do think Elkner is the best suspect that we know of. The soft spoken lecturer / aesthete French academic tracks (also the classical records stolen) plus of course his priors, and the link to growing up in the eastern suburbs. But then … potentially mr cruel is somebody never particularly mentioned by the media.
I just re-listened to the earlier version last week. Mr Cruel has been back in the Melbourne news 📰 thru various ‘memory’ sort of write ups. I wonder if they’ll do another appeal soon? And if they’ll ever find him? I don’t think that because karmein, Sharon and the lower plenty victim were attacked on a weekend or over the summer break makes the school holiday angle irrelevant. My theory is it is the husband of a teacher - ie the teacher leaves the family home for her holiday and husband / Mr Cruel has the house to himself.
That might make him easier to find ... husband in the electrical trades, wife a teacher.
They didn't give what I believe is the most likely reason for him going quiet. That he had never wanted to kill, and the need to do so had frightened him.
Possible.
Hi Everyone 🙂 Am I going nuts or is there no way to turn on caption here?
Aren't captions for videos?
How long is the break again? (Don't mind at all just curious!)
Break??
I very nearly re-listened to the original episode of this case this afternoon! Strange coincidence hahah
Beyond cruel he should be called. Well told as usual but always is
Unbelievable
Unbeli