Mr. Cruel

A series of child abductions during the late-1980’s and early 1990’s were attributed to a single offender who caused terror in the communities of Melbourne. An assault that occurred in 1987 would soon be linked to the abductions of two young girls during seperate incidents, as well as a third child who was snatched and later murdered. In 1994, Australian police launched Operation Spectrum, a decidated investigation with the main task of apprehending the kidnapper and suspected murderer who the media had nicknamed Mr. Cruel. Because of a lack of evidence, this investigation failed to identify the masked home invader, and it would be over twenty years before a fresh inquiry was undertaken. Taskforce Apollo, launched in 2010, conducted a review of the original investigation, and utilized new technology and investigative techniques in a bid to capture the dangerous child rapist and killer who had terrorized the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne.