The Case of Mr Cruel

An unknown man – known as 'Mr Cruel' – committed a series of horrific crimes which terrorised Melbourne, Australia in the late 1980's. He is responsible for the abduction and sexual assault of three girls between the ages of 10 and 13 and the murder of a 13-year-old girl in 1991.

He committed his crimes wearing a black ski mask, meaning none of his victims could provide an identifiable description of his face. Law enforcement’s only likeness of Mr Cruel is a terrifying police sketch depicting his mask.

Continue scrolling to learn more about this case and explore the interactive maps.

Note: Crime scene locations are estimates based on publicly available information and may not be exact.

To this day, the case of Mr Cruel remains unsolved.

If you have any information about an unsolved crime or suspicious activity then you can share what you know with Crime Stoppers without saying who you are or getting involved. Rewards are available. Call 1800 333 000 or go to  www.crimestoppers.com.au 

To learn more about how geographic thinking can shed new light on the case of Mr Cruel, listen to the  Mapping Evil with Mike King podcast . 

Mike is considered a pioneer in the global law enforcement sector for his ability to use geospatial analysis to solve crimes worldwide.

Mike's contribution to law enforcement has spanned more than four decades. He's served in every division of policing and his career appointments have included: Sergeant, Lieutenant, Division Chief and Chief.

• Board member of the Cold Case Foundation
• Global Director of Emergency Communications and Fraud, Esri
• Former Director of UTAP, the Utah criminal Tracking and Analysis Project

Mike has been awarded:

• USA National Police Officer of the Year.
• USA National Top-Cop Honourable Mention

 Learn more about Mike