This podcast is sponsored by ramp. Are you the decision maker in your company? Consider this for the first time in decades there's a better option for a corporate card and spend management platform. Meet ramp the only corporate And spend management system designed to help you spend less money so you can make more. Offer points as incentives, but those points amount to less than their worth in real cash value. RAMP's corporate cards offer you cash back. Real money in your pocket. Plus, you control who spends what with each vendor. And RAMP's software collects and verifies receipts automatically, which means you'll stop wasteful spending and close your books in hours instead of days. Businesses that use ramp-- Up to 5% to their bottom line the first year. If you're a decision maker, adding RAM could be one of the best decisions you've ever made and now get $250.

When you join RAMP. Just go to RAMP.com/easy. RAMP.com/easy. RAMP.com/easy. Currents issued by Sutton Bank and Celtic Bank members of the IC terms and conditions apply. Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel any any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers, for confidential support and for a more detailed list of... Content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Today's... Episode involves crimes against children and won't be suitable for all listeners.

At about 7.40 on the morning of Tuesday December 21 1982, Frank Church headed out. Of his home in Westbourne Grove, Northcote and walked towards the front gate. The rubbish bins had gone out for collection the previous night, and Frank was going to bring his empty one in. As always, thanks for watching. Frank exited his front gate, he noticed his next door neighbour Marion standing on the footpath outside of her home. Frank had resided on Westbourne Grove for the past 27 years. Marion and her six-year-old daughter Bonnie were relative newcomers. They'd move. Into the inner city Melbourne Street about two years ago. Although their Victorian Terrace houses sat quite close to each other, the residential street was wide and fairly quiet. Frankly, I'm not going to lie. Didn't really know Marion or Bonnie except to exchange pleasantries whenever they bumped into one another. As a result, the two of them were able to get to the bottom of the mountain.

Soon as Marianne spotted Frank, she called out to him, shouting Frank! Frank! As Frank looked at the young mother, he noticed how distraught her expression was and that her face was streaked with tears. Concerned, Frank approached Marion. As he neared her, she leaned into him, collapsing into his shoulder and cried, My baby is dead. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked. Marian replied that her daughter Bonnie had been stabbed. I don't know. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked. What do you mean your baby is dead? Frank asked.

Shocked, Frank told Marion he'd call the police. And said that she'd already done so, then continued to sob and scream as she leaned heavily on Frank. Seemingly unable to support herself. Frank's wife Mavis was just getting out of bed. Bed when she heard Marianne's distraught cries. Frank began to call out Mavis' name, asking for her help. Mavis quickly pulled out a phone and called out to the police. On a dressing gown and ran outside to investigate. She only knew Marianne to say hello to in the street, but now she's gone. The young mother was a sobbing wreck in Frank's arms. It's her little girl, Frank said. Without hesitating, Mavis ran towards Marianne's home. The front door was wide open. Mavis looked into the first room but that appeared to be Marianne's bedroom.

Along the right side of the house was a long hallway, while a second, L-shaped passageway led from Marion's room to the home's left side. May they be with you. Hurried down the hallway looking into each room as she passed. The second bedroom was a guest room that appeared to be empty, but the third was clearly Bonnie's. Children's clothing and toys lay on the floor. A single bed was pushed up against one wall while a bunk bed sat opposite. On a bedside table, a bed was pushed up against one wall. Table was a lamp which was switched on. Lying on her back in the single bed was six year old Bonnie Clarke. Her arms were straight by her sides and she was naked with a blue duna bunched around her waist and covering the lower half of her body. Mavis immediately noticed how incredibly pale Bonnie was.

Had a bloody wound just below her chest. Hoping she might be able to save the girl via resuscitation, Mavis lifted the back of Bonnie's neck. Bonnie's skin was ice cold. Next Mavis felt for a heartbeat. She found none. Realising that Bonnie was dead, Mavis immediately dropped her hands and hurried. From the room. Meanwhile, outside on Westbourne Grove, two constables pulled up in their patrol car having responded to Marianne Clark's call. As they pulled up at her house, They saw Marion standing on the footpath, still being held by Frank Church. Marianne suddenly pulled away from Frank's embrace and kicked out at a small terrier standing nearby. Why didn't you bark? You always bloody bark. Why didn't you bark? she screamed at the dog.

The constables rushed to 6-year-old Bonnie's bedroom. An ordinary children's bedroom, except for Bonnie lying cold and still in her bed. The comment section below. Were joined a few minutes later by two paramedics who confirmed that Bonnie was deceased. Furthermore, Rigor Mortis had set in, indicating that Bonnie had been dead for some time. Been digitally raped and suffered injuries to her genitals. There was no semen found at the scene. Pressions to Bonnie's neck pointed to suffocation. A 3 centimetre stab wound. Was visible in her chest but there was only a small amount of blood around it. Beneath her body, the mattress was soaked with water.

Kept pushed up against one wall and her pillows lay against this wall instead of beneath Bonnie's head. When police pulled the bed away, they found her pyjamas stuffed beneath the pillows, between the mattress and the wall. The pyjama top was heavily stained with blood. Pants had been cut, with two slashes made by either a knife or scissors extending from the elastic waistband to the bands where each of Bonnie's legs would go. Given the amount of blood on Bonnie's pyjama top, it seemed strange there was so little around her actual wound. It appeared that after the blood was removed, Bonnie's pyjama top was removed. After the killer stabbed Bonnie, they had rolled her over onto her stomach, then removed her pyjamas and washed her with water which soaked the mattress. Faint smearing across Bonnie's torso indicated that her body had been wiped clean.

Frank and Mavis Church ushered Marion back to their home to comfort her while the police remained at the Clark residence with Bonnie. At 8.00pm, the police arrived at the Clark residence. At 5am, one of the constables called Northcote police station to request detectives from crime investigation bureau attend the scene along with crime scene investigators. Almost 15 minutes later, Detectives arrived and took note of the property's layout. A crime scene investigator noted there was no sign of forcible entry. The long single-fronted weatherboard house had three bedrooms one after another flanked by two hallways. After the third bedroom, which was bed-room, the second bedroom was bed-room. Bonnie's, there was a living room with a couch and a television set. A small coffee table was cluttered with cups and empty bottles, including one beer bottle and one soft drink. At the rear of the house was the kitchen, laundry room, and a large kitchen.

And bathroom. Another empty beer bottle was found in the laundry. A sliding door in the kitchen led to the back garden, where there was an outhouse, a hills hoist washing line with dry clothes hanging from it, two empty beer bottles, and a set of tall double gates. That led to a laneway. These were closed and there were no prints or marks on either side to suggest that someone had climbed them. Marianne said that neither she nor Bonnie ever went into the laneway or used the backgate at all. Explained that while the front door was always locked, she never completely closed the rear sliding door. Was always kept slightly ajar so that one of the family's dogs, a small terrier named Troy, could go outside whenever he needed. Troy slept on a couch in the living room, while Bonnie's dog, a poodle chihuahua cross named Moomy, slept in

Room on the bunk bed. In the kitchen, a cutlery drawer was slightly open, prompting investigators to wonder if the killer had used one of the household knives to stab Bonnie. But no weapon. Matching her injury was recovered. Marion Clarke briefly spoke to detectives in her home while Bonnie's body still lay in her bed, before being formally interviewed in the news. Presbytery of a church that also sat on Westbourne Grove. According to Marion, the previous night had been peaceful. The only hiccup had been the... Bonnie didn't want to go to her own bed. She had asked Marion if she could sleep with her instead. bed. Was afraid of the dark. For that reason, she always slept with her bedside lamp on and kept the door slightly ajar. Bonnie's pet dog Moomy would also keep her company by curling up on the bunk bed in her room.

But this wasn't always enough to calm the little girl. Marianne had been tired and reluctant to agree to Bonnie's request. Christmas was always a busy time, but this year Marion's schedule was particularly hectic. Worked as a nurse and was undertaking extra full-time studies with final exams. As a single mother with no partner to help carry the load, these commitments had left Marian extra keen for a good night's sleep. Out that it was only four more days until Christmas, Marion had encouraged Bonnie to go to her own room, stating Sleep in your bed. It, Santa won't know where to find you. Bonnie agreed and at 8.30 that night, Marian tucked her in.

Marion had gone to bed before 11pm, only getting up once during the night at around 1.30am to go to the toilet. She had checked in on her husband, who had been in the toilet for a while. On her daughter as she walked by her room. Bonnie had been awake and asked her mother for a drink, which Marian got her. Both mother and daughter had gone back to sleep straight after. Before 7am, Marianne had been woken by the telephone ringing. It was the nursing agency that employed her, asking if she could come. In for a shift right away. Marianne accepted and immediately began getting ready. As she... Made her way to the bathroom, she glanced in at Bonnie's room. She saw Bonnie was still asleep in her single bed. Her doona pulled up. Over her up to her chin. Marion dressed and made breakfast.

At 45, there was still no sign of Bonnie stirring, so Marian went to wake her. As she approached Bonnie's bed, Marion instantly knew that something was wrong. Bonnie was lying completely still and her face was extremely pale. Marianne reached for the bed's doona and lifted it. Underneath Bonnie lay on her back, her arms beside her. She was naked. Her neck appeared bright. Bruised and there was a hole in her chest. Marion said she immediately knew her daughter was dead. Distraught she phoned the police. Unable to stay in the house where her daughter lay dead for a moment longer,

rushed out into the street. As she stood on the footpath outside, she saw her neighbour frank church and ran to him for comfort. That an intruder must have broken into the home in the middle of the night and killed Bonnie while Marianne was sleeping. Case was assigned to lead homicide investigator Detective Senior Sergeant Eric Lilly. Detective Lilly was Dubious of Marian's version of events. For starters, according to both Marian and her neighbours, neither of the family's dogs had barked at all during the night. Yet whenever a stranger came to the house, both dogs were known to bark incessantly. Any intruder also would have had to navigate a very difficult layout to reach Bonnie's room. With the home's front door closed and locked, it seemed the perpetrator was in trouble.

I must have entered by the rear sliding door that was always kept slightly open. But hang on. At the back entrance to the house was a beaded curtain which made noise when walked through or pushed aside. Along the hallway that led to Bonnie's room were a number of hanging plants suspended from the ceiling. An intruder fumbling in the dark would have been caught off guard by these and found it difficult to access Bonnie without waking her mother. Yet, Marian insisted she'd heard nothing. None of the neighbours reported seeing a prowler in the area or hearing anything suspicious either. Everything was pointing to a perpetrator. Who knew the home well. The only people who lived in the residence were Marion and Bonnie. Said she'd left Bonnie's father, Dennis, due to his alcoholism and occasional violent outbursts. Although, this still isn't the case.

Description might have made Dennis sound like a possible suspect, he had a solid alibi for the night of December 20 and was quickly ruled out of the investigation. Was something about Bonnie's mother that gave Detective Lily pause. Although Bonnie's murder looked to have a sexual component, there was no semen present, and the assault of Bonnie had been digital. These factors… led Detective Lilly to suspect that a woman was behind the crime. And the most obvious woman was Marion. Perhaps some of the most obvious was Marion. Perhaps some of the most obvious was Marion. Something had happened which caused Marianne's temper to flare. She had snapped and killed Bonnie. In an angry rage, then tried to cover up her actions by staging the sexual assault. There were other elements to the crime scene that caused the detective to consider Marianne Clark. To investigators,

The number of empty beer bottles recovered around the property possibly indicated poor parenting and losing their parents. Morals. Detective Lily didn't beat around the bush. During his His very first conversation with Marion in her lounge room while Bonnie's body lay dead one room over, he said, You did it, didn't you? Tell us now. We can help you. Marion fiercely denied killing her daughter, replying No, I didn't do it. I don't understand why you say that because you don't know me. If Lily wasn't dissuaded. you The crime scene yielded little physical evidence. Searchers of the house and neighbouring properties by a total of 32 officers failed to uncover the evidence.

The weapon used to stab Bonnie. Nor did detectives find whatever item had been used to wash and wipe down her body after the murder. A white coat with a small blood stain it was found in a laundry and was initially thought to be important. But this was later ruled out as having nothing to do with the crime. House and items within it were dusted for fingerprints. Everything came back as belonging to Marianne Clark, her daughter Bonnie, and two of Marianne's acquaintances who were known to visit the home. There were no prints to indicate an unidentified offender. If Lily dug deeper into the case, his suspicions against Marion grew stronger. Most who knew her described her as a loving mother. A couple said she could be physically and verbally abusive towards Bonnie.

Also had a history of depression. She'd attributed this to a difficult period of a job. Men she'd gone through after moving to Melbourne from country Victoria. However, she... Recently made phone calls to a parent's helpline as she was finding single motherhood difficult. To Detective Lily, this hinted. At someone who wasn't coping. He made several requests to interview Marion again and she always obliged. Each time she spoke to him he'd… He used an increasingly adamant and assertive tone. After interviewing Marion on two more occasions for a total of almost five hours, Detective Lilly asked if she would be willing to be hypnotised. He suggested that this might reveal if there was something she was subconsciously hiding about the night of Bonnie's murder. Marion agreed, but then police were contacted.

Acted by a solicitor that she had retained. Marianne was withdrawing her consent and wouldn't be participating in the hypnotisation. Obsession after all. This was clear proof to Detective Lily that Marion was guilty. But without any further... Forensic evidence or a confession from his suspect, there was little more that he could do. In February 1983, two months after Bonnie's murder, a young Reporter for the local Northcote Leader newspaper approached the suburbs homicide squad for a story. Analyst Ian Munro was writing an article about several unsolved murders in the area, and cases he wanted to cover was that of Bonnie Clarke. Ian spoke with One of the Northcote detectives, but when he raised Bonnie's murder he was reassured that there was no need to further publicise that case. The police

Ace already knew who was responsible. Yet months continued to pass with no breakthrough. Occasionally, names of other possible suspects came up. Interviewed at least one other individual in connection with Bonnie's murder. But this led nowhere and he remained convinced of Marianne Clark's guilt. In February 1984, an inquest was held into Bonnie's murder. know. Detective Lily gave evidence while Marion Clarke was absent. Her lawyer attended in her place. Found that six-year-old Bonnie Clark had been killed by an unknown assailant.

Recommendations were made that anyone be charged and the case continued to languish. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Of Casefile is sponsored by BetterHelp. We all have many relationships throughout our... Lives. And I'm not just talking about romantic partners. The relationships we have with friends, co-workers, family, and friends. Members and other members of our community all play a big role in who we are and help shape our day to day experiences. But… But there's a common misconception about relationships - that they need to be easy to be right. That's not necessarily true.

Sometimes, the best relationships happen when both people put in the work to make them great. Therapy can be a place to work through. The challenges you face in all of your relationships, including the relationship you have with yourself. It's not just for people who have experienced a major trauma. Is helpful for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries. It can help take your own. Relationships to a whole new level. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online and flexible so it fits into your life. To get started, all you have to do is fill out the description. A brief questionnaire and you'll be matched with a licensed therapist. And you can switch therapists anytime for no additional charge.

Become your own soulmate whether you're looking for one or not. Visit betterhelp.com/casefile today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp.com/casefile. Casefile. It's the biggest Sunday of the year. No, that's not why. - It's not because of the big game? - Nope, it's because-- You get a free 2-liter Pepsi when you buy a regular price extra large whole pizza with the Race Track Rewards app. That does sound like a great offer, and pizzas always... Better with Pepsi. Just download the app and enjoy hot fresh pizza and your favorite Pepsi product while you cheer on your team. Available at participating racetrack locations from 2.9 through 2.11 or while supplies last.

Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content. Meanwhile, Marion Clark was experiencing unimaginable grief. A nightmare that she kept waiting to wake up from. As well as struggling with the loss of her daughter, Marion was overwhelmed with guilt for not allowing Bonnie to sleep with her that night as she'd requested. One day, she was in a car accident and she was in a car accident. Day, Marianne was driving somewhere when she was suddenly overcome by the need to pull over. When she did, she burst into tears. From that moment on, the loss of her daughter finally seemed real.

At the same time that she was processing Bonnie's murder, Marianne felt as though all eyes in Melbourne were on her. Bing. Crowded spaces and catching public transport became unbearable. It seemed like everyone was staring at her, judging her for being, quote, the worst kind of woman and mother. Sometimes, when her phone rang at home, she would hear an unfamiliar voice on the other end. Strangers calling to abuse her. You did it. Just admit it. Said. Marianne just hung up on them. Every day she half expected the police to arrest her. She felt Detective Eric Lilly was biased against her purely because she was a single mother. And would later tell a reporter from the Sunday Age newspaper, quote, I honestly reckon he hated single mothers. He had a real thing.

About single mothers. When the detective asked Marion to undergo hypnosis, she instinctively… actively agreed, but she later reneged at her sister Jill's encouragement. Jill warned Marion that her distress might make her vulnerable to suggestion and advised she should. Retain a lawyer instead. Marion was stunned upon learning that some people were reportedly accusing her of being physically abusive towards Bonnie. She had yelled at her. Her daughter on occasion as a form of discipline, but never hit her. On one occasion, Detective Lily told Marion Nobody's going to believe you. You're just Like Lindy Chamberlain. This was a reference to the mother of baby Azaria Chamberlain who disappeared during a family camping trip in mid-1980 as covered in episode 136 of Casefile.

Lindy had been convicted of murdering her daughter just two months before Bonnie was killed. Despite asserting her innocence from the start. Years later she would be released and acquitted. Time, Marion knew that if it was possible for Lindy Chamberlain to be arrested, the happened to her. Marion dropped out of her university studies. She contemplated suicide. Living with her grief felt impossible. The only thing that stopped her from taking her own life was the thought of how Detective Lily would interpret such an action. In a 2006 interview with The Sunday Age, Marianne said. I thought, no. As soon as you do that, that bastard's going to turn around and say guilt got her. And he was not going to. To do that to Bonnie. They would have shut the book and I wasn't going to let them do that. She

worth more than that. During the first couple of years after Bonnie's death, Marion kept waiting for the pain to subside. Expected that one day she would wake up and feel normal again. But on the third day, she On the third anniversary of her daughter's murder, Marion realised that was never going to happen. Quote, I realised that it was never going to go away and I was going to have to live with it. And I better get cracking on this, because it was ridiculous. It was time I started to live for me, and by living for me, I would be living for you. For her too. While attending a Catholic retreat, Marian met a man who she later married and changed her name to Marian. And wish out. She left Melbourne for a quieter life in Wonthaggi, as seesaw

Town almost 150 kilometres away. Marianne and her husband went on to have four children together. though. Babies were kept on a dresser in the family's lounge room, and in the middle was a single photo of Bonnie holding her pet dog Moomy. BONUS! Tony's father Dennis Clark was also grappling with the mystery of what had happened to his daughter. Almost too soon. Decades past with no developments in the case. Over that time, Dennis's health began to decline and he was diagnosed with cancer. That he didn't have long to live, Dennis was desperate to see the case solved before he died. One day in 2001, Dennis was reading the newspaper when he saw an article about Victoria Police's new cold case squad. He decided to go to the hospital.

Decided to reach out to them directly and phoned Detective Ron Idles, who had been mentioned in the article. The detective paid a visit to Dennis' home and Dennis showed him a photo of his daughter. He explained his need to see the case resolved. Detective Idols promised he would take a look at Bonnie's case file. Together with his colleague Tim Day, the detective dug out the original case report and pored over its pages. They also went to the media, which was something their predecessor Eric Lillie had refused to do. Detective Idols met with Dennis. He spoke with the Herald Sun newspaper and they ran an article about the 1982 cold case. One person who read the article was a woman in her mid-twenties named Kylie Ward. Kylie had a particular interest in the case.

Bonnies and had always wondered what had happened to the little girl she used to play with. She also had her own suspicions about who might have been involved. At 1982, Kylie used to go over to Bonnie's house to play after school. From January through to September of that year, Bonnie and Marion weren't the only people living there. Struggling to make it through the year, Bonnie and Marion were the only people living there. Struggling to make it through the year, Bonnie and Marion were the only people living there. Struggling to make it through the year, Bonnie and Marion were the only people living there. Struggling to make it through the year, Bonnie and Marion were the only people living there. Struggling to make it through the year, Bonnie and Marion were the only people living there. Struggling to make it through the year, Bonnie and Marion were the only people living there. there. Make ends meet as a newly single mother, Marion had to let out the third bedroom to a border. 8-year-old man named Mao. There was something about Mao that made Kylie uncomfortable. She knew. Knew he made Bonnie feel the same way. Bonnie had told Kylie that Mal was really creepy. He looked at her a lot and said, Sometimes he would make Bonnie sit on his knee. Bonnie tried to avoid him as much as possible and Kylie...

Noticed how cautious she seemed in his company. Even though Mal had moved out three months before Bonnie was killed, Kyla was killed. Had never been able to shake the thought that he might have been the killer. After Reading that Victoria Police were re-investigating the case, Kylie reached out to the authorities to report what she knew. Case detection. Detective Tim Day had been going over and over Bonnie's case file, but when he received Kylie Ward's tip-off, he... Couldn't remember reading about a border named Mal. After combing through the pages again, he finally came across the name - Mal Klaas. Clark, who was no relation to Bonnie Clark or her family. Most recent of several boarders who'd resided with Marion and Bonnie and had left three months before Bonnie's murder.

Mal had moved into the house next door for about a month before leaving for his parents' house in the nearby suburb of Brunswick because he couldn't afford the rent. Kylie wasn't the only one who'd suspected him. Bonnie's mother Marion had mentioned him to detective Eric Lilly immediately after the murder. She noted that he... He was the one other person who was as familiar with the home as she was. He had lived there for nine months, both dogs knew him well and didn't bark at him. Mal knew the layout of the house and the family's routines. Mal had been spoken to by the original investigators. He'd said he had an alibi for the night in question, he'd been working at the time. Cinema where he was employed as an assistant projectionist. The police in 1982 had ruled him out and gone back to the drawing board. Detective Tim

Im Day decided to search the criminal records branch for any mention of a Mel Clark. He couldn't find anything. The closest... Could find was an offender named Joe Clark, who had been convicted of two separate violent crimes. Committed in the years before and after Bonnie's murder. In June of 1980, Theresa Crow was a 22-year-old who loved to dance. A friendly The outgoing and vivacious young woman, one of her favourite things to do was go to a disco named Chase's in the inner city Melbourne suburb of Perran. Theresa became a fixture at Chase's. Which led to her meeting a wide circle of friends. She was something of a social butterfly, rushing from one group to the next and greeting them. Those she knew with a big hug. On the afternoon of Thursday June 19 1980, Teresa visited her

friend Zina at Zina's workplace and mentioned that she had an upcoming date at an expensive restaurant. She seemed happy. And excited. Zena asked if Theresa would like to come over to her place later that evening. Lisa said she had to drop in at the pizza shop where she worked to see if they needed her that night. If they didn't, she would come over. When Theresa didn't show up that night, Zeena assumed she was working. The pair had made plans. For the following afternoon, but Theresa failed to show for those too. Although Zena was upset that her friend had stood her up, she didn't think that anything was wrong. Several days... Went by with no word from Teresa. Or... Almost a week later on Wednesday June 25, Theresa's employer grew concerned when she didn't pick up her wages.

Lord Simon was contacted and decided to go check on her. Theresa rented a small factory loft space just down the street from the Chase's house. As disco she loved to go to. A few days earlier, Simon had left a letter that arrived for Theresa on the ladder that led to her apartment. As he approached the ladder, Simon was left with a To check on her now, he noticed the letter was still lying there untouched. Simon climbed up to the trap door that he had found. Led to Teresa's loft. He clambered into the apartment, which was a small, cluttered studio space. A few pictures hung from the brick. Walls. There was a television in one corner and a rack with Theresa's clothing in the other. Hanging from the middle of the room was a loveseat style couch suspended from the ceiling with ropes.

And lying on the floor next to the couch was what looked like a mannequin, tightly swaddled in a white blanket. Simon approached the mannequin and lifted a corner of fabric that was covering its head. To his shock, the face underneath was real. After photographing the scene, they carefully unwrapped Theresa Crowe from the blanket. Underneath she was completely naked with her arms folded across her chest. Whoever had killed her had cared. I fully posed her before wrapping her like a mummy. There was a horseshoe-shaped cut to her left cheek, bruising her back. To her neck and a number of other small grazes, bite marks and abrasions on her body. Most notable was a long dark incision that stretched from her throat to her groin. It cut through all

Of Teresa's layers of skin. Judging from the lack of blood, this cut had been made post-mortem. An autopsy would indicate that the cause of death was asphyxiation. Difficult for investigators to determine when exactly Theresa had been murdered. Body showed very few signs of decomposition even though she hadn't been seen for almost a week. However, the cold... Winter weather could have played a role in preserving her remains. There were some indications that Theresa had been attacked at night just as she was readying for bed. Her face was clean of The contact lenses she wore during the day were found in a container on a dresser. A nightie was lying on the floor near the swinging couch. Some cushions on the couch were crumpled as someone had been lying on them. There was also a semen stain.

Investigators came up with a theory based on this evidence. One evening, shortly after Theresa was last seen, she was at home either in bed or in the bedroom. Bed or preparing to sleep when someone showed up unexpectedly at her apartment. Theresa let the visitor in. He subsequently attacked and sexually assaulted her. Laved, the perpetrator had struck Theresa in the face with a solid object, causing the Shaped cut to her face, then removed her nightie. He then pinned Theresa face to down on the swinging couch. During the struggle, the attacker bit Theresa's back and she sustained several other bruises and grazes. Teresa's throat was also pressed tightly against one of the couch's wooden armrests, which ultimately could have been cut off. Caused her to asphyxiate. After Theresa died, her killer could be found.

Down the middle of her body for reasons unknown, then carefully wrapped her in a blanket. The bizarre mutilation and posing of Theresa's body prompted detectives to look into whether the killing could be occult related. No evidence was found that confirmed this. Several hundred individuals were interviewed by investigators and they looked in the... To Teresa's personal relationships and social circles carefully. They couldn't find anything that pointed to a particular suspect. The case gradually went cold. More than three years later on Friday, August 26 1983, 25 year old to Jane, not her real name, was suddenly woken in the middle of the night in her Brunswick home. Breaking sound just outside of her bedroom. It was the floorboards. It sounded like a

It as though someone was crawling along their hallway on their hands and knees. J. Was scared. Her husband was working the night shift at his job and the noise was too heavy to be the couple's five year old daughter who was asleep in her room. Jane reached for the rotary phone by her bed as she picked up the receiver and began to dial for the police, she suddenly felt a huge weight as a large, heavy-set man pounced on top of her. Was holding a knife which he stabbed into one of Jane's legs, causing a significant injury. Then he go of the knife and wrapped a hand around her throat. He used his other hand to smother Jane's mouth, preventing her from screaming. Desperately fighting back, it should be done.

Jane bit down hard on the man's thumb. Let my thumb go, he demanded. Jane ignored him, so he squeezed her throat. This prompted Jane to stop by. Adding. Feeling more confident, the man warned her not to make any wrong moves or he would kill her. The man pulled Jane down to lie on the floor with him and began to talk. He said he'd just escaped from prison and that… three of his friends were waiting outside her home for him. The man told Jane that he'd cut off another woman's breasts. Then he demanded she remove her nightie. Jane didn't understand his request as she had been sleeping naked and had nothing on. The man began to sexually assault her. As he did so, he was Jane heard her daughter calling out to her. Perhaps woken by the commotion.

The little girl had come to her mother's bedroom and was leaning over the bed, looking at her mother and her attacker lying on the floor. Hoping it was too dark for her... Daughter to make out the man's features, Jane explained that she and daddy were just playing a game and told her to go back to bed. After the little girl left, the man grabbed a Jane's throat and said, How easy I could kill you. I could cut you up like the other girl. Terrified of what the man might do, Jane replied, I'll do anything you want, but please don't hurt my daughter. Over three hours, the man raped Jane repeatedly at knife point while Telling her in detail about other violent sexual assaults he'd committed. He also bit her repeatedly.

Jane tried to memorise details about the man so she could report them later. It was too dark for her to see him, but she felt the texture of his hair. It was coarse and sandy. The man finally left just before 6.30, the time James Hutton husband always returned from his night shift. But first he cleaned up the scene, removing evidence of his presence. Before departing, he told Jane... If you have a baby, I don't want you to get rid of it. Jane reported the assault to the police, providing a statement with an immense amount of details. A few days later, two Brunswick detectives... Began door knocking the neighbourhood to see if anyone had seen or heard anything on the night in question. Next door to the neighbourhood was a door knocking. The next door to the neighbourhood Jane's home was a block of flats, some of which overlooked her house.

Detectives Mark Harris and Wayne MacDonald meticulously made their way through the building, eventually knocking on the door of one second floor apartment. It was answered by a tall, heavyset man in his late 20s with distinctive wiry hair. Both detectives immediately noted that the man's hair and build were remarkably similar to what Jane had described. While they were there and began to ask if he'd noticed anything suspicious, there was something strange about the man's demeanour that also gave them both pause. He also had an injury to one thumb, consistent with a bite. The detectives left and returned with a search warrant. Once inside the man's home, they noted that his lounge room window had a clear view of Jane's backyard.

Washing basket full of dirty clothes contained several blood soaked garments. The blood would prove to be Jane's. Then, while flipping through an old diary from the year 1980, the detectives found something else. Several newspaper clippings about a murder that had been committed that same year. The murder of Theresa Crowe. The man's name was Joe Clark. He was arrested and taken to the local police station where he agreed to a medical examination. In the examination, Clarke abruptly told Detective Mark Harris that he had something to tell him. He announced, quote, You were right, it was Me. I went next door and had sex with the woman. Clark confessed that he'd been

fantasising about Jane for some time and had been watching her from his flat. He said... Was frustrated because quote, I have never been able to get sex from any woman voluntarily. Sick of paying to see sex workers, he decided to attacked Jane at a time when he knew her husband wouldn't be home. He'd lied to her about being a prison escapee with friends waiting outside, hoping to both scare and trick her. Made a full confession about the rape, confirming the same details Jane had provided. Side detectives who'd been working on Theresa Crow's case three years earlier were notified about the arrest. Had told Jane that he had cut up a previous victim. This detail Combined with the clippings about Theresa's murder found in his home was the best lead that the cold case had ever had.

Crow case arrived to interview Joe Clark, he made another prompt confession. Met Theresa Crowe in 1975 when he was 21 and she was 17. The pair were introduced by a mutual friend and Clark was instantly obsessed. Began stalking Theresa at the discos she was known to frequent. With Theresa grew over the next five years, culminating on the night of Thursday June 19, 1980 when he saw... Her at Chase's nightclub and proposed that they get married. Theresa, who didn't know Clark well, had laughed at his suggestion, then given him an annoyed look. She left the nightclub shortly after, and Clark followed her home. Clark told the detective That he'd climbed the ladder that led to her loft apartment and knocked on the trapdoor entrance.

Theresa had answered the door in a nightie and let him inside. It wasn't the first time he'd been Once, Theresa had let him sleep on her couch when he was too drunk to go home. He made them both a coffee, and that when he carried Theresa's drink over to her, she removed her nightie. Then she lay face down on the swinging couch suspended from the ceiling and he lay on top of her, still fully dressed. Clocks. Said he bit Theresa's back as part of a consensual sexual encounter. He held her arms, she started to struggle. Clarke wanted to have sex with Theresa but she refused, so in a way she was not. Instead he masturbated while lying on top of her before falling into a deep sleep. When he woke, still lying on Theresa, she was still and wasn't breathing. Panicked, Clark moved her to the floor and tried mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Location. When this didn't work, he used a sharp piece of metal to mutilate Theresa's body in an attempt to throw police off, making the accidental death look like an occult sacrifice instead. Then he cleaned the apartment, locked the door behind him, and threw the key down a drain. The detectives didn't buy Joe Clark's story for a second. They believed he'd attacked Theresa like he'd attacked Jane. Mean, removing her nightie himself, then sexually assaulting her after forcing her face down onto the couch. Hand holding her head down against the arm of the couch, he'd cut off her air supply, killing her. Clark was subsequently convicted of Theresa Crowe's manslaughter and sentenced to 15 longest manslaughter sentence ever imposed in the state of Victoria at that time. Clock.

Later appealed the severity of his sentence and it was reduced to nine years with a minimum of seven. Apeing Jane, he was given an additional four years. Almost two decades later in 2001, Detective Tim Day was reading about Joe Clark's crimes while looking into the cold case murder of six year old Bonnie Clark. For records of someone named Mal Clark, who'd been named by a friend of Bonnie's as a possible suspect. According to Bonnie's childhood friend Kylie Ward, Mal Clark had been named by a friend been a boarder who had lived with Bonnie and her mother. His behaviour had been creepy and Bonnie had told Kylie that she didn't like him. Active day examined to Joe Clark's file, one detail stood out to him.

Patient at the time of his arrest in 1983 was listed as an assistant projectionist at a Greater Union Cinema. Melklaas. Had also been an assistant projectionist at the same cinema. The digging revealed Joe Clark's full name - Malcolm Joseph Thomas Clark. He was the same person as the border who'd rented a spare room from Marion Clark. Just go. By a different name. Bonnie had been killed in December of 1982. This was two and a half years. After the murder of Theresa Crow and eight months before the rape of Jane that led to his arrest. There was something else. In 1983, when detectives investigating Jane's rape had searched Malcolm Clark's home, they'd found a...

Some children's socks and underwear purchased from a budget store, and a greeting card addressed to Bonnie Clark. Just as they'd informed investigators working the Theresa Crowe case about the clippings relating to her murder, the Brunswick detectives had an... Notified the Northcote investigators about the possible connection to Bonnie Clarke. At that time, Detective Eric Lily was still in charge of Bonnie's case. He'd briefly spoken to Malcolm. Clark shortly after Bonnie's murder but had ruled him out as a suspect, convinced from the start that Bonnie's mother Marion was the killer. After hearing from his Brunswick colleagues, he agreed to meet with Clark again. Clark explained away the greeting card as something he'd written for Bonnie while she was still alive, but no.

Got around to Sanding. And Marianne Clark couldn't say with any certainty that the children's underwear found in his home had belonged to Bonnie. Lily told his colleagues in Brunswick that Bonnie's murder didn't fit the MO of the offences Malcolm Clark was convicted of and said... They remained certain that Marianne Clark was the culprit. But in 2000, In 2001, cold case detective Tim Day was struck by the similarities between all three crimes. Involved some kind of sexual assault. All of the victims had been attacked with a knife and all of Scenes had been cleaned. Every one of the victims was known to Malcolm Clark in some respect and he familiar with their homes and routines. On the day of Bonnie's murder, Marion had actually told detectives about Malcolm Clark, insisting...

That they speak to him. Investigators had tracked Clark down but ruled him out after he provided an alibi that he'd been at the cinema working. Detective Tim Dannen... Couldn't find anything indicating the original investigators had verified this alibi. Almost 20 years later, Detective Day 1 If he could finally do so. It took some time, but the detective managed to track down shift records. For Greater Union Cinemas in 1982. These confirmed that Malcolm Clark had been employed by one of the company's movie theatres in December of 1982. He worked a shift in the company's There from 9.25am until 4.25pm on Monday December 20 1982. Finishing well before Bonnie Clarke was attacked later that night.

Following day off and hadn't returned to work until Wednesday December 22. His alibi for the time of Bonnie's murder was invalid. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Shall I take your order or do you need a minute? Yes, I'll be ready. Just buying a car on Caravana. What? It's super convenient. I already got pre-qualified in two minutes. All I had to do was answer a few questions. - What? That's handy. - Yeah, now I'm customizing my down in monthly payments. - What? That's an exquisite deal. - And just like that.

Carvana is delivering my car in a couple days. Whaaaaat? Oh yeah, uh, sorry, I'll have the burrito. Visit Carvana.com to finance your next car. Financing subject to credit approval. Delivery fees may apply. It may be 2024, but it's time to get back to seeing 2020. Because now that your vision benefits have renewed, there's no better time than now to get your eye exam and new glasses, starting the new year off right. Just visit PearlVision.com to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for yourself or the entire family. Pearl Vision accepts all major vision plans, including eye med. Exams available at the Independent Doctors of... Optometry at or next to Pearl Vision. Some doctors employed by Pearl Vision. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content.

By early 2002, Malcolm Joseph Thomas Clarke was a free man. 47 years old, he'd received parole 8 years earlier in 1994 and had built a new life for himself post prison sentence. He was working as a personal care attendant, had gotten engaged to a girlfriend, and spent his spare time exploring his passions and hobbies. Clark was a train enthusiast and had a particular interest in puffing Billy, a narrow-down dog. Gage Heritage Railway that winds through the foothills of Victoria's Dandenong Ranges. It opened in 1900 and is one of the most popular steam heritage railways in the world today. Beginning in the town of Belgrave and terminating in Gembrook, Puffing Billy attracts families and

from Australia and all over the world. Malcolm Clarke was also drawn to the steam train and in the year 2000, he took up a position as one of the most famous steam train workers. Puffing Billy's volunteer guards. He received no money for the role but didn't mind. Being a pup. Of the iconic railway was payment enough. One day in March 2002, Malcolm Clark was at Puffing Billy Starting point of Belgrave train station when he struck up a conversation with a fellow train enthusiast there. Phil was a tough looking character who… looked like an aging bikie, but he was as passionate about puffing Billy as Clark was. The two are still alive. Men hit it off and over the next couple of months they built a friendship. It soon became evident that Phil was part of a gang that was involved in organised crime. Gradually, Clark began to join Phil.

Bill in some of his illegal ventures. Accompanying him when he burgled a factory, going to brothels with him to collect large amounts of cash, and secretly snapping photos. Photographs of a woman engaging in an adulterous affair. May 17 2002, Phil took Clark to a hotel lounge where a number of his criminal associates were gathered. He put his hand on his head. Pointed these individuals out to Clark and provided descriptions of them. One was a corrupt police officer. Another was Steve, the head honcho who Phil had to answer to, known as the boss. Phil confided in Clark that Steve was scoping Clark out for a big job that was in the works. A couple of weeks later, Phil took Clark on a different errand that involved meeting up with the corrupt officer out the back of Victoria Police's headquarters in St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

Despite having seemingly gone on the straight and narrow since his release from prison, Malcolm Clarke appeared to enjoy his new proxy. To organised crime. After assisting Phil with rubbing some jewellery, Clark was told he'd receive eight thousand dollars in payment. This was in stark contrast to what he made in his job as a personal care attendant, which had been one of the only positions available to him. A wedding and a honeymoon to plan, Clark was appreciative of what the extra cash could pay for. On Sunday June 2, an article was published in the Herald Sun newspaper about the cold case murder of Bonnie Clarke. lock. Headline read DNA evidence could hold the key to solving a 20 year old child sex murder case. Peace. Clark read the article. It was a follow-up to a story about the case that had run the previous year, and it featured brand new

information. According to Homicide Squad Detective Ron Ittels, investigators Were now pursuing a line of inquiry that indicated Bonnie's killer may have been a border who resided with the family. They were aware of around 12 to 14 people who had rented rooms in the house prior to Bonnie's murder and planned to interview all of them. And breakthroughs in DNA technology, they were hopeful of identifying the perpetrator through some hair samples, cigarette butts and fingernail scrapings that had been saved. From the crime scene. The following evening, Malcolm Clark returned home to find a calling card had been left at his residence. It belonged to Detective Idles. He'd paid a visit while Clark Work and left a message with his fiancé, Lynn. He wanted Clark to come down to the city.

Station for DNA and polygraph testing. This news sent Clark into a panic. He phoned his friend Phil right away. Fell about the situation, Clarke assured him, I can tell you I had nothing to do with it. Phil didn't seem fazed by the revelation that his new friend might be a suspect in a child murder case. He told Clarke, quote, If you have done it, I don't give a rat's arse, but we have got to know the full story so we can put wheels into motion. What's the polygraph? going to say, 'Have you got anything to hide?' Clark insisted that he didn't. If you have, we can make it go away, Phil added. Clarke continued to deny any involvement in the crime, but Phil was persistent. He told Clarke

he could help him get rid of the issue due to his connections in Victoria Police, but only if Clarke was completely honest. I have just got my life worked out, getting my interests back, Clark complained. I never expect… did this to turn up. You have got no idea how I am feeling at the moment. The following day, Clark opened up to Phil some more about how he'd been a boarder in Bonnie Clark's home and had stayed in touch with the little girl even after moving out, when he'd a room in the house next door to Bonnie, he'd sometimes chat to her mother Marion over the fence. Clarke claimed that... Sometimes Bonnie would be home alone, which made her scared. On those occasions, he invited her in and she would sit in a beanbag and watch television for a while before heading back home upon Marianne's return.

Hadn't seen Bonnie after he moved back in with his parents in October of 1982. Two months later... On December 21 he'd been at home watching the news when he saw a broadcast about Bonnie's murder the night before. That was the first he knew of. Of Bonnie being harmed. Phil said that if Clark was now a suspect then he wanted to help him. He cared about Clark and he cared about the police. Enjoyed working with him. But the problem was, word had already gotten back to Steve, the boss, that Clark might be in trouble. Steve needed this matter resolved and in order for that to happen, Phil needed all of the information so he could help Clark beat a police polygraph test. Being completely honest about the situation, Steve would abandon him without a second thought, and Clark wouldn't receive. The $8,000 from the jury heist that was still being held for him.

A couple of days later, Phil took Malcolm Clark to meet with Steve for an official job interview at a hotel and Crown Casino in Melbourne's CBD. Went into a private suite where Steve and another associate were waiting for them. Clark sat down on In front of a low coffee table while Steve sat opposite. Steve greeted Clark and Phil, then quickly got down to business. He was eager to have Clark join them, but only if he could trust him 100%. Their gang would be highly lucrative for Clark. He could quit his low paying job and earn enough money to buy his own train if he wanted. Only problem was that homicide investigators were now looking at Clark as the number one suspect in the 1982 murder of a six year old girl. Steve told Clark that he

He couldn't have any more police heat on him if he tried, stating You, at the moment, are fucking red hot, right? He produced a document for Clarke to look at. It was a three page confidential police report. Report, stamped with the Victoria Police seal and dated May 15 2002. Than one month earlier. Clark scanned the document's pages. They detailed the latest status of the Oni Clark investigation and how it seems police finally had the suspect's DNA via some items recovered at the crime scene. Now they just needed a sample of Clark's DNA to compare. Steve told Clark that detectives could force him to provide a sample via a court order. But Steve's corrupt police connections could be destroyed.

Make the matter go away entirely. It would cost $5,000, which Steve was willing to pay, but only if Clark told him everything. I am telling you, this is not going to go away, Steve said. Can deny it till the cows come home. I can't have you hanging around with us. You can see why, can't you? Yes, Clark replied. He was silent for a long time, then he finally began to speak. It was an accident she died. Steve that late on the night of Monday December 20 1982, he had been out drinking at a pub in Brunswick. for some. Reason he'd drunkenly decided to go to the home of Marion Clark to quote play with Bonnie. He left the pub and either wore a hat or a hat.

To Marianne's house in Northcote or caught a tram there. Very familiar with the area, he walked down the laneway that sat at the rear of the property and clambered over the fence into the backyard. Clark entered via the house's rear sliding door and headed up the passageway to Bonnie's bedroom. Her bedside lamp was on and her small pet dog was sleeping on the top bunk across from Bonnie's single bed. Clarke walked over to where Bonnie lay sleeping and began to sexually assault her. She woke and opened her mouth to scream, but Clark grabbed a pillow and pressed it over her face. He used his other arm to pin her down. Bonnie raised a hand in protest but eventually… Her arm went limp and fell back down. This caused Clark to panic. He claimed he hadn't wanted to kill Bonnie, he just wanted to keep her quiet.

Have a small carving knife which he said he carried for protection due to issues with some local youths. He told Steve that when Bonnie went still, he impulsively stabbed her. Quote I think I may have had the knife and I may have... I think I may have just... Shoved it into… into the side of her chest wall. When the wound didn't spurt blood upwards, Clark believed this confirmed To Bonnie was already dead when he stabbed her. Had an undressed Bonnie but he had cleaned up with a cloth or towel which he took with him afterwards. Then he pulled her bedding up over her body up to her chin before flaying out the back. In all, he estimated he had only been in the house for about 10 to 15 minutes. He washed his clothes the next day and eventually threw away his shoes. Shoes but couldn't remember what he did with a knife. It had a sheath that he was...

Worried he may have left behind. Perhaps the DNA had come from that, Clark speculated. Or maybe from He knew that no seamen was left at the scene. To the DNA revelation, Clarke had been confident that he'd never be suspected, as he had never done anything to put him in the lab. Oni prior to that night. After listening to Malcolm Clark's confession, Steve said he had to make some phone calls and that Phil would take Clark to go get a coffee in the meantime. Clark and Phil got back into Phil's car. As they drove, Phil told Clark that he had to collect something from the corrupt police officer they knew. He began heading towards the police headquarters in St Kilda Road, driving to the rear of the building as he'd done previously. Already standing there waiting to arrest Malcolm Clarke were detectives Tim Daskin.

And Ronnidoles. Detective Day's digging the previous year left him convinced that Malcolm Clark was the prime suspect in Bonnie Clark's murder. He began to push for an undercover operation. The Canadian model, or Mr Big, was the name given to a practice in which undercover detectives trick suspects into confessing to their crimes by recruiting them into fake gangs. The procedure was originally developed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP during the 1960s. And it eventually made its way to law enforcement agencies in other countries, including Australia. The Canadian model was employed in the case of missing Queensland child Daniel Morcombe, covered in episode 54 of Casefile. It's a controversial practice that has come under scrutiny at times. But has been upheld by the Australian courts. When Detective T...

Tim Day needed a confession from Malcolm Clarke to solve the Bonnie Clarke case. Model appeared to be the ideal approach. A strategy was devised and dubbed Odd & Odd. Operation Marauder. As part of Operation Marauder, an undercover officer approached Clark as Phil, and the operation unfolded from there. Officers had been working their way into Clark's life, building trust with him and recording their interactions. Old son news article about a DNA breakthrough was planted to spook Clark, and Phil had... Deliberately brought it to his attention. In truth, no DNA was able to be gleaned from the crime scene at all. The Victoria Police case progress report that Steve showed him was fake.

And similarly designed to scare Clark. His ultimate confession had been filmed via covert cameras and microphones set up throughout the hotel room. Once Clark was done, The officer posing as Phil drove Malcolm Clark to Victoria Police Headquarters to be arrested. At 45pm on Thursday June 6 2002, Detective Tim Day began recording a formal interview with Malcolm Clarke. Faced with his confession to the fictitious crime gang, he finally ditched his false alibi. He gave a detailed description of Bonnie's murder as he recalled it, including her bedroom, adding that he had been drunk as a skunk. He admitted to digitally raping the six-year-old, smothering her and stabbing her. Clarke insisted it had never been his intention to kill Bonnie.

God knows why I went round to that place, and whatever happened, it happened. And when I came to my s- Senses, I realized that Bonnie was deceased. Malcolm Clark was subsequently charged with the murder of Bonnie Clarke and taken away to be held on remand. Time Malcolm Clark's trial began in Victoria's Supreme Court two years later, he had reneged his confessions and was pleading not guilty. The now 49 year old Clark claimed that he'd only confessed to killing Bonnie because he believed that was the only way he was going to get hired by the organized crime gang. Cover officer he knew as Phil took him to police headquarters and he was arrested and interviewed there. Clark thought this was an extension of his hotel room confession.

His lawyer argued that Clarke had believed detectives Ron Idles and Tim Day were corrupt officers on the gang's payroll. Not appreciating. The reality of this situation, he kept up the charade instead of requesting a lawyer and maintaining his right to silence. That Clark had made a false confession, his defence pointed to some discrepancies between his statement and the crime scene. Clark had claimed he'd left Bonnie fully dressed in her pyjamas, but she was found naked with her pyjamas wedged between her bed and the wall. Clarke said he'd smothered Bonnie, yet there were bruises on her neck that indicated strangulation or that she'd been grabbed roughly. The defence argued that Clark was able to provide some correct details due to his familiarity with the victim's house and reports he'd heard. In the news. However, the prosecution pointed to...

Details that were withheld from the media that Clarke had correctly described. Included the fact that Bonnie was digitally raped, the lack of semen at the scene, the stab wound to Bonnie's chest, and the specific way it had bled. At least one media report which Clarke claimed to have read had actually stated that Bonnie was killed by strangulation. However, Bonnie's autopsy was... More consistent with Clark's claim that she was smothered and didn't struggle. Under cross-examination, Clarke amended his story somewhat, claiming the information he decided had actually come from conversations he'd had with detectives 20 years earlier while incarcerated for his previous crimes. He named the case's original lead investigator, Detective Eric Lilly, as one of these detectives, there were others he didn't want to name. Detective Lilly did briefly speak to…

Clarke following his 1983 arrest, but no report of this interview was made and Clarke wasn't asked to provide a formal statement. Prosecution suggested that any discrepancies between Clarke's confession and the crime scene were down to Clarke for getting some details due to the passage of time. His claim that he'd believed he was still talking to gang members was impossible due to the detectives explaining that they were from the homicide squad and claiming they portioning him before commencing their interview. The jury of nine men and three women weren't told about Malcolm Clark's previous convictions for manslaughter and rape. They heard from the jury. Nothing about his prior victims or the similarities between their cases and Bonny's. on Thursday. On Thursday June 17 2004, the jury delivered their verdict. Guilty. Malcolm Clarke was sentenced to

Life in prison with a minimum of 25 years. After learning his fate, Clark turned around to look at the public gallery. He found Detective Tim Day and one of his undercover officers amongst the crowd and glared at them with an enraged expression, mouthing silent threats. They stared straight back at him in reply. Two months after Malcolm Clark was sentenced, Bonnie Clark's father Dennis passed away. He had been battling cancer for years but lived long enough to finally see justice for his daughter. At the time of Clark's... Conviction, Dennis told one reporter, quote, It's the best news I have ever had.

Twenty-one years, I am so glad. I just think I'll get on with my life a lot better and not look at everyone and say, 'This isn't the person.' Now I know. For Bonnie's mother Marion Wishart, Clark's conviction was particularly gratifying. As well as knowing her child's killer was finally being held accountable, Marion was read from the suspicion that dogged her ever since the original investigators set their sights on her. In the years prior to the cold case test, the investigation was conducted. Him taking up Bonnie's case, police officers had occasionally called Marion to check in. Felt like they were following up with the victim of a crime. It felt like they were sending a subtle message that she was still their top suspect. During the 20 years following Bonnie's murder, Marion had often woken in the middle of the night, haunted by the thought that Bonnie's killer was free to harm others. Earth for you.

Were confirmed upon finally learning who the murderer was. Distraught that the lack of police attention on Clarke had allowed him to brutally rape at least one other woman in 1983. She had tried to get the to tell investigators that Malcolm Clark could be a suspect immediately after Bonnie's body was found. Hadn't been listened to. Marian Wishart passed away in 2018 from pneumonia. Before her death, Marian spied a with journalist Ian Munro, who was now working for the Sunday Age. During the Interview, Marion reminisced about her daughter. Describing Bonnie as a very strong-willed, funny little girl, Marion said, that one of her favourite memories of how attached Bonnie was to an imaginary friend she'd named Chidi.

In one occasion, the mother and daughter were on a tram when Bonnie suddenly panicked because Chidi hadn't boarded with them. Her daughter. Marion asked the driver to stop, then pretended to fetch Chitty from the street outside. All of the other passengers had laughed as Marion put Chitty down beside Bonnie. On the daughter she'd lost, Marianne stated, She's there all the time. They're really

Isn't a time when Bonnie's not with me. It may be 2024, but it's time to get back to seeing 2020. Because now that your vision benefits have renewed, there's no better time than now to get your eye exam and new glasses, starting the new year off right. Just visit PearlVision.com to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for yourself or the entire family.

Accepts all major vision plans, including IMED. Exams available at the Independent Doctors of Optometry at or next to Pearl Vision. Some doctors employed by Pearl Vision. - You dream of a career with better pay, benefits. It's in hours, but you're not sure about going back to school full time. At Millermont College, we can help. We offer programs that are affordable and flexible to fit into your busy life. Completed in less than two years. See what Miller-Mott College can offer. Visit our campus at 6397 Lee Highway, Suite 100 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Or learn more online at Miller-Mott.edu.