It was a particularly chilling winter in Melbourne, 1993; not that it was particularly cold – more for the fact a serial killer was on the loose, and three women were found dead.
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Paul Charles Denyer, otherwise known as the ‘Frankston Serial Killer’, was just 21-years-old when he murdered three young women across a seven-week period.
His victims, Elizabeth Stevens, Deborah Fream, and Natalie Russell, were between the ages of 17 to 22 when they were found dead by police.
Now, nearly 30-years after their tragic deaths, we revisit what happened to the lives lost at the hands of Paul, and how he was finally captured by police.
It all started on June 11 that year, when TAFE student Elizabeth, 18, was attacked after getting off a bus at night. Her body was found the next morning.
A month later, 22-year-old Deborah was abducted in her car and found dead on July 12 with stab and slash wounds – similar injuries to that of Elizabeth.
Then, on July 30, 17-year-old Natalie was also attacked and stabbed to death. It was only then police were able to track down the killer.
It was Paul who later confessed to the murders, and to stalking women in the area “for years”. When asked about his motive for the crimes, he replied, “I just hate ‘em” – later clarifying that he meant women.
Paul, 50, is currently where he should be: behind bars, serving three consecutive life sentences for the Frankston murders – but before he was sentenced, he had to be found.
The hunt for one of Australia’s most infamous serial killers will be explored in Stan’s new documentary, Revealed: No Mercy, No Remorse, following a report by The Age’s crime reporter John Silvester.
The feature documentary includes the police tapes from Paul’s interrogation, as detectives work tirelessly through the night to unravel his version of events.
It took more than 1500 questions by lead investigator, Detective Senior Sergeant Rod Wilson, and his team to break the story – an interview that is to this day considered to be a murder interrogation masterclass.
Viewers will witness the breakthrough that helped detectives secure a confession, and for the first time, the detectives who investigated the 1993 murders will speak about the case and how they captured Paul.
Revealed: No Mercy, No Remorse also explores the psychology of the serial killer, whose ability to create fear in a community is magnified by the fact that he can live undetected, often for years.
The greatest danger of a serial killer is the camouflage that lets him masquerade as one of us. Experts say that serial murder has little to do, personally, with the victims – his motive will usually only be apparent once he has been caught.
Despite murdering three women, Paul will be eligible for parole in June 2023 – meaning he could be allowed to return to the community he once terrorised.
The Stan Original Documentary Revealed: No Mercy, No Remorse is now streaming on Stan.