The Evil Within - A Top Murder Squad Detective Reveals The Chilling True Stories of The World's Most Notorious Killers Read Free Page A

saw Hurst’s name in the obituary column. It said he had died suddenly of a heart attack. What the papers didn’t say was that while Amos Hurst’s post mortem showed that he had died of a heart attack, it also revealed that the severe bruising on his neck suggested the possibility of death by strangulation; however, under the circumstances this could have been bruising from a fight or some other drunken misadventure. The case was closed.
    MacDonald moved to Sydney in 1961 and continued to solicit men in toilets and bars. On 4 June 1961, McDonald met a homeless man, Albert Greenfield. They walked to a local swimming baths where they sat and talked. MacDonald’s urge to kill Alfred Greenfield had been growing, but he controlled his urge until Greenfield had drunk all his beer and fallen asleep on the grass. MacDonald removed a knife from its sheath as he knelt over the sleeping Greenfield. He brought it down swiftly and buried the blade deep in his victim’s neck. He then repeatedly stabbed Greenfield. The ferocity of the attack severed the arteries in Greenfield’s neck. Blood was everywhere, but MacDonald had come prepared. He had brought a light plastic raincoat in his bag and had put it on before he attacked the unsuspecting Greenfield. MacDonald removed Greenfield’s trousers and underpants, slicing thetesticles and penis off at the scrotum with his knife. On leaving the scene, MacDonald stopped along the way and washed his hands and face under a tap. On the way home, he threw Greenfield’s genitals into the harbour.
    On Saturday, 21 November 1961, MacDonald purchased a bigger knife with a 6in blade. The urge to kill had again manifested itself. That night, MacDonald saw Ernest William Cobbin, 41, staggering towards him under the influence of drink. On the pretext of giving him more drink, MacDonald lured Cobbin to a nearby park where they sat in the public toilets and drank beer. MacDonald openly put on a raincoat from his bag and then took out the knife and thrust it into Cobbin’s throat, severing his jugular vein. MacDonald inflicted several more cuts to the throat, which caused blood to spurt all over MacDonald’s arms, face and raincoat. Despite his severe injuries, Cobbin tried to defend himself, but McDonald continued with his frenzied attack. MacDonald pulled Cobbin’s trousers and underpants down, lifted his penis and testicles, sliced them off with his knife and put them in a plastic bag he had brought with him. When he had finished, he calmly took off his raincoat, wrapped his knife and the plastic bag in it, put them in his bag and walked out of the toilet, again stopping along the way to wash his hands under a tap.
    On returning home, MacDonald washed the bloody contents of the plastic bag in warm water, put them in a clean plastic bag and took them to bed with him. The following day, he wrapped the plastic bag and its grisly contents, the knife and a brick in newspaper, tied them with string and threw them from the Sydney Harbour Bridge into the deepest part of the harbour. This time, there would be no evidence left lying around for the police to find.
    On 31 March 1962, MacDonald claimed his fourth victim. That morning, he purchased another long-bladed sheath knife and packed it in his bag with his raincoat and a plastic bag. At 10pm, he came upon Frank McLean, who was very drunk andmaking his way along the road. MacDonald suggested they went somewhere quiet for a drink. As they turned a corner MacDonald attacked McLean, stabbing him in the throat. McLean attempted to defend himself but MacDonald continued to stab him repeatedly in the face. McLean fell to the ground and MacDonald took advantage of the situation, jumping on him and continuing his frenzied attack with the knife. He stabbed McLean in the head, neck, throat, face and chest until he was dead. Saturated in Frank McLean’s blood, MacDonald dragged the body a few feet further into the lane, lowered his victim’s trousers and proceeded