‘Contract crew' wanted for questioning over torture, murder, kidnappings
Police believe a Victorian drug trafficking syndicate may be linked to the three incidents that occurred within a six-day period mid last year.
The first incident occurred about 5am on Sunday 21 July 2024 when a 23-year-old man wandered into a service station in Jimboomba, Queensland covered in dirt with a bullet wound through his head.
'Police believe the man was shot and buried, with those responsible likely unaware he crawled out of his shallow grave to seek help a short time later,' a police statement said.
'Although the man asked staff not to call emergency services, he collapsed shortly after, prompting them to seek help.
'The 23-year-old man was taken to hospital where it was established he had been shot through the eye and had a bullet lodged in his brain.'
Two days earlier in Canley Vale, Sydney police believe a 31-year old man was kidnapped and tortured and had part of his ear severed before being released later the same day.
The incident wasn't reported to police; however, when detectives executed a search warrant on the property where the man was believed to have been held, they discovered the box cutter they believe was used to sever his ear.
The third incident involved the discovery of the remains of 32-year-old Rich 'Dylan' Choup in bushland off Sydney's south.
'A post-mortem confirmed Mr Choup had been fatally shot and that the top of his right ear had been severed,' the police statement continued.
'Mr Choup was last seen about 6.10pm on Thursday 25 July 2024 in Cabramatta, where he told friends he had a meeting and asked they wait nearby.
'About 6.25pm, CCTV captured Mr Choup meeting with a man on Railway Parade who appeared to reprimand and slap him.'
Although Mr Choup was reported missing on Monday, July 29, 2024, it wasn't until about 4.40pm on Saturday, August 31, 2024, that officers attached to Sutherland Shire Police Area Command were called to bushland off Heathcote Rd at Lucas Heights after reports trail bike riders discovered human remains.
The remains were later confirmed to be those of Mr Choup.
As part of the ongoing investigations, police have released CCTV and images and are appealing to those who may have information to contact law enforcement.
CCTV from a roadhouse in Nambucca Heads on the NSW Mid North Coast about 5.30am on Saturday, July 20, 2024 shows a white Hyundai Getz.
Four male passengers are also captured on CCTV. One is believed to be the victim, who police suggest was picked up in NSW and driven to Queensland where his attempted murder took place.
In relation to the kidnapping, vision shows an image of the boxcutter police allege was used to sever the man's ear, as well as CCTV of two vehicles travelling in convoy at the intersection of Freeman Ave and Sackville St in Canley Vale around the time of the incident.
The vehicles are described as a dark-coloured Audi SQ2 and a white Volkswagen Golf.
In relation to Mr Choup's murder, CCTV also captures Mr Choup and the man who slapped him walking towards a grey Audi SQ2. Police believe this may be the same vehicle used in the kidnapping in Canley Vale a week earlier.
Detectives have also released CCTV of a white Lexus and white Audi RS3.
The two males captured in the CCTV, seen allegedly moving the vehicles before and after Mr Choup's disappearance, are also of interest to police.
Strike Force Hallet has been established to investigate the slew of incidents and anyone with information about the vehicles or the men in the CCTV are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Australian
6 hours ago
- The Australian
Toorak thieves allegedly steal $75k of jewellery and WWII medals
In a pair of brazen robberies in Melbourne's leafy eastern suburbs an alleged thief stole a $25,000 engagement ring alongside war medals and a further $50,000 worth of jewellery. The two burglaries occurred about 6.30pm on Friday June 27 at two neighbouring Toorak homes. Police are now urging anyone with information to come forward. The alleged thief is currently unidentified, with police releasing a new image to help identify him. The alleged thief was caught on CCTV. Picture: Supplied / VIC Police From the first property he allegedly stole a 2-carat diamond engagement ring, before forcing his way into the next-door home and taking a safe filled with approximately $50k worth of jewellery and four WWII army medals. War medals belonging to one of the victim's mothers were also stolen. Picture: Supplied / Victoria Police No residents were home at the time of the thefts. Detective Senior Constable Daniel Wall said the significance of the stolen items has made it 'particularly distressing' for the victims. 'An engagement ring carries profound sentimental worth and it would extremely upsetting to have this taken away from you,' Detective Wall said. 'The war medals belonged to the victim's mother who has now sadly passed away, so you can understand how heartbreaking it must be for this family. A further $50k worth of jewellery was also stolen. Picture: Supplied / VIC Police 'We're asking residents in the area to check their CCTV, and we're particularly keen to hear from anyone who noticed suspicious activity in the area at the time. You can do so anonymously via Crime Stoppers.' Police have released images of the stolen jewellery, which include a cupid charm, a love-heart bracelet, and a star-shaped brooch. Brendan Kearns Cadet Journalist Brendan Kearns is a cadet journalist with News Corp Australia. He has written for The Australian, the Herald Sun, the Geelong Advertiser, CHOICE, Cosmos, and The Citizen. He won Democracy's Watchdogs' Student Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 and hosted the third season of award-winning podcast Uncurated. He studied as Master of Journalism at The University of Melbourne, before that he worked as a video producer and disability worker. @brendandkearns Brendan Kearns
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Erin Patterson: Key question remaining after mushroom trial
Found guilty this week of murdering her husband's parents and aunt, one key question remains unanswered in Erin Patterson's poisoning trial; why? Patterson's motivation for poisoning four in-laws with deadly mushrooms was only briefly addressed as her blockbuster trial played out in Victoria's southwest this year. Prosecutors said they would not be putting forward a motive, explaining sometimes a killer's reasons remain only known to them, while her defence argued she had 'anti-motive', or reasons to want her victims alive. The 50-year-old was on Monday found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder by a jury after seven days of deliberations. She had pleaded not guilty, with her defence arguing the case was a tragic accident. In his final remarks to the jury, Justice Christopher Beale said the prosecution does not need to prove a motive to make out the charges of murder and attempted murder. 'For some murders there may be evidence of motive, but some murders occur for no apparent reason,' he said. 'The motives for such murders may only ever be known to the offenders.' He told the jury the prosecution had agreed there was no known reason why Patterson did what she was ultimately found guilty of. 'It's the allegations of murder and attempted murder the prosecution has to prove, nothing else,' the judge said. 'But that does not mean that the absence of the evidence of a motive to kill is irrelevant. It is a relevant consideration, which you must take into account in the accused's favour when weighing all the evidence in this case.' Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC touched on motive in her closing address, saying while the prosecution was not putting one forward; 'you don't have to know why a person does something in order to know they did it'. Dr Rogers said the evidence in the trial shows the relationship between Patterson and her in-laws was 'not always a harmonious one'. The prosecutor pointed to Simon's account of tension in their relationship in late 2022 over the issue of child support, with Don and Gail 'dragged unwillingly' into the conflict. She said child protection practitioner Katrina Cripps had given evidence Patterson described Simon as 'nasty' after that conflict and their son's evidence the relationship was 'very negative'. Dr Rogers suggested Patterson was leading a 'duplicitous life', presenting a positive face to the Patterson family while sharing her real feelings to her online friends, several of whom gave evidence. ' … the evidence shows, you might think, that the divide between the accused and her in-laws was deeper than they ever knew,' Dr Rogers said. 'She expressed her real feelings about them and the broader Patterson family to her online friends.' Dr Rogers turned to a series of messages in December 2022 from Patterson to her online friends, where she called them a 'lost cause', mocked their religious beliefs and wrote; 'this family I swear to God'. Patterson's barrister, Colin Mandy SC, questioned why the prosecution had focused so much on a brief period of tension in 2022 when they weren't putting forward a motive. 'They spent so much time in this trial scratching around to try and find some suggestion of … animosity in the family dynamics,' he said. 'There's no anger or aggression. There's not hatred or anything remotely approaching that. 'Not even between Simon and Erin and certainly not between Erin and Simon's parents.' Turning to the messages Patterson sent to her online friends, Mr Mandy labelled it an 'aberration' in her relationship with the Patterson family that only spanned a few days. 'Erin made a handful of comments in the context of being hurt and frustrated about these responses she was getting from Don and Gail, in the context of her issues with Simon, and that's it,' he said. 'And you might think that venting in that way is a pretty healthy thing to do.' The defence barrister said the prosecution's case had ignored the years of love and support shown by the family to Patterson. 'Erin Patterson had a motive to keep these people in her world so that they could keep supporting her and her children, especially her children,' he said. 'Why would she take wonderful, active, loving grandparents away from her own children?' He further questioned why she would kill Ian and Heather, who she 'hardly knew' aside from the church community. Mr Mandy said the evidence in the trial showed his client was a person of good character; a devoted mother of two with no prior convictions and close relationships with her in-laws, particularly Don and Gail. He agreed motive was not one of the four elements of murder the prosecution had to provide beyond reasonable doubt, but suggested it was an important consideration on the issue of his client's intention. 'Our argument to you is that motive is very important to the proof of intention and usually fundamental to it,' he said. 'Without a motive, you're left guessing about the most important element of the offence in this trial and that's intention.' Patterson will return to court at a later date.
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Police seek information about $25k engagement ring stolen from Toorak home
In a pair of brazen robberies in Melbourne's leafy eastern suburbs an alleged thief stole a $25,000 engagement ring alongside war medals and a further $50,000 worth of jewellery. The two burglaries occurred about 6.30pm on Friday June 27 at two neighbouring Toorak homes. Police are now urging anyone with information to come forward. The alleged thief is currently unidentified, with police releasing a new image to help identify him. From the first property he allegedly stole a 2-carat diamond engagement ring, before forcing his way into the next-door home and taking a safe filled with approximately $50k worth of jewellery and four WWII army medals. No residents were home at the time of the thefts. Detective Senior Constable Daniel Wall said the significance of the stolen items has made it 'particularly distressing' for the victims. 'An engagement ring carries profound sentimental worth and it would extremely upsetting to have this taken away from you,' Detective Wall said. 'The war medals belonged to the victim's mother who has now sadly passed away, so you can understand how heartbreaking it must be for this family. 'We're asking residents in the area to check their CCTV, and we're particularly keen to hear from anyone who noticed suspicious activity in the area at the time. You can do so anonymously via Crime Stoppers.' Police have released images of the stolen jewellery, which include a cupid charm, a love-heart bracelet, and a star-shaped brooch.
