VIC: Police confident $500,000 reward will lead to killer

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-1998
VIC: Police confident $500,000 reward will lead to killer

By Gordon Feeney

MELBOURNE, AAP - Four murdered Victorian police officers. No convictions.

That's the grim reality in the face of the still-unsolved murders of Sergeant Gary Silk and
Senior Constable Rod Miller in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin early on August 16.

The murdered pair had just stopped a vehicle as part of an undercover operation to combat a
series of armed robberies in the area.

Just a few suburbs away in South Yarra in October 1988, Constables Steven Tynan and Damian
Eyre, were ambushed by killers when called to a suspicious vehicle and shot dead in cold
blood.

Despite a massive police hunt and Supreme Court trial, the case also remains unsolved. Four
men were acquitted of the murders.

The only other multiple killing of Victorian police was in 1878 when Ned Kelly's gang
killed three police at Stringybark Creek in Victoria's north-east. Ned Kelly was hanged for
the crime.

Police admit the pressure to solve the Moorabbin killings is enormous.

As the investigation, named Lorimer, failed to produce an arrest some four months after the
murders, police announced in early December a record-equalling reward of $500,000.

Only the Russell Street police car bombing in 1986 that left Constable Angela Taylor dead
had seen a reward of that magnitude in Victoria. Two men were convicted of the murder.

According to the acting head of the Lorimer investigation, Detective Senior Sergeant Graeme
Collins, the response to the reward has been strong.

"We have had quite a deal of information from the public that at the moment is still being
assessed resulting from the reward," he told AAP just before Christmas.

"(The reward) certainly did bear fruit."

Sgt Collins said that, short of a major breakthrough, the investigation was "going to be a
long battle".

"We'd like to solve it as soon as we can, but at the moment I think everyone has to
understand we've had a huge amount of information coming in from the public and from other
sources.

"It's going to take a lot of time to sort it out," he said.

Sgt Collins said police were also encouraged by the level of help from members of
Melbourne's criminal underworld, many said to be outraged that the killings crossed the line
of criminal fair-play.

"We've been encouraged by the amount of people from that side of the fence who have come to
give us information," he said.

And the massive show of public support, culminating in "Blue Ribbon Day" on August 24 when
the public wore and displayed blue ribbons, had also been a boost to police, he said.

"All the investigators from the start have been under a lot of pressure and that support
from the community at large has been appreciated," he said.

Police deny that morale in the force has been hard-hit, after the initial shock of the
killings. Danger has always been part of the job, they say.

Sgt Collins said the task force members were all positive and convinced an arrest would
come.

"We're still very positive that we're going to gain an arrest," he said.

"There is someone out there with information that is vital to break this case right open,
and now the reward's there I hope that's the catalyst that will bring that person forward."

AAP gf/jlw/kr/br

KEYWORD: YEARENDER SHOOTINGS

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