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Peter Norris Dupas (born 6 July 1953) is an Australian convicted
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
, currently serving three
life sentence Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are c ...
s without parole for
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...
and primarily for being a serious
habitual offender A habitual offender, repeat offender, or career criminal is a person convicted of a crime who was previously convicted of other crimes. Various state and jurisdictions may have laws targeting habitual offenders, and specifically providing for enha ...
. He has a very significant criminal history involving serious sexual and violent offences, with his violent criminal history spanning more than three decades, and with every release from prison has been known to commit further crimes against women with increasing levels of violence. His criminal signature is to remove the
breast The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryology, embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is ...
s of his female victims. As of 2007, Dupas has been convicted of three murders and is a prime suspect in at least three other murders committed in the vicinity of the
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
area during the 1980s and 1990s.


Early life

Peter Dupas was the youngest of three children, born into what has been described as "a fairly normal family." Born in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, his family moved to
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
while he was still a toddler. With both siblings considerably older, his elderly parents treated him much like an only child. Dupas left high school upon completing Grade 10 and later obtained his Higher School Certificate. On 3 October 1968, at the age of 15, Dupas visited his next-door neighbour, requesting to borrow a knife for the purpose of peeling vegetables. Dupas was apprehended after he stabbed the woman in the face, neck, and hand as she attempted to fight off his attack. He later told police he could not help himself and did not know why he began to attack the woman. He was placed on 18 months'
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
and admitted to the Larundel Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation; he was released after two weeks and treated as an
outpatient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other healt ...
. In October 1969, a mortuary located at the
Austin Hospital The Austin Hospital is a public teaching hospital in Melbourne's north-eastern suburb of Heidelberg, and is administered by Austin Health, along with the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. History The Aus ...
was broken into. The bodies of two elderly women were mutilated using a
pathologist Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...
's knife. One body contained a strange wound inflicted with a knife to the area of the thigh. Police believe Dupas was involved in the break-in as the wounds inflicted matched that of a later murder victim, Nicole Patterson. Senior Detective Ian Armstrong, who interviewed Dupas on 30 November 1973, at the
Nunawading Nunawading () is an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 km (11 miles) east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Whitehorse and City of Manningham local government areas. Nunawading recorded ...
Police Station, described Dupas as "weak and compliant" when confronted by authority.


Sex offences

On 25 July 1974, Dupas was sentenced to nine years'
imprisonment Imprisonment or incarceration is the restraint of a person's liberty for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is considered " false imprisonment". Impri ...
with a minimum period of five years for an attack on a woman in her own home. Dupas broke into the victim's house and threatened her with a knife before tying her up with cord and raping her. He threatened to harm her baby when she resisted his attack. The sentencing judge described the offence as "one of the worst rapes that could be imagined". After Dupas was sentenced, prison
psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...
Dr. Allen Bartholomew noted Dupas was in constant
denial Denial, in colloquial English usage, has at least three meanings: * the assertion that any particular statement or allegation, whose truth is uncertain, is not true; * the refusal of a request; and * the assertion that a true statement is fal ...
of his
criminal activity In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Cane ...
, remarking that: "I am reasonably certain that this youth has a serious psychosexual problem, that he is using the technique of denial as a
coping Coping refers to conscious or unconscious strategies used to reduce and manage unpleasant emotions. Coping strategies can be cognitions or behaviors and can be individual or social. To cope is to deal with struggles and difficulties in life. It ...
device and that he is to be seen as potentially dangerous. The denial technique makes for huge difficulty in treatment." In 1979, approximately two months after his release from prison, Dupas again molested women in four separate attacks over a ten-day period. On 28 February 1980, Dupas received a five-year minimum prison sentence for three charges of
assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...
with intent to rape, malicious wounding, assault with intent to rob, and indecent assault. A 1980 report on Dupas stated that: "There is little that can be said in Dupas's favour. He remains an extremely disturbed, immature, and dangerous man. His release on
parole Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prisoner, prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated ...
was a mistake." Dupas was again released from prison in February 1985. Approximately one month later, he raped a 21-year-old woman on a beach at
Blairgowrie, Victoria Blairgowrie is a seaside suburb on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, approximately south of Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Mornington Peninsula local government area. Blairgowrie rec ...
. After alighting from his car, Dupas followed the woman and attacked her, holding her to the ground at knifepoint before raping her. He later told police: "I'm sorry for what happened. Everyone was telling me I'm OK now. I never thought it was going to happen again. I only wanted to live a normal life." On 28 June 1985, Dupas was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the Blairgowrie rape and released in 1992 after serving seven years of his sentence. Less than two years after his release from prison, Dupas was arrested on charges of
false imprisonment False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person's movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is n ...
over an incident at
Lake Eppalock Lake Eppalock is an Australian reservoir in Eppalock, North Central Victoria about northwest of Melbourne. It was formed by the construction of a major earth and rockfill embankment dam, known as Eppalock Dam, with a controlled chute spillway ...
in January 1994. Wearing a hood and armed with a knife, insulation tape, and handcuffs, Dupas followed a woman who was picnicking and held her at knifepoint in a toilet block but was chased off by her friends. As he was leaving the scene, he crashed his car and was apprehended. On 18 August 1994, after entering a guilty
plea In law, a plea is a defendant's response to a criminal charge. A defendant may plead guilty or not guilty. Depending on jurisdiction, additional pleas may be available, including '' nolo contendere'' (no contest), no case to answer (in the ...
to one count of false imprisonment in the County Court in
Bendigo Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2022, Bendigo has a popula ...
, Dupas was sentenced to three years and nine months' imprisonment, with a minimum period of two years and nine months. In September 1996, Dupas was again released from prison and moved into a house in the Melbourne suburb of
Pascoe Vale Pascoe Vale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Pascoe Vale recorded a population of 18,171 at the 2021 census. History Pa ...
.


Murder convictions


Nicole Patterson

Nicole Amanda Patterson was a 28-year-old
psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of Psychology, psychological methods, particularly when based on regular Conversation, personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase hap ...
and youth counsellor employed with the Ardoch Youth Foundation, an organisation formed to assist young drug users. Patterson had desired to operate her own private practice and was using her Northcote home as an office. She placed several
classified ads Classified advertising is a form of advertising, particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals, which may be sold or distributed free of charge. Classified advertisements are much cheaper than larger display advertisements use ...
in a local newspaper, the ''Northcote Leader'', in an effort to expand her client base. Two neighbours reported hearing the screams of a young woman coming from Patterson's house between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on the day of her murder. Attempts by Patterson's boyfriend to contact her in the afternoon failed, raising suspicions. On 19 April 1999, Patterson's body was discovered by a friend in the front room of her Harper Street, Northcote residence. Patterson's friend had visited to attend a dinner engagement. Upon hearing music from a radio and discovering the front door unlocked, she entered the house and found the body of Patterson severely mutilated. Patterson died from 27 stab wounds to her chest and back. Her body was discovered naked from the waist down, with her skirt found in a nearby bedroom and her underwear around her ankles. Small pieces of yellow
PVC Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons o ...
tape were attached to her body and both of her breasts had been removed using a sharp knife. Her handbag and driver's licence were stolen during the attack. The murder weapon and Patterson's breasts have never been recovered.


Arrest

Police investigations of the crime scene revealed Patterson had a 9am appointment with a new client by the name of "Malcolm" as noted in her personal diary alongside a mobile telephone number. The number was traced to an Indian student studying at
La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora, Victoria, Bundoora. The university was established in 1 ...
named "Harry." Police learned Dupas had approached Harry with an offer of labouring work. On 22 April 1999, police arrested Dupas at midday at the Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown and charged him with the murder of Patterson later the same day. Telephone records revealed Dupas had made three prior telephone calls to Patterson to arrange a counselling session to treat depression and a
gambling addiction Problem gambling, ludopathy, or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to DSM-5 if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological ga ...
, the first from a public
telephone booth A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box, telephone box or public call box is a tiny structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience; typically the user steps into the booth and closes the boot ...
approximately six weeks before her murder. Over the course of the next six weeks, Dupas made calls to Patterson in an attempt to establish her vulnerability. Dupas later told police he cancelled his appointment with Patterson after being told by her his problem was something he was able to work through of his own accord. Police also noticed scratches on Dupas's face and hand, consistent with a recent struggle. Dupas claimed the scratches had occurred when he was working in his backyard shed and a piece of wood hit him while using a
lathe A lathe () is a machine tool that rotates a workpiece about an axis of rotation to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, deformation, facing, threading and turning, with tools that are applied to the w ...
; Dupas did not own a lathe, however. He later changed his story to the effect that the injuries were sustained while working in the shed and walking by a protruding piece of wood. A police search of Dupas's home revealed blood-stained clothing, PVC tape similar to that located at the crime scene, a ski mask, newspaper clippings detailing Patterson's murder, and also a paper containing her advertisement for psychotherapy services.


Trial and appeal

After retiring for less than three hours, the jury returned to deliver a
guilty verdict In criminal law, guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. Legal guilt is entirely externally defined by the state, or more generally a "court of law". Being factually guilty of a criminal offense means that one ...
. On 22 August 2000, while sentencing Dupas to life imprisonment without the opportunity for release on parole, Judge Frank Vincent remarked:
"...the prospects of your eventual rehabilitation must be regarded as so close to hopeless that they can be effectively discounted. There is no indication whatsoever that you have experienced any sense of remorse for what you have done, and I doubt that you are capable of any such human response. At a fundamental level, as human beings, you present for us the awful, threatening and unanswerable question: How did you come to be as you are?"
Dupas appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal in August 2001 to
appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...
his conviction for the murder of Patterson. His appeal was dismissed.


Margaret Maher

Margaret Josephine Maher, 40, was a sex worker working in the Melbourne area who was last seen alive at the
Safeway Safeway, Inc. is an American supermarket chain. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral and pharmacy, as well as Starbucks coffee shops, and veh ...
supermarket at 12:20 a.m. in
Broadmeadows Broadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business District and the council seat of the City of Hume local government area. Broadmeadows recorded a population of 12,524 at the 2021 census. It i ...
on 4 October 1997. Her body was discovered under a cardboard box containing computer parts at 1:45 p.m. on 4 October 1997 by a man who made the discovery while he was collecting
aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
with his wife and her sister beside Cliffords Road in
Somerton Somerton may refer to: Places Australia * Somerton, New South Wales * Somerton Park, South Australia, a seaside Adelaide suburb ** Somerton Man, unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead in 1948 on the Somerton Park beach *Somerton, Victoria ...
. A black woollen glove was found near Maher's body which police later confirmed contained DNA matching that of Dupas. A
post-mortem examination An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death; ...
revealed Maher had suffered a stab wound to her left wrist, bruising to her neck,
blunt force trauma A blunt trauma, also known as a blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is a physical trauma due to a forceful impact without penetration of the body's surface. Blunt trauma stands in contrast with penetrating trauma, which occurs when an ...
with a cinder block to the area of her right eyebrow, and lacerations to her right arm. Maher's left breast had been removed and placed into her mouth. At the time of Maher's murder, Dupas had been out of prison for just over a year after serving time for rape offences and was no longer under the supervision of the government corrections agency,
Corrections Victoria Corrections Victoria is part of the Department of Justice and Community Safety in the Victorian Government, and is responsible for the provision of custodial and community-based services as an important element of the criminal justice system i ...
. Dupas was already serving a life sentence without parole for the murder of Patterson at the time of his arrest for the murder of Maher. With Dupas in custody, police were able to obtain a
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
sample, linking him to the 1997 murder of Maher.


Trial

During a trial lasting three weeks, evidence was presented to the jury that the removal of Patterson's and Maher's breasts were so "strikingly similar" as to be a signature or trademark stamp common to both crimes, thereby identifying Dupas as the killer of both women. The jury, who was not told Dupas was already serving a life term of imprisonment for the murder of Patterson, took less than a day to convict him of his second murder conviction. Upon hearing the jury deliver the guilty verdict, Dupas claimed "it's a
kangaroo court Kangaroo court is an informal pejorative term for a court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides, and is typically convened ad hoc. A kangaroo court ma ...
" before being led away by court staff to begin his sentence. After the guilty verdict, Kylie Nicholas, Patterson's sister, described Dupas as "...the most evil predator, a
psychopath Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality Construct (psychology), construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with boldness, bold, disinhibited, and egocentrism, egocentric traits. These traits are often ma ...
, a true evil predatory, cunning, repulsive person. It's such a rare evil that comes into this world that's destroyed these women and our lives. We're just praying that this man is held accountable for everything he has done." Ian Joblin, a Melbourne-based
forensic psychologist Forensic psychology is the application of scientific knowledge and methods (in relation to psychology) to assist in answering legal questions that may arise in criminal, civil, contractual, or other judicial proceedings. Forensic psychology includes ...
, released a report to the court attempting to explain Dupas's sexual reoffending behaviour:
"Dupas attacked women to fulfil fantasies of conquest and control...For Dupas, the actual assault has not lived up to the fantasy which preceded the assault, and is seen at times as disappointing...He does not feel reassured by either his performance or his victim's response and must find another victim, this time 'the right one'. Thus, his offences become quite repetitive."
On 16 August 2004, Dupas was convicted of the 4 October 1997, murder of Maher and sentenced to a second term of life imprisonment. During sentencing, Kaye remarked he would have sentenced Dupas for a life term for Maher's murder even if he had not killed Patterson and also remarked he would have sentenced Dupas for a life term for his next crime, even if had not have killed anyone, because Dupas was a very serious violent
habitual offender A habitual offender, repeat offender, or career criminal is a person convicted of a crime who was previously convicted of other crimes. Various state and jurisdictions may have laws targeting habitual offenders, and specifically providing for enha ...
with no signs of rehabilitation, saying:
"In view of your appalling criminal history, and in view of the particularly serious nature of the crime for which you have been convicted, it is only appropriate that you be sentenced to life imprisonment. Even if the murder of Nicole Patterson had never occurred, I would have no hesitation in imposing a term of life imprisonment upon you. "It is clear, both in the present case and from your previous convictions for rape and like offences, that your offending is connected with a need by you to vindicate a perverted and sadistic hatred of women and a contempt for them and their right to live. As such the present offence must be characterised as being in one of the most serious categories of murders which come before this Court. "You intentionally killed a harmless, defenceless woman who, like all your other victims, had no prospect of protecting herself against you. At the time you committed that offence, you had, over almost three decades, terrorised women in this State. You have repeatedly violated a central
norm Norm, the Norm or NORM may refer to: In academic disciplines * Normativity, phenomenon of designating things as good or bad * Norm (geology), an estimate of the idealised mineral content of a rock * Norm (philosophy), a standard in normative e ...
of a decent civilised society. Your conduct in the present case is without mitigation or palliation. There has been no recognition by you of your wrongdoing. Rather, you repeated the same offence, with even more brutality, 18 months after murdering Margaret Maher. "Based on your repeated violent offences, and on the gravity of this offence, there is no prospect of your rehabilitation. Nothing was advanced on your behalf to reflect that there is even the faintest glimmer of hope for you. Even if there were, any considerations of rehabilitation must, in this case, be subordinated to the gravity of your offending, the need for the imposition of a just punishment, and the principle of general deterrence. All those circumstances combine, in my view, not only to justify, but also to require that I do not fix a minimum term."


Appeal

On 25 July 2005 Dupas appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal to appeal his conviction for the murder of Maher. His appeal was dismissed.


Mersina Halvagis

Mersina Halvagis was a 25-year-old Melbourne woman murdered in an attack on 1 November 1997 while visiting her grandmother's grave in the
Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...
section of
Fawkner Cemetery Fawkner Memorial Park is located in the northern Melbourne suburb of Hadfield, Victoria, Australia. It is the largest cemetery by land size in the state, and managed by Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust. Merlynston Creek, a tributary of M ...
in
Fawkner Fawkner is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the Cities of City of Hume, Hume and City of Merri-bek, Merri-bek ...
, a northern suburb of Melbourne. The alarm was raised by Halvagis's fiancé when she failed to meet with him later that day as the couple had planned. Halvagis's body was discovered at 4:35a.m. on 5 November 1997, by her fiancé in an empty plot, three graves from where her grandmother was buried. Halvagis herself was later buried in the Cheltenham Memorial Park, Melbourne. Police believe Halvagis was attacked from behind while kneeling to attend to a flower arrangement, and that she died from massive injuries, including 87 stab wounds about her knees, neck, with most wounds concentrated around her breasts. Her upper clothing had been pulled over her head towards her chest. Dupas's home in Coane Street,
Pascoe Vale Pascoe Vale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Pascoe Vale recorded a population of 18,171 at the 2021 census. History Pa ...
was near the cemetery. Halvagis's murder had remained unsolved since 1997, with the Victorian state government, together with police offering an A$1 million reward for information leading to an arrest. The large reward was the fourth such million dollar reward in Victoria's history. Frank Cole, an elderly resident of Pascoe Vale, claims he saw Dupas leaving the Fawkner Cemetery on the day of the murder. An anonymous female who was visiting her parents' grave on the day of the murder had also seen Dupas wearing sunglasses casually jogging throughout the cemetery.


Inquest

An
inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a cor ...
into Halvagis's death before coroner Graeme Johnstone heard
circumstantial evidence Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact, such as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly, i.e., without need ...
in the case against Dupas in relation to the murder; *Nine witnesses identified Dupas as a man they saw at Fawkner Cemetery on the day Halvagis was attacked. *Dupas's grandfather's gravesite is located 128 metres from the crime scene. *Dupas frequented the 'First and Last Hotel,' located opposite Fawkner Cemetery. *Dupas lied to police about a facial injury received about the time of the attack on Halvagis. *Dupas attempted to alter his appearance after Halvagis's murder. *Dupas was identified from police photographs by a woman who said she saw him minutes before the attack 20 metres from where Halvagis's murder occurred. Senior Detective Scarlett told the inquest a car known to be used by Dupas at the time of the murder was sold to a work associate in the month following the murder of Halvagis. The car has since been crushed for scrap metal and was never examined by detectives.
Forensic pathologist Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases an ...
Professor David Ransom, who compared wounds suffered by Halvagis to those suffered by Patterson and Maher, told the inquest there was insufficient evidence to suggest the wounds suffered by Halvagis were inflicted using the same knife or by the same person who had murdered Dupas's other victims. Dupas's lawyer, David Drake, advised the inquest that the only
evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports the proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the proposition is truth, true. The exact definition and role of evidence vary across different fields. In epistemology, evidence is what J ...
linking Dupas to the murder of Halvagis was the fact that Dupas had lived nearby to the Fawkner Cemetery, and his reputation based on prior convictions for similar offences. He further said police had relied upon their beliefs that Dupas had a propensity to attack women using knives, thereby linking him to the crime. On 1 August 2006, the inquest was
adjourned In parliamentary procedure, an adjournment ends a meeting. It could be done using a motion to adjourn. A time for another meeting could be set using the motion to fix the time to which to adjourn. Law In law, to adjourn means to suspend or postp ...
indefinitely following charges laid by police on Dupas for the murder of Halvagis.


Arrest

After obtaining a court order granting permission to interview Dupas in relation to Halvagis's murder, police collected Dupas from
HM Prison Barwon HM Prison Barwon or informally Barwon Prison, an Australian high risk and maximum security prison for males, is located from the township of Lara, near Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The facility is operated by Corrections Victoria. The priso ...
on 2 September 2006, taking him to the
St Kilda Road St Kilda Road is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the Melbourne central business district, locality of Melbourne which has the postcode of 3004, and along with Swanston Street forms a major spine of the city. St Kilda ...
Police Headquarters in Melbourne for questioning. On 11 September 2006, police charged Dupas with the murder of Halvagis, after disgraced Melbourne lawyer, Andrew Fraser, revealed Dupas confessed to the killing of Halvagis while gardening weeds in
Port Phillip Prison Port Phillip Prison is a maximum security prison located at Truganina, Victoria, Australia. It is Victoria's largest maximum security prison, able to accommodate up to 1117 prisoners. The prison is privately operated on behalf of the Governme ...
during 2002. Fraser told police he once found a homemade knife concealed among weeds at
Port Phillip Prison Port Phillip Prison is a maximum security prison located at Truganina, Victoria, Australia. It is Victoria's largest maximum security prison, able to accommodate up to 1117 prisoners. The prison is privately operated on behalf of the Governme ...
and he called Dupas over to inspect it, which is when the confession occurred:
"We regularly used to find stuff hidden in the garden, drugs, weapons and other stuff. I once found a homemade knife and called Dupas over to show it to him. He took it off me and started handling it, almost caressing it in a sexual way. Dupas then started saying 'Mersina, Mersina' over and over with this strange look on his face. I was certainly left in no doubt that Dupas murdered Mersina. "This wasn't some sort of jailhouse confession where somebody has gone in and sat in a cell one night and had a brew with another prisoner and somebody has allegedly said something. It's a lot stronger than that. Dupas and I spoke regularly, just the two of us. This was over months and months that he was talking to me and confiding in me. "There was one occasion when another prisoner came up to us when we were gardening and started
abusing Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...
Dupas. This prisoner was yelling at Dupas saying, 'You killed Mersina, you killed Mersina'. "After he had gone, Dupas turned to me and said 'How does that cunt know I did it?'
After agreeing to give evidence against Dupas, Fraser was released from
Fulham Correctional Centre Fulham Correctional Centre is a medium security Australian prison located in Hopkins Road, Sale, Victoria, Australia. The prison consists of mainstream medium and minimum (fenced and unfenced) security cell blocks, management (solitary), and a p ...
in Sale on 11 September 2006, two months short of his five-year sentence for
drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, ...
. The Victorian government stated that Fraser was eligible to apply for a share of the $1 million reward offered for information leading to an arrest on Halvagis's murder.


Direct presentment to trial

The Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the charge of murder in the
Melbourne Magistrates' Court The Melbourne Magistrates' Court is the largest venue at which the Magistrates' Court of Victoria sits. It is a court in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that deals with, and dispenses of, a range of criminal and civil matters, including crimina ...
and requested the case against Dupas be sent directly to trial, bypassing the committal hearing process. On 26 September 2006, Dupas appeared via
video link Videotelephony (also known as videoconferencing or video calling) is the use of audio and video for simultaneous two-way communication. Today, videotelephony is widespread. There are many terms to refer to videotelephony. ''Videophones'' are ...
in the
Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state. The Supreme Court compri ...
, charged with Halvagis's murder, entering a plea of not guilty. Drake, Dupas's barrister, told the Supreme Court his client was being unfairly dealt with by skipping the usual process of a committal hearing in the Magistrates' Court. The Supreme Court of Victoria ruled on whether Dupas would face a committal hearing in November 2006. On 14 November 2006, Dupas appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria before Justice John Coldrey, where he requested an opportunity to be able to
cross-examine In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness by one's opponent. It is preceded by direct examination (known as examination-in-chief in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Africa, India and Pakistan) and may be f ...
witness Andrew Fraser before a criminal trial takes place. On 12 December 2006, the Supreme Court of Victoria ordered Dupas be presented directly to trial for the murder of Halvagis, bypassing the usual committal hearing process.


Trial

The trial for the murder of Halvagis ran for 22 days. On 9 July 2007, the jury selected for the trial was discharged on a "legal technicality" when prosecutor Colin Hillman advised Justice
Philip Cummins Philip Damien Cummins (9 November 1939 – 24 February 2019) was an Australian lawyer and judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Cummins was the presiding judge in the trials of the Silk–Miller police murders, the death of Daniel Valerio an ...
that a failure to comply with the Jury Act had occurred when potential jurors were not advised of the possible duration of the trial. Prosecution witness and disgraced lawyer Andrew Fraser described to the jury how Dupas attacked Halvagis. Fraser has now submitted a claim to the $1 million reward. Dupas was found guilty of the murder of Halvagis on 9 August 2007 and appeared for a pre-sentencing hearing eight days later. Dupas was sentenced to his third life sentence with no minimum term. The sentencing judge allowed permission for one
television camera A professional video camera (often called a television camera even though its use has spread beyond television) is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images (as opposed to a movie camera, that earlier recorded the images on filmstoc ...
to record the sentencing of Dupas, the only televised sentencing in Australia since the 1995 sentencing of child killer Nathan John Avent. Upon sentencing Dupas, the judge said "life means life". On 10 September 2007, lawyers for Dupas submitted an appeal on the basis that the verdict of guilty for the murder of Halvagis was unsafe and unsatisfactory. On 17 September 2009, Dupas's appeal against the conviction was upheld in Victoria's Court of Appeal by a two-to-one majority. The Court ruled that the directions of the judge in the original trial were inadequate. On 14 October 2009, lawyers for Dupas argued that the proceedings against him should be stayed permanently based on the publicity surrounding the case. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Paul Coghlan disagreed and set the trial date for 7 April 2010. On 26 October 2010, a new trial for the murder of Halvagis commenced in the Victorian Supreme Court. On 19 November 2010, Dupas was again convicted of the murder of Halvagis after three-and-a-half days of deliberations by the jury. On 26 November 2010, Dupas was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Due to a court injunction in 2019, Channel Seven was prevented from screening the episode of '' Beyond the Darklands'' featuring Dupas.


Other suspected murders


Helen McMahon

McMahon was a 47-year-old woman found beaten to death on a
Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...
beach on 13 February 1985. She was sunbathing topless on the beach when she was attacked. Her body was discovered naked and covered by her beach towel. The location of the murder was near the location where Dupas had earlier raped a 21-year-old woman at a beach in Blairgowrie, for which he was convicted and served a term of imprisonment. It was originally thought Dupas was in prison at the time of McMahon's murder and was not released until two weeks later; however, investigators learned that Dupas was on pre-release leave from prison and living in the Rye area when McMahon was killed. Police believe McMahon may have been Dupas's first murder victim although her murder officially remains unsolved.


Renita Brunton

Dupas is a suspect in the murder of 31-year-old Brunton in the kitchen of her second-hand clothing store at a mall in
Sunbury, Victoria Sunbury ( , ) is a satellite town of Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hume local government area. Sunbury recorded a population of 38,851 at the . Statistically, Sunbury is ...
on 5 November 1993. Investigators found that Brunton had been stabbed 106 times.


Kathleen Downes

Dupas is a suspect in the murder of 95-year-old Downes at the Brunswick Lodge nursing home in Brunswick. Downes was stabbed to death at 6:30 a.m. on 31 December 1997, one month after Halvagis's murder. Police investigations revealed Dupas had telephoned the nursing home some time before the murder. Dupas was charged with Downes's murder in February 2018.


Marriage

While imprisoned at Melbourne's
Pentridge Prison HM Prison Pentridge, better known as Pentridge Prison, was an Australian prison established in 1851 in Coburg, Victoria. The first convicts arrived at the gaol in 1851. The facility closed on 1 May 1997, although some of the heritage-listed buil ...
, Dupas formed a relationship with mental health nurse Grace McConnell, who was 16 years his senior. The pair married in 1987 inside
Castlemaine Gaol The Old Castlemaine Gaol is a former prison, located in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia. The building was modelled on Pentonville prison in London, replacing the original, designed by Inspector General John Price, which was never occupied. Bu ...
. McConnell described her marriage to Dupas during the inquest into the murder of Halvagis:
"He insisted that he was in love with me .... and that with my help he could come out of himself and become a normal person. I agreed (to marry Dupas), not out of particular love for this man but from a sense of responsibility to helping him become a useful member of the community. In my mind, our relationship was mother and son. "Our sex life was very basic, almost non-existent. I would go along with it out of a sense of responsibility ... It got to the stage where I could not bear him touching me.
His new wife found him to be self-obsessed, lazy, needy, and a snob, and they divorced during the mid-1990s.


Prison life

As of 2006, Dupas was serving his sentences between the maximum-security protection unit of
Port Phillip Correctional Centre Port Phillip Prison is a maximum security prison located at Truganina, Victoria, Australia. It is Victoria's largest maximum security prison, able to accommodate up to 1117 prisoners. The prison is privately operated on behalf of the Governme ...
, at Laverton and HM Prison Barwon in
Lara Lara may refer to: People * Lara (name), can be a given name or a surname in several languages * Lara (mythology), a naiad nymph, daughter of the river Almo in Ovid's ''Fasti'' Places *Lara (state), a state in Venezuela * Electoral district ...
, a northern suburb of
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...
. He has attempted
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
several times while imprisoned. Prison staff describe him as a model prisoner while in custody and "a monster" whenever released.


Summary of criminal convictions

Before his first conviction for murder, Dupas had 16 prior convictions involving acts of
sexual violence Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted Human sexual activity, sexual act, an attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion, or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent, by any individual regardless of ...
from six court appearances between 27 March 1972 and 11 November 1994.


Chronology

* 6 July 1953 Peter Norris Dupas born. * 3 October 1968 at age fifteen he stabbed his female neighbour and received eighteen months' probation. * 25 July 1974 sentenced to 5 to 9 years'
imprisonment Imprisonment or incarceration is the restraint of a person's liberty for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is considered " false imprisonment". Impri ...
for rape aged 21. * 1979 approximately two months after his release from prison, Dupas again molested women in four separate attacks over a ten-day period. * 28 February 1980 Dupas received a five-year minimum prison sentence for three charges of assault with intent to rape, malicious wounding, assault with intent to rob, and indecent assault. * 1985 February released from prison. * 28 June 1985 Dupas was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment for rape that was committed four days after his release from prison * Less than two years after his release from prison, Dupas was arrested on charges of
false imprisonment False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person's movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is n ...
over an incident at
Lake Eppalock Lake Eppalock is an Australian reservoir in Eppalock, North Central Victoria about northwest of Melbourne. It was formed by the construction of a major earth and rockfill embankment dam, known as Eppalock Dam, with a controlled chute spillway ...
in January 1994. * 18 August 1994 after entering a guilty plea to one count of false imprisonment, Dupas was sentenced to three years and nine months' imprisonment, with a minimum period of two years and nine months. * September 1996 Dupas released from prison. * 4 October 1997 The murdered body of Maher was discovered. * 1 November 1997 Halvagis murdered. Body discovered the next day. * 31 December 1997 Downes murdered. Dupas charged with murder in February 2018 * 19 April 1999 The body of Patterson was discovered. * 22 April 1999 Police arrested Dupas. * 22 August 2000 Sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Patterson with no minimum period. * 16 August 2004 Dupas was convicted of the murder of Maher and sentenced to a second term of life imprisonment. * 11 September 2006 Police charged Dupas with the murder of Halvagis. * 9 August 2007 Dupas was convicted of the murder of Halvagis. * 27 August 2007 Dupas sentenced to serve life imprisonment for the murder of Halvagis. * 17 September 2009 Dupas's appeal upheld against conviction for the murder of Halvagis, verdict set aside. * 25 October 2010 second trial for the murder of Halvagis begins. * 19 November 2010 Dupas is convicted for a second time of the Halvagis murder. * 26 November 2010 sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Halvagis, with no minimum term. This means that Dupas will not be eligible for parole, due to no minimum term being fixed, and will spend the rest of his life in prison.


See also

*
List of serial killers by country This is a list of notable serial killers, by the country where most of the killings occurred. Convicted serial killers by country Afghanistan * Abul Djabar: killed 65 men and boys by strangling them with turbans while raping them; suspected o ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dupas, Peter 1953 births Australian people convicted of indecent assault Australian people convicted of murder Australian people of French descent Australian prisoners sentenced to multiple life sentences Australian rapists Australian serial killers Crime in Oceania Criminals from Melbourne Living people Murder in Melbourne People convicted of murder by Victoria (state) Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Victoria (state) Sexual violence in Oceania