The killers got the wrong man - innocent plumber John Versace. Now homicide cop reveals the twisted truth of what's going on inside murderers' heads as they remain on the run
They thought they had pleased their masters by ruthlessly gunning down a young man outside his western Sydney home... but the killer, or killers, actually got it very, very wrong.
Innocent plumber John Versace, 23, was shot dead as he got out of his ute at his family's home in Dalton Avenue in Condell Park, in Sydney 's south-west, about 10.30pm on May 19.
The shooter unloaded about 10 rounds of bullets, with Mr Versace suffering four gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach. He died at the scene.
All evidence shows Mr Versace had done never done anything to spark such a ruthless act of retribution from the underworld. And those responsible - no doubt now aware they have made a big mistake - are still on the run almost a month later.
Now a retired homicide detective with decades of experience investigating cases such as Mr Versace's sheds light on the possible motivations of the hitmen responsible and the fallout the killing would have caused in the underworld.
Former Victoria Police officer Charlie Bezzina believes the 'hit' on Mr Versace was likely carried out by people on the 'lower end of the criminal sphere'.
He said instead of feeling guilt over gunning down an innocent man, they would instead be playing the 'blame game' and claim that they were given flawed information.
'You're not dealing with professional people. You're dealing with low educated people and they accept what they've been told,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'These shooters would be highly strung and their angst will be so high that they shoot and ask questions later.
'They want to do the deeds for their masters and then, bang, bang. Let's go. That was him.... and then they find out later it wasn't him.'
He said the shooters were unlikely to face any major repercussions for killing the wrong person, with the shooting only putting the actual target on higher alert - giving them time to flee the country and go into hiding.
Mr Bezzina said those responsible for Mr Versace's death were unlikely to have done their due diligence to confirm the identity of their intended target.
'An undercover operative or a private investigator would have parameters of the law where they've got to prove the identity [of the target] but these guys don't, they're just flying by the seat of their pants,' he said.
'Have they got a photograph of them? Have they got a car number? Have they got a car? Have they got a specific address he's been put to?
'They're relying on other people to give them the right information.
'They'll say, "you gave us that information, and that's what we acted upon. So it's your fault. It's not our fault".
'So someone comes out of a particular location nearby that might look a little bit similar to the target... they thought that might be the guy coming out and that'll do.'
Mr Bezzina said cases of mistaken identity were some 'of the most difficult' to solve as police rely on people to come forward with information.
However, this can prove difficult when organised crime figures are subject to a code of silence and witnesses are too fearful for their own safety to talk.
'You've got to go in with your best case before you arrest people of this type. You don't want to go in half-heartedly, charge someone and then lose at trial,' he said.
'That's the thoroughness of these type of investigations, they would be doing everything within their legal power, to get the evidence, to identify these people.
'The frequencies of these incompetent criminals is a cause of concern for the police, and that's why if they've got the evidence, I can assure you, they'd be very keen to lay charges sooner than later.'
Police told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the investigation was ongoing but no further details could be provided at this time.
Harrowing footage from a neighbour's CCTV camera captured Mr Versace's final moments on his parents' doorstep where he lived with his sisters.
Security footage showed Mr Versace reversing his ute up the driveway and parking it very close to the garage door. As he exited the ute, a small silver hatchback, believed to be a Toyota Corolla, parked across the driveway of the home.
The male gunman, dressed in black and wearing a face covering, got out of the backseat and approached the front of the house.
'Hey, hey, hey, hey, stop, stop,' a man is heard yelling before the gunman raised his right hand and opened fire with a Glock-style weapon.
Police later received reports of a car, which police believe was stolen in December, about 12km away in Fairfield Heights.
A handgun similar to a Glock-style pistol was found inside the vehicle after firefighters extinguished the flames.
'We believe that this has the hallmarks of a targeted execution. (It is) very brutal, very distressing,' Superintendent Rodney Hart told reporters at the time.
Mr Versace's sister Deanne recently paid a heartbreaking tribute to her 'beautiful baby brother' - sharing powerful images and video of highlights of his life on social media.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
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Rick said Levi is still too traumatised by Pheobe's loss - but said the family wanted to pay tribute to the special bond between the lovestruck teenagers. 'Levi absolutely adored Pheobe,' he said. Rick revealed the tragedy is the second devastating heartbreak to hit the family after Levi lost his mother in a car crash in Bundaberg just four years ago - a tragedy that prompted the family to move across the country. Pheobe Bishop, 17, (pictured with her mother Kylie Johnson) vanished en route from her rural Queensland hometown to visit high school sweetheart, Levi, 18, in Western Australia on May 15 'They would video chat all night, every night, falling asleep - and then they would tell each other who was sleep-talking the next day,' Rick told Daily Mail Australia. 'It was a bit cute.' The father-of-six said the couple had been excited for weeks about their reunion and were busily planning out every detail. 'Levi had bought Pheobe a Canon camera worth $1000 because she wanted to get into photography,' he said. 'A week before she was supposed to land, Levi had packed the 4WD up with camping gear. 'He had planned a trip to Esperance in WA, camping on the beach with Pheobe. 'They were both really excited about that. 'It's so heartbreaking seeing what could have been a beautiful future together shattered into pieces.' Pheobe's tragic death comes only a few years after Levi, then 13, lost his mother Jade Warry, 35. 'Their beautiful mum had a car accident on New Years Eve 2020 and the kids would go past the site everyday on the school bus,' Rick said. 'It was too hard on them, the constant reminder.' Jade was travelling on Bucca Road in Bundaberg when her vehicle crashed into a tree just before 9pm. A passing motorist found Jade and paramedics were called to the scene - but nothing could be done to save her life. Rick and Jade had been planning their wedding for the following year and he admitted he was devastated by the loss. Pheobe and Levi both attended the same local school, but Rick then had to make the difficult decision to split them up and relocate his family for a fresh start. The family faced daily reminders of the horrific tragedy, and the father decided he needed to move far away to escape the confronting traumatic scene, day after day. 'Moving to WA was the best move,' he said. 'I never thought I'd see them happy again. 'And it meant the world to us for Pheobe to come over. 'I'm a widower with six children and she just wanted to come over and help and spend quality time with Levi's siblings.' Tragically, she never made it. Officers discovered the teenager's remains near Good Night Scrub National Park on June 6. It's alleged Bromley and Wood interfered with her corpse on May 15 and again two days later when Pheobe's body is said to have been moved to Good Night Scrub National Park. Court documents allege she was killed on Airport Drive in Bundaberg where she was last seen with her luggage, which police have yet to find. Detectives are understood to be relying on Pheobe's clothes and DNA from hair at the scene to identify her after her body lay for three weeks in a remote area where feral dogs and wild pigs roam. Police confirmed Pheobe's remains had not been buried at the site where they were found. Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield said the remains had been at the location since Pheobe first went missing. He told reporters telecommunications data had led them to the second site. 'The national park is vast and unforgiving terrain,' Insp Mansfield said. He confirmed Pheobe's luggage is yet to be located and that police are still waiting for forensics to come back from the Gin Gin house Pheobe shared with Wood and Bromley. 'Significant forensic procedures still need to take place,' he said. Pheobe's mother Kylie Johnson was informed that police had found human remains just moments before the discovery was made public. 'I didn't think my heart could break anymore then it did when you went missing, or when the charges were laid, but this! This is ripping me apart,' she said in a post as the news broke.
