The Murder Of Anita Cobby: Australia's Worst Crime

Miss X

Les Murphy and Mick Murdoch were charged with car theft and released on bail. Police put a tail on both of them, hoping that Murphy and Murdoch would lead them to the stolen car. It was their most vital piece of evidence, as it was likely to provide the fingerprints, blood samples and clothing that police needed to tie the abduction in Newton Road to the murder and to the Travers gang.

John Travers was held on suspicion of having committed numerous sex offenses in the area. These included the rape of a young girl at Toongabbie, eight months earlier. Police grilled Travers about the Cobby murder but he admitted nothing. They knew that without the stolen car or a confession, they didn't have a case. Travers asked if he could have a visitor. He gave police the number of Miss X, the woman he had confided in about the rape of the boy in Perth some months earlier.

When Detective Kevin Raue rang Miss X and told her that Travers wanted her to bring him some cigarettes, she told him exactly what he had wanted to hear. Miss X had a lot to tell the police about John Travers and they arranged to meet in a public place that afternoon.

When they met, Miss X, an ex-heroin addict, explained that she was terrified of being caught talking to the police. Even though Travers was in custody she still feared for her life. Miss X told of the rape in Western Australia and of another rape that Travers had told her about. She said that in both cases, Travers had spoken of using the knife on his victims in a manner similar to that actually used on Anita Cobby. There was no doubt in Miss X's mind that John Travers was their man and she agreed to help police trap Travers. She would ask him if he knew anything about the murder and report back to the police.

The following morning, Miss X arrived with cigarettes for John Travers and was left in private with the prisoner for half an hour. When she returned to the muster room, she was pale and distraught and shaking like a leaf. She collapsed in tears and told them that Travers had just told her that he had murdered Anita Cobby. Miss X made a statement about what Travers had just told her and agreed to visit him again the following morning. This time Miss X would be fitted with a tape recorder.

Travers told all. He boasted how they had grabbed Anita Cobby and how they had raped and bashed her until Travers finally cut her throat. Miss X found it difficult to contain her emotion as Travers told of the night of 2 February.

Police had no trouble in rounding up Mick Murdoch and Les Murphy. They had been keeping tabs on them since they were let out on bail. Murdoch was at home. Les Murphy was found hiding between two women under a blanket. One of the women was pregnant. Murdoch and Murphy cried and blamed John Travers as they confessed to police. Travers was dragged out of his cell and, in light o the allegations made against him by Murdoch and Murphy, made a confession in which he named everyone involved. He made no attempt to deny that he was the one who actually killed Anita Cobby.

He was proud of it.