Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents.

If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis center.

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 740 on the morning of Tuesday, December 21, 1982, Frank Church headed out of his home in Westbourne Grove, Northcott 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 Frank exited his front gate, he noticed his next door neighbor, Marion, standing on the foot

path outside of her home.

While Frank had resided on Westbourne Grove for the past 27 years, Marion and her six-year-old daughter

Bonnie were relative newcomers.

They'd moved 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 wired and fairly quiet.

Frank didn't really know Marion or Bonnie except to exchange pleasantries whenever they bumped into one another. As soon as Marion 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.

Marion replied that her daughter Bonnie had been stabbed. The Shocked, Frank told Marion he'd call the police.

...