This is a transcript of Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan’s media conference on the Claremont serial killings yesterday.
I am here to make an important announcement to the West Australian community. The announcement relates to the work of the Special Crime Squad which in 2015 was allocated extra resources including more detectives attached to the standalone investigation into a series of abductions and murders in Claremont in the 1990s.
Codenamed Macro, this investigation was later expanded to include other serious crimes.
The West Australia Police has made a significant breakthrough in this long-running case.
Detectives from the Special Crime Squad have charged a 48-year-old Kewdale man with the murders of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon and attacks on two other young women, a 17-year-old in Claremont in 1995 and an 18-year-old in Huntingdale in 1988.
The man was arrested at his Kewdale home yesterday and charged in the early hours of this morning.
It will be alleged the man abducted 23-year-old Ms Rimmer in the early hours of June 9, 1996, after she’d had a night out with friends in Claremont.
Her body was later discovered in Wellard on August 3, 1996.
Police will also allege he abducted 27-year-old Ms Glennon on Friday, March 14, 1997, after she too had been out in Claremont.
Ms Glennon’s body was discovered in bushland off Pipidinny Road in Eglinton on April 3, 1997.
The man has also been charged with the abduction of a 17-year-old girl two years prior, in the early hours of February 12, 1995, as she walked through Rowe Park on Gugeri Street in Claremont.
It will be alleged that she was restrained and forced into a vehicle and driven to Karrakatta Cemetery where she was sexually assaulted.
Further, the Special Crime Squad has charged this man over a break-in and indecent assault at a house in Huntingdale on February 15, 1988. Police will allege he entered the bedroom of an 18-year-old woman and attacked her as she slept.
He fled after she struggled.
The man has been charged with the following offences.
With respect to the deaths of Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon, two counts of wilful murder.
With respect to the 1995 incident, one count of deprivation of liberty, and two counts of aggravated sexual penetration.
With respect to the Huntingdale incident in 1988, one count of break and enter with intent, one count of deprivation of liberty, one count of indecent assault.
Police will allege that he acted alone.
I should point out that the investigation into the disappearance and suspected murder of Sarah Spiers on January 27, 1996, is ongoing, as are inquiries into other matters.
So there is still much work to be done.
This has already been the biggest and most complex police investigation in WA history.
Hundreds of police officers have worked on this case over the past 20 years.
Operation Macro has been a massive body of work involving thousands and thousands of investigative actions.
The commitment of the WA Police and its officers have never wavered.
We never give up. I want to pay tribute to the Spiers, Rimmer and Glennon families and the victim of the 1995 attack for their patience, understanding and support during the investigation.
Police liaison officers are working with their families and I urge media to please respect their privacy at this sensitive time.
These crimes shocked the West Australian public, and police understand the high level of community and media interest.
However, now that a person has been charged, I want to take this opportunity to reiterate the need to respect the judicial process which has now commenced.
It is timely to remind everybody that comments posted on social media are also not immune from contempt of court proceedings.
Finally, I have carefully considered what I could say to you this morning.
As these matters are now before the courts, and there remains an ongoing investigation, I am unable to provide any further information and am not in a position to answer your questions.
I am confident the community will understand we do not want to say anything now that could impact in any way on the prosecution.
I have revealed some new details about the investigation that may have jogged some memories of some people.
If anyone believes they have any information that may assist our ongoing investigation, please call Crime Stoppers.