In a snap, right at the moment she got abducted, her dreams, future, projects and family were destroyed
Disclaimer
The information provided on this page might contain errors. We did our best to provide an accurate account of the events, but due to the nature of this story, some unknowns remain.
The use of copyrighted material on this page is for research purposes. The Cruel Song is a private non-profit initiative that aims at promoting the memory of Karmein Chan.
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🇬🇧 A4 printable PDF, English language
Murdered at 13
The murder of Karmein Chan is an Australian child murder case in which a 13-year-old Chinese-Australian girl was abducted at knifepoint from her Templestowe, Victoria, home during the night of Saturday 13 April 1991. Karmein’s body was discovered at Edgars Creek in the suburb of Thomastown on Thursday 9 April 1992; the prime suspect for her abduction and murder is an unidentified serial child molester known as “Mr Cruel”, who had abducted and assaulted a minimum of three prepubescent and adolescent girls in circumstances markedly similar to Karmein in the years prior to her abduction.
Investigators believe Karmein may have been killed by Mr Cruel because she had either seen her abductor’s face, or because he feared the child could identify him.
The manhunt to identify and locate Karmein’s abductor and murderer remains one of the largest in Victoria history. Despite intense publicity and repeated efforts, her murder remains unsolved.
Foreword
This website exists for one reason: so that Karmein Chan is not forgotten. She was a daughter, a sister, a student, a young person moving through an ordinary world that failed to protect her.
In April 1991, she was taken from her family and her life was ended before it had the chance to fully begin. Much has been written about her death. This site exists to remember her life, to document what is known, avoid what is false, to respect what cannot be known, give her story clarity, not spectacle.
I did not know Karmein Chan, but over time, she became a familiar stranger to me, someone I could not forget, someone who deserved better from the world, and someone whose memory deserves care.
This is not an official nor an investigative site. This is simply a place of record, built with patience, built with respect, built with the hope that small acts of remembering still matter.
If you knew her, I hope this space feels careful enough to honour her. If you did not know her, I hope this space helps you meet her as a person, not just a name in a file.
That is all I can offer, that will have to be enough.
You lived. You mattered. You still exist here.
Presentation
Karmein was a Chinese-Australian citizen. She was born on Saturday 5 November 1977 in Australia, to parents who had separately migrated from Hong Kong to Melbourne the year prior to her birth. Her parents, John and Phyllis Chan, had become engaged shortly after their arrival in Australia when both were in their early twenties [KCSRC00006].
Both parents held strong work ethics, and by the time Karmein entered her teenage years, the Chan family owned and operated a lucrative Chinese restaurant and a Chinese takeaway, with both parents regularly working up to eighteen hours per day.
Karmein was the eldest of three daughters born to the couple, with sisters Karly (born in 1981 [KCSRC00006]) and Karen (born in 1983 [KCSRC00043]) completing the family. She spent her early years living in the suburb of Bulleen before the family relocated to Serpells Road in the suburb of Templestowe. All three sisters received a private education at the prestigious Presbyterian Ladies’ College.
Their parents ensured all three of their daughters were fluent in both Chinese and English, with Chinese being the language predominantly — though not exclusively — used within the household [KCSRC00005][KCSRC00006].
By 1991, Karmein was a year-eight student at Presbyterian Ladies’ College [KCSRC00001], where she was known as a bright and diligent student with ambitions to become a barrister or a doctor (paediatrician) [KCSRC00005][KCSRC00006][KCSRC00056]. At the time of her abduction she was recuperating from a bout of glandular fever, from which she had largely recovered by mid-April [KCSRC00018].
Kidnapping
On the morning of Saturday 13 April 1991, John Chan drove Karmein to her regular Saturday tennis lessons [KCSRC00018] at the Camberwell Tennis Centre in Balwyn North, where she had begun practising the previous year. Her mother later drove her daughter to the Bulleen Plaza shopping centre, where the two ate breakfast.
Karmein then completed some of her homework at the Bulleen Library located right next to the shopping centre. [KCSRC00005]
That afternoon, friends of the family drove Karmein and her sisters to the Eltham Chinese restaurant their parents operated, where they ate an afternoon meal with their mother before an employee drove them home at approximately 5.45pm [KCSRC00019]. The sisters spent approximately one hour at home with their father before he left to attend to business needs at the Lower Plenty restaurant, just ten minutes’ drive from their home.
According to Karly and Karen, their sister then read stories to them before all three sisters watched a “television special” about Marilyn Monroe in Karmein’s bedroom.
At approximately 8:40pm, Karmein and Karly encountered a man dressed in a green tracksuit, with grey sneakers and wearing either a dark blue/dark green/brown balaclava wielding a large knife in the family hallway; this individual informed the girls: “See this knife? Where’s your mum and dad?” Both were forced into the bedroom at knifepoint, where the intruder discovered Karen hunched and whimpering behind the bedroom door.
All three sisters were threatened with the knife before the intruder bound and gagged the two younger girls and forced them into a wardrobe as he held Karmein by her hair, saying to the younger sisters, “I won’t hurt you.” He then barricaded the wardrobe with a bed before fleeing with Karmein, who was barefoot and wearing only a white floral nightdress and underwear, at approximately 9:05pm.
Investigators later determined Karmein was led across the family garden and tennis court, through a gate and onto Church Road, where she was almost certainly forced into an unknown vehicle parked about 300 metres from the family home.
Shortly thereafter, the younger Chan sisters freed themselves from their bindings and the wardrobe before phoning their father to report their ordeal and Karmein’s kidnapping. This call was made at approximately 9:20pm, with Karly blurting to her father Karmein was missing.
Daddy come home. A man with a knife, he took Karmein.
— Karly Chan
Their father rushed home to discover Karly and Karen cowering in the laundry room; he briefly searched the house for his oldest daughter before reporting her kidnapping to police, who arrived at the home within minutes.
My daughter is gone, a man with a knife took her from our home.
— John Chan to a D-24 police operator [KCSRC00046]
Timeline
| Date | Event |
| Saturday 5 November 1977 | Karmein Chan’s birth |
| 1978 | Hong Kong style restaurant named Mings opens at the Bulleen Plaza shopping centre [KCSRC00035] |
| June 1981 | Karly Chan’s birth [KCSRC00006] |
| Tuesday 31 May 1983 | Karen Chan’s birth [KCSRC00043] |
| September 1989 | Karmein has glandular fever (also known as infectious mononucleosis). She got treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital of Melbourne [KCSRC00018] |
| Monday 5 November 1990 | Karmein’s 13th birthday |
| Tuesday 6 November 1990 | Melbourne Cup, a 3.2Km handicap horse race, takes place at Flemington Racecourse |
| Sunday 17 March 1991 | Dissolution of the Soviet Union |
| Monday 1 April 1991 | Easter Monday (public holiday) |
| Friday 12 April 1991 | Last school day of term 1 |
| Saturday 13 April 1991 | 9AM: Tennis lesson for Karmein at the Boroondara Tennis Centre (ex-Camberwell Tennis Centre) |
| 10AM: Phyllis and Karmein have breakfast at the Bulleen Plaza shopping centre (cappuccino and orange juice) | |
| 10.30AM – 12PM (approx.): Karmein does her homework at the Bulleen Library. A married couple, friends of the Chans, collected Karmein and her sisters, who had been at a Chinese (Mandarin) lesson, and drove them to Ming’s | |
| 12.45PM (approx.): Lunch at Eltham restaurant | |
| 1.30PM – 5.44PM: Karmein, Karly and Karen played outside the restaurant and had dinner | |
| 5.45PM – 6PM: Eltham restaurant manager drives the 3 sisters home [KCSRC00019] Conflicts with KCSRC00005 | |
| 6PM – 6.29PM: The girls are at home with their dad John | |
| 6.30PM: John Chan goes to work at Ming’s restaurant in Eltham | |
| 6.31PM – 8.30PM: Karmein bathed her younger sisters and read them bedtime stories. They started watching Marilyn: Something’s Got To Give, a documentary looking at Marilyn Monroe working on her unfinished film [KCSRC00003] on Channel 10 [KCSRC00004] | |
| 8.40PM: Karmein and Karly encounter a man dressed in a green tracksuit and a balaclava wielding a long knife in the family hallway. He ties the younger sisters and lock them in a wardrobe | |
| 9.05PM: Karmein is abducted, barefoot and wearing a white short-sleeved knee-length nightdress with a blue flower pattern. From there, Karmein’s trail is lost | |
| 9.20PM: Karly and Karen break free and call their Dad at the restaurant | |
| 9.23PM: John Chan leaves his restaurant in Eltham | |
| 9.30PM: John Chan arrives at his home located 113 Serpells Road in Templestowe | |
| 9.35PM: Police is called | |
| 9.50PM: Sergeant Rodney David Phillips from Victoria Police is at the scene. He meets John Chan, Karly and Karen next to the garage [KCSRC00034] | |
| 10PM: The Chan family is taken to Doncaster police station to make their first statements | |
| Sunday 14 April 1991 | 3PM: Karmein Chan has now been missing for as long as Sharon Wills was in December of 1988 |
| Monday 15 April 1991 | 11PM: Karmein Chan has now been missing for as long as Nicola Lynas was in July of 1990 |
| Tuesday 16 April 1991 | John and Phyllis Chan give their first press conference |
| Friday 19 April 1991 | Karly and Karen Chan each write a letter to their missing sister |
| Tuesday 23 April 1991 | The Victorian government offered a $100000 reward, unusually fast and substantial |
| Wednesday 24 April 1991 | Police conducted a large-scale door knock of around 2500 homes near the Chans’ Templestowe residence |
| Monday 29 April 1991 | First school day of term 2 |
| Tuesday 30 April 1991 | Presbyterian Ladies’ College students return to school |
| Thursday 2 May 1991 | Phyllis Chan writes a letter to “Mr Kind” [KCSRC00051] |
| Friday 3 May 1991 | By then, patronage at the family’s two Chinese restaurants had dropped off dramatically [KCSRC00042] |
| Wednesday 8 May 1991 | Karmein Chan’s classmates wrote a letter to her family to express their sympathy [KCSRC00001] |
| Thursday 23 May 1991 | Phyllis Chan addresses a letter to “the man who is with Karmein Chan now” |
| Wednesday 5 June 1991 | Karly Chan has started to sleepwalk while calling out for her missing sister [KCSRC00044] |
| Sunday 23 June 1991 | Phyllis Chan publishes a coded letter in the Sunday Herald Sun |
| Tuesday 5 November 1991 | Phyllis Chan publishes another letter in the Herald Sun. Karmein would have been 14 years old |
| Thursday 9 April 1992 | Karmein’s body is found in Thomastown by a man walking his dog at around 5PM |
| Saturday 16 May 1992 | 10.30AM: A service is held at the Bulleen Baptist church. Later in the day, Karmein’s remains are cremated in Fawkner |
| Wednesday 20 May 1992 | About 700 students and teachers from the Presbyterian Ladies’ College attended a memorial service at Scots Church in Melbourne |
The offender was never brought to justice.
🔍 Public questions about the Karmein Chan case
Click here to provide information safely and anonymously.
KCQST0001 – Who was the last person outside the family to see Karmein Chan alive?
KCQST0002 – Were the phone lines cut?
KCQST0003 – What do we really know about Karmein Chan’s behavior during the home invasion?
KCQST0004 – Did the abductor know that Karmein had asthma?
KCQST0005 – Is there any evidence that Karmein Chan was taken to the same hideout as the other victims?
KCQST0006 – What was the exact distance between the abduction site and the place where her body was found?
KCQST0007 – Why did the perpetrator choose to kill Karmein, when previous victims had been released?
KCQST0008 – What was the likely route taken by the abductor between Templestowe and Edgars Creek?
KCQST0009 – Who are the witnesses or acquaintances today who might be willing to speak, or cooperate anonymously?
KCQST0010 – What did the place where Karmein was held prisoner look like, exactly? Is a reconstruction possible?
KCQST0011 – Was Mimi a dog or a cat (or something else)?
KCQST0012 – Did the abductor steal anything from the Chan residence (clothing, records, money…)?
KCQST0013 – Was Mimi present inside the Chan residence during the abduction?
KCQST0014 – If Mimi was a dog and was present at the Chan residence during the abduction, why didn’t he/she bark?
Questions about Karmein Chan herself
Click here to provide information safely and anonymously.
KCQST0015 – What was her favourite music (artist, track, composer…)?
KCQST0016 – What was her favourite TV show?
KCQST0017 – What was her favourite movie?
KCQST0018 – What was her favourite toy?
KCQST0019 – What was her favourite activity?
KCQST0020 – What was her favourite sport?
KCQST0021 – What was her favourite animal?
KCQST0022 – What was her favourite colour?
KCQST0023 – What was her favourite fruit?
KCQST0024 – What was her favourite food?
KCQST0025 – What was her favourite place?
KCQST0026 – What were her familiar expressions?
KCQST0027 – Was she into video games?
KCQST0028 – Where did she go to practice skating?
KCQST0029 – Was she taking ballet/dance lessons?
Extra context
About Karmein Chan
Photos
Essential facts
- Born in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday 5 November 1977
- Australian name: Karmein
- Australian family name: Chan
- Chinese name: 陈嘉敏 (“Miss Chen, praiseworthy and quick-minded”)
- 陈 (Chén) = Chan
- “Chan” is the Cantonese Romanisation of the Mandarin surname Chén (陈). It’s an extremely common Chinese family name, and “Chan” is how it often appears in Hong Kong and diaspora communities.
- 嘉敏 (Jiāmǐn) ≈ Karmein
- “Karmein” is a rare English transliteration, but very likely derived from 嘉敏.
- 嘉 = Ka or Kar
- 敏 = Min or Mein
- This kind of transliteration was common in Chinese families aiming to blend or internationalise their children’s names while retaining a connection to the original Chinese.
- “Karmein” is a rare English transliteration, but very likely derived from 嘉敏.
- Jyutping: Can4 Gaa1 Man5
- Tones: Low falling (4), High level (1), Mid rising (5)
- 陈 (Chén) = Chan
- Generation: X
- Height: 154cm [KCSRC00024]
- Parents: John and Phyllis Chan (Kam On John Chan & Phyllis Ngan Ying Lam)
- Languages spoken
- English
- Cantonese
- Mandarin
- Known medical conditions:
- Asthma (she had a metered dose inhaler next to her bed)
- No dental works performed
- Siblings: 2 sisters
- Karly Chan, born in June 1981 [KCSRC00006]
- Karen Chan, born Tuesday 31 May 1983 [KCSRC00043]
- Favourite dish: lasagne [KCSRC00036]
- Zodiac sign:
- Scorpio, sunsign (Western)
- Leo, moonsign (Vedic)
- Snake (蛇)
- Karmein once told her mum she wouldn’t go willingly after seeing media reports about Mr Cruel‘s abduction of Nicola Lynas,
- Karmein used her pocket money to go see The Phantom of the Opera musical (possibly around 1986 when she was 9 years old or in 1990 when she was 13)
- Karmein suffered from asthma and needed her inhaler whenever she got too tired or emotional
- Karmein Chan integrated the Presbyterian Ladies’ College located in Burwood in 1983 [KCSRC00002]
- In 1991, she was in year eight class 8H [KCSRC00001]
- Karmein Chan’s friends described her as “a very friendly person with a strong personality who had a bubbly sense of humour and who lived life to the fullest”
- William Mackay, principal of Presbyterian Ladies’ College, described Karmein as “charming, polite, enthusiastic and lively”
- Phyllis Lam (ex-Chan) said her eldest daughter was smart, caring and funny. “She had a soft heart, a sense of humour and was slim, tall and pretty,” Ms Lam said. “She was intelligent, well that’s what her mother says, but anyway she was very honest.”
- Karmein enjoyed telling made up stories about her weekends to her school friends for fun [KCSRC00005]
Her “favorite dress”
Karmein Chan enjoyed wearing a specific piece of clothing. It was a bright green hoodie with mid-length red sleeves and some Aztec-inspired illustration on the front.
Burial ceremony
More than 850 people were expected to attend the funeral service for Karmein Chan held from 10.30AM on Saturday 16 May 1992 at the Bulleen Baptist Church located at the corner of Marcus and Thompsons roads [KCSRC00049]. The service was filmed and photographed by police in case Mr Cruel was among the mourners.
Phyllis Chan was seen crying out for her dead daughter in total desperation while John Chan appeared lifeless, staring ahead. Karen and Karly Chan, looking lost and bemused, took their places with the Chinese choir to sing The Color Song. It was one they had learned in church with Karmein [KCSRC00048]. The choir also performed What a Friend We Have in Jesus [KCSRC00050].
Reverend Bill McFarlane made a plea for Karmein’s killer to come forward:
As a congregation throughout this building, we join with the Chan family and the Spectrum task force in pleading to that man to come forward, wherever he may be.
Perhaps he may listen to this on a news bulletin tonight, and I say again to that man: come forward.
— Reverend Bill McFarlane
This very emotional service was followed by cremation at Fawkner Cemetery [KCSRC00047].
A few days later, on Wednesday 20 May 1992, about 700 students and teachers from the Presbyterian Ladies’ College attended a memorial service at Scots Church.
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.— What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Joseph M. Scriven and Charles C. Converse
Familiar places and trips
In green, car trips. In blue, bus trips.
- A: Chan house in Templestowe
- B: Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Karmein’s school
- C: Box Hill, a city she went to daily during bus trips to/from school
- D: Ming’s restaurant in Eltham
- E: Bulleen Plaza shopping centre where the Chan family had a second restaurant; Karmein and Phyllis had breakfast there on Saturday mornings
- F: Boroondara Tennis Centre (ex-Camberwell Tennis Centre)
Typical weekday
All three Chan sisters used to catch the private bus line provided by their school, the Presbyterian Ladies’ College, to travel from their home to PLC in the morning, and from their school to the Eltham restaurant in the afternoon.
Typical weekend
Saturday routine (1990, 1991)
Around 8.30am, Phyllis Chan would drive Karmein from their home (1) to the Boroondara Tennis Centre (2) where she would practice tennis until 10am. In the meantime, her two younger sisters would go to a Chinese class.
They would then drive to the Bulleen Plaza shopping centre (3) and have breakfast. Once done, Karmein would go to the library downstairs in order to do some homework.
At midday lunch, friends of the Chan family would drive her and her sisters to Ming’s restaurant in Eltham (4) where they would spend the afternoon playing.
One of the restaurant employees would finally drive them back home at approximately 6pm. There sometimes was a babysitter available, but it often was Karmein who had the responsibility to bath her little sisters and look after them while their parents were at the restaurant for the busiest night of the week.
The world around her
Karmein Chan’s short life unfolded against a backdrop of rapid change, both in Australia and across the world. Born in 1977, she entered childhood in an era when color television had only just become common in Australian homes, when the music of ABBA and the Bee Gees played on radios, and when children queued for Star Wars figurines or puzzled over Rubik’s Cubes. At the time, Australia was led by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, while Hong Kong, still under British rule, lived with the uncertainties of colonial governance and the looming future. Internationally, the Cold War was at its height, marked by events such as the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
As Karmein grew into her early school years in the first half of the 1980s, the world around her changed quickly. Australia was under Bob Hawke, a charismatic leader whose reforms reshaped national life, while the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration brought news to Hong Kong families like the Chans that the territory would one day return to China. In culture, children of her age were enchanted by E.T., Return of the Jedi, and Back to the Future. On television and the radio, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Madonna’s Like a Virgin defined the decade, while toys like My Little Pony, Transformers, and Cabbage Patch Kids were treasured in many households. Technology was becoming personal: the Sony Walkman made private music listening possible, home computers like the Commodore 64 appeared in suburban living rooms, and early Nintendo systems arrived from Japan.
By the late 1980s, as Karmein entered her pre-adolescence, the world seemed both more connected and more turbulent. Australians followed Bob Hawke’s economic reforms, while globally the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union weakened, and the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing sent shockwaves through Chinese communities worldwide. Popular culture surrounded her with stories of empowerment and fantasy: Top Gun, The Karate Kid, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid. The music of Kylie Minogue and INXS gave Australians stars to call their own, while international acts like Whitney Houston and Bon Jovi dominated the charts. Children her age traded Polly Pocket, discovered the Nintendo Entertainment System, and marveled at the arrival of the handheld Game Boy. Computers and video game consoles became a normal part of suburban adolescence, even as the first enormous mobile phones began appearing in business districts.
In 1990 and 1991, as Karmein became a teenager, the world changed yet again. The Gulf War filled television screens, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the ongoing discussions over Hong Kong’s future remained in the background for families of Chinese heritage. Culturally, it was the age of Home Alone, Pretty Woman, and the blockbuster Terminator 2. Pop idols included Madonna with Vogue, New Kids on the Block, and MC Hammer, while in Australia, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan were household names. Leisure meant hours with a Nintendo Game Boy, or discovering the new Super Nintendo and Sega Mega Drive systems. On the technology front, Windows 3.0 and the Macintosh Classic brought graphical computing into ordinary homes, while MTV and expanding private television networks began shaping what it meant to be a teenager.
Karmein lived her thirteen years in this shifting landscape, between analog and digital, disco and global pop, Cold War tensions and the promise of new freedoms. To understand her life is also to understand the world she inhabited: a moment when Australia was finding its modern identity, Hong Kong was facing its uncertain future, and children everywhere were discovering new ways to play, to dream, and to imagine.
1977–1980: Early Childhood
Politics
- Australia: Malcolm Fraser was Prime Minister (Liberal coalition, until 1983).
- Hong Kong: still a British colony, governed by an appointed Governor.
- International: Cold War tensions; the Iranian Revolution (1979); Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979).
Culture
- Films: Star Wars (1977), Superman (1978), The Muppet Movie (1979).
- Music: Bee Gees and the disco era (Saturday Night Fever, 1977), ABBA at their peak.
- Toys: Star Wars action figures (Kenner), Rubik’s Cube (invented in 1974, widely popular by 1979).
Technology
- Color television (introduced in Australia in 1975) had become common.
- VCRs (VHS, Betamax) were beginning to appear in households.
- Video games: Space Invaders (1978), early consoles like the Atari 2600.
1981–1985: Childhood
Politics
- Australia: Bob Hawke became Prime Minister in 1983, charismatic and popular.
- Hong Kong: rising concerns about the future; the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984.
- International: Falklands War (1982), assassination of Indira Gandhi (1984), Reagan and Thatcher’s influence.
Culture
- Films: E.T. (1982), Return of the Jedi (1983), Back to the Future (1985).
- Music: Michael Jackson (Thriller, 1982), Madonna (Like a Virgin, 1984), Duran Duran, Culture Club.
- Toys: Barbie thriving, My Little Pony (1983), Transformers (1984), Cabbage Patch Kids (1983).
Technology
- Home computers: Commodore 64 (1982), Apple II, early IBM PCs.
- Sony Walkman widespread (released in 1979, hugely popular in the early 80s).
- Video games: Nintendo Famicom (1983 in Japan), ColecoVision, Sega SG-1000.
1986–1989: Pre-Adolescence
Politics
- Australia: Bob Hawke’s government continued, focused on economic reforms.
- Hong Kong: mounting anxieties about 1997; a growing, prosperous middle class.
- International: Chernobyl disaster (1986), fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), Tiananmen Square (1989).
Culture
- Films: The Karate Kid (1984), Top Gun (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989).
- Music: Kylie Minogue (Locomotion, 1987), INXS (Kick, 1987), Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi.
- Toys: Nintendo NES (1985 in the US, later in Australia), Game Boy (1989), Polly Pocket (1989).
Technology
- Growth of home PCs, Windows 1.0 (1985), Windows 2.0 (1987).
- Consoles: NES, Sega Master System (1985/86).
- VHS had largely replaced local cinemas for rewatching films.
- First-generation mobile phones (huge, mostly for professionals).
1990–1991: Adolescence
Politics
- Australia: Bob Hawke still Prime Minister, with Paul Keating in the background.
- Hong Kong: the 1997 handover discussions were a constant theme in the Chinese community.
- International: collapse of the USSR, Gulf War (1991).
Culture
- Films: Home Alone (1990), Pretty Woman (1990), Terminator 2 (1991).
- Music: New Kids on the Block, MC Hammer (U Can’t Touch This), Madonna (Vogue, 1990). In Australia: Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan.
- Toys / Leisure: Nintendo Game Boy (massive success), Super Nintendo (1990/91), Sega Mega Drive well established.
Technology
- Computers: Windows 3.0 (1990), Macintosh SE/Classic.
- Video games: Super Nintendo (1990 Japan, 1991 abroad), Sega Mega Drive, Game Boy everywhere.
- Media: private TV channels expanding, MTV shaping teenage culture.
About the Chan family
- The Chan family lived in Bulleen from 1977 to 1984. They then lived in Templestowe from 1984 to 1993,
- The Chan Family spoke mostly Cantonese at home [KCSRC00005],
- They had a dog called Mimi,
- They employed a babysitter, but she had to go to a party on the night of 13 April 1991 and was not available to look after the three sisters [KCSRC00005],
- Phyllis Chan was feeling off on the day Karmein got abducted. She even tried to call home between 7 and 8PM but was too busy with customers at her restaurant to get the call through [KCSRC00005],
- In May and June 1991, Karmein’s younger sister Karly was often seen sleepwalking at night while calling her sister’s name [KCSRC00005],
- Karly and Karen recorded prayers that were broadcasted on the 3AW radio station,
- John and Phyllis Chan divorced in 1993,
- The Chan residence was sold on the 23 October 1993 for 421,000 $AUD (928,894 $AUD adjusted for 2023 inflation),
- Phyllis Chan changed her name to Phyllis Lam, her initial family name.
Karmein, where are you – have you come home yet?
— Karly Chan while sleepwalking
About the abduction
- The abductor broke through a lounge room window and left with Karmein through the sliding kitchen door.
About D-24
At 9.35PM on Saturday 13 April 1991, John Chan placed a call to a D-24 police operator after confirming his daughter Karmein Chan was missing [KCSRC00046].
D-24 was the name of the Victoria Police emergency communications centre. It handled 000 emergency calls, plus direct lines from police stations, patrol cars, and other emergency services. In 1991, if you dialed 000, the call was routed (via the Telstra operator) to the appropriate state police centre; in Victoria that meant D-24 in Melbourne.
It wasn’t a “public number” in the sense that ordinary people would dial “D-24” directly; members of the public dialled 000 (or sometimes 11444 for non-urgent police matters).
About Saturday 13 April 1991
Trivia
- April 13, 1991 was the 103rd day of the year 1991 in the Gregorian calendar
- #1 US song: I’ve Been Thinking About You by Londonbeat
- #1 UK song: The One And Only by Chesney Hawkes
- Popular movie: Joker directed by Todd Phillips [KCSRC00039]
Weather
- Sunrise at 6.44am
- Sunset at 5.57pm
- Moon type: waning crescent
- Max wind speed: 26Km/h
- Patchy rain in the east clearing during the day, but isolated coastal drizzle or showers persisting. Cool to mild in the south with a light to moderate south-westerly wind extending to the east. A mild to warm day inland with variable wind
About the restaurants
In Eltham
The restaurant owned by the Chan parents in Eltham was originally named Ming’s Restaurant, but was renamed Ying’s Restaurant after Karmein’s death.
In Bulleen
Ming Chu
That restaurant was not owned and/or operated by the Chans.
About the Chan residence
General information
- Built in the 1960s, it got extended & renovated in 1985. That’s when the brick wall separating the property from Serpells Road (South side) and Church Road (West side) was built
- It featured an intercom system allowing communication between rooms
- Not sure if an alarm system was installed [KCSRC00005][KCSRC00017]
Floorplan
A: Karmein’s bedroom
Blue rectangle: bed
Green square: TV set
- 1 Point of entry into the Chan residence
- 2 Abductor possibly grabs a knife from the kitchen
- 3 The sisters watch TV in Karmein’s bedroom
- 4 Karmein and Karly bump into the abductor in the hallway while going to the kitchen
- 5 Karen and Karly are tied and locked in a wardrobe (center bedroom)
- 6 Karmein and her abductor leave through the kitchen sliding door
- 7 John Chan finds Karen and Karly cowering in the laundry room
- Note: The pink dots are not confirmed to be the exact path followed by the abductor
Photos
Intercom system
Visit
Demolition
The demolition took place between April and September 2024
About the graffitied Toyota Camry
At around 7.40PM, the abductor spray paints a message on the red utility car of the family.
Asian drug dealer!
Pay
back
More
Anon more to come
In this context, anon means “at another time” or “again”.
About Mr Cruel
Mr Cruel is the moniker for an unidentified Australian serial child rapist who attacked three girls in the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the prime suspect in the 1991 abduction and murder of a fourth girl, Karmein Chan. His moniker came from a headline in the Melbourne newspaper The Sun.
Mr Cruel has never been identified, and his three confirmed attacks and the suspected murder remain unsolved cold cases. There is a reward of A$200,000 for the two first abductions (1988 and 1990). In April 2016, twenty-five years after the death of Karmein Chan, Victoria Police increased the reward for information that leads to the perpetrator’s arrest and conviction, from A$100,000 to A$1,000,000.
Police describe Mr Cruel as highly intelligent. He meticulously planned each attack, conducted surveillance on the victims and their families, ensured he left no forensic traces, protected his identity by covering his face at all times and left red herrings to divert family and/or police attention. He was soft-spoken, and his behaviour was unhurried; during one attack he took a break in a victim’s house to eat a meal. He threatened to injure his victims or their family members with a knife or a handgun.
As to who he was as a man, very little information is available and we are left mostly with speculations. In The Age from Sunday 12 April 1992, it is revealed that Mr Cruel told some of his victims he was himself the victim of sexual assault as a child. Judging from how bold and well organised he was, we can infer he might have been an older seasoned offender with a long history of increasingly damaging crimes starting somewhere in the late 1970s.
Cruel timeline
| Date | Event | School holiday? |
| February 1985, 5am | Hampton Victim unknown | Possibly |
| July 1985, 8.25pm | Hampton Unknown 14yo victim | No |
| Wednesday 4 December 1985 | Warrandyte Unknown 30yo victim | No |
| Friday 6 December 1985 | Donvale Unknown 30/35yo victim | No |
| Saturday 7 December 1985, 11.30pm | Bulleen Unknown 34yo victim | No |
| Saturday 22 August 1987 | Lower Plenty Name unknown | No |
| Tuesday 27 December 1988 | Ringwood Sharon Wills | Yes |
| Tuesday 3 July 1990 | Canterbury Nicola Lynas | No |
| Saturday 13 April 1991 | Templestowe Karmein Chan | Yes |
Careful, cool, kind or cruel?
My liberty, my freedom, is more important than your life
— Mr Cruel
The moniker “Mr Cruel” was first introduced by the Melbourne newspaper The Sun on Thursday 19 November 1987. This followed a series of home invasion sexual assaults in Melbourne’s suburbs, where police described the perpetrator as “super cool and super cruel.” The media adopted this description, and the name “Mr Cruel” became widely used to refer to the unidentified offender.
This naming occurred shortly after the first confirmed attack attributed to Mr Cruel in August 1987. In that incident, an 11-year-old girl was assaulted in her Lower Plenty home. The assailant’s meticulous planning and calculated demeanor led to the characterization that inspired his moniker.
Interestingly, he got called “Dr Cruel” by mistake in the Sydney Morning Herald published on Saturday 24 May 1997.
It has to be said though that there might not even be a Mr Cruel at all; it could be that a bunch of unresolved crimes ended up attributed to some sort of catchall character.
Physical appearance
A man 25 to 45, about 168 to 180 centimetres tall, possibly a small pot belly and of slim to medium build (composite description from multiple sources).
Associate Professor David Wells, who used to be a forensic physician with Victoria Police at the time of the attacks, reported Mr Cruel might have suffered from some sort of back injury [KCSRC00055].
Common types of back injuries compatible with that information:
- Lumbar disc herniation (L4–L5, L5–S1 region)
- Common in men in their 30s–40s, causes pain when bending forward or sitting for long periods
- Patients often prefer to stay upright or lie prone (on their stomach); would make certain positions impossible or extremely painful, but climbing or carrying short distances might still be possible
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Pain when rotating the pelvis or during certain hip movements
- Could force him into a narrow range of tolerable positions
- Strong men can still climb fences and lift, but movements involving twisting the lower back are avoided
- Old compression fracture or vertebral injury
- If he had an accident (fall, sport, work injury, even military training), the vertebra may have healed but left stiffness and pain
- Would limit him to less mobile positions, but not necessarily affect strength
The most likely explanation is a lower-back injury (herniated lumbar disc or sacroiliac dysfunction) that made certain movements impossible. He could still climb and lift in bursts, but during assaults he forced the victims into postures that spared his back from strain.
The lair
- Location: North-Western suburbs of Melbourne, somewhere around the airport (jet planes could be heard very clearly)
- A house of moderate size built in the 1950s/1970s
- Driveway on the right side, no garage
- Had to walk 5 steps left from the driveway to a side door leading to the kitchen
- Victims didn’t enter the home through the frontdoor
- About the bedroom
- Sliding door, white
- 2nd room from the frontdoor on the right
- Light coloured walls
- Double bed with white doona
- 2 bedside tables, with a radio on the left
- Large window/sliding door with full length peach coloured curtain
- About the bathroom
- Pedestal handbasin, separate adjustment for hot and cold water
- Shower with a door that slides to the left
- One somewhat small bathtub with soap holders
- Lino on floor, round mat
- About the toilets
- Next to the bathroom
- Door opens to the left from outside
- Toilet paper dispenser on the right when seated
- Lino on the floor
- Dual mode flush
Canon attacks
Saturday 22 August 1987 – Lower Plenty – Name unknown
A man wearing a balaclava broke into a family home at 4:00 am, armed with a knife and a handgun. He tied the hands and feet of both parents, and locked them in a wardrobe. He then tied the son to a bed, and raped the 11-year-old daughter. He had cut the phone lines.
Happened during Term 3 of ’87 (13 July – 28 September).
Tuesday 27 December 1988 – Ringwood – Sharon Wills
493 days since previous attack (1y 4m 5d)
A man broke into a family home in Ringwood via the back door at about 5:20 am, wearing a balaclava and armed with a handgun. He bound and gagged the parents, and demanded money. He then grabbed their 10-year-old daughter, put tape over her eyes and a ball gag in her mouth, and abducted her. She was released eighteen hours later on the grounds of Bayswater High School.
While she was held captive, Sharon repeatedly heard the sound of low-flying aircraft leading authorities to believe she was held somewhere in the Tullamarine Airport flight path.
Happened during school holidays between Term 4 of ’88 (3 October – 22 December) and Term 1 of ’89 (1 February – 23 March).
Tuesday 3 July 1990 – Canterbury – Nicola Lynas
553 days since previous attack (1y 6m 6d)
In Canterbury, a man broke into a family home at 11:30 pm, armed with a knife and a gun, and wearing a balaclava. He tied and gagged a 13-year-old girl, placed tape over her eyes, disabled the phones, and searched for money. He then drove her to another house and molested her for fifty hours before releasing her at a power sub-station in the suburb of Kew.
Nicola later told authorities she could also hear aircraft from the house where she was held captive.
Happened during Term 2 of ’90 (30 April – 6 July).
Karmein Chan
Saturday 13 April 1991 – Templestowe
284 days since previous attack (9m 10d)
In Templestowe, a man wearing a balaclava broke into a family home at about 8:40 pm, armed with a knife. He abducted 13-year-old Karmein Chan, who went to the same school as the Canterbury victim. Chan’s decomposed body, with three gunshot wounds to the head, was found a year later.
Investigators believe Karmein may have been killed because she had either seen her abductor’s face, or because he feared the child could identify him. It has been reported that some detectives had doubts about whether this crime was committed by Mr Cruel.
Detective Chris O’Connor answered a journalist’s question in 2013 about whether Mr Cruel was responsible, saying “we just don’t know if it was Mr Cruel who murdered Karmein … we just can’t be sure because there isn’t enough evidence to make a value judgement about whether it was or wasn’t him in the Karmein case.”
Her murder in 1991 marked the end of Mr Cruel’s reign of terror. After this he fell off the radar and is not believed to have ever struck again.
Happened on the first day of school holidays between Term 1 (29 January – 12 April) and Term 2 (29 April – 5 July) of ’91.
Hampton cases
There had been varying reports by the media of suspected attacks prior to 1987. The police have never released specific details of suspected attacks.
February 1985, 5am – Hampton – Victim unknown
Happened during or close to Term 1 of ’85 (4 February – 10 May).
July 1985, 8.25pm – Hampton – Unknown 14yo victim
Happened during Term 2 of ’85 (27 May – 23 August).
Wednesday 4 December 1985 – Warrandyte – Unknown 30yo victim
Happened during Term 3 of ’85 (9 September – 19 December).
Friday 6 December 1985 – Donvale – Unknown 30/35yo victim
Happened during Term 3 of ’85 (9 September – 19 December).
Saturday 7 December 1985, 11.30pm – Bulleen – Unknown 34yo victim
Happened during Term 3 of ’85 (9 September – 19 December).
Is Mr Cruel responsible for Karmein Chan’s abduction and murder?
At this stage, it is not possible to answer that question with confidence.
Karmein Chan on video
The following footage shows Karmein Chan when she was alive and has been sourced from publicly available material.
Around the abduction
Press conference from Tuesday 16 April 1991
Presentation
On Tuesday 16 April 1991, worried, their hearts broken by Karmein’s abduction, John and Phyllis Chan give their first press conference. Their daughter has been missing for more than 48 hours at that stage, and there is a growing concern about her wellbeing, considering she is affected by asthma and usually has a metered dose inhaler next to her bed. Phyllis Chan is clearly distressed and is barely able to speak.
Video
Quotes from Phyllis Chan
Please, bring my daughter Karmein back home, because all my family loves her very much, her two sisters couldn’t sleep and are very upset. They want Karmein back… Karmein reads a story to the sisters every night.
Your favorite dress is here Karmein, come back and dress it! Please, release my daughter! All the family love her. Karmein, your sisters need you. Don’t spoil my family. Take my daughter home safe.
She can’t get very tired. If Karmein is very sick, just send her to a hospital, please.
She loved her sisters and her mum and her dad. I love her really very much. Karmein, I can’t miss you any more.
— Phyllis Chan [KCSRC00041]
Quotes from John Chan
I think I will send my girls out of the country for a little while and I hope we can get this settled and then bring them back.
We hope the man understands and will release her as soon as possible so we can have the family together.
She is very nice, very good and we are proud of her.
I work hard and I’ve had a good opportunity in Australia.
— John Chan [KCSRC00041]
The Edgars Creek Incident (ECI)
On Saturday 13 April 1991 at around 11PM, the night Karmein Chan got abducted, a man living on Elizabeth Street in Coburg was looking for baby formula. Having no car, he walked (pink lines) to a Seven Eleven 24/7 minimart (blue dot) and made an encounter he will never forget.
While looking towards a creek (red circles), he heard a single gunshot and saw a man wearing overalls standing next to a ute, his hand in the air while holding a rifle.
That location being fairly close to the Thomastown SEC Terminal Station where Karmein’s remains were later discovered, the shooter might have been the abductor.
A letter to Mr Kind
On Thursday 2 May 1991, Phyllis Chan, desperate to get her daughter Karmein back, publishes an open letter to the man who abducted her 19 days earlier, on Saturday 13 April 1991.
TO THE MAN WHO TOOK KARMEIN CHAN
DEAR “MR KIND” (NOT MR CRUEL)
We miss Karmein very very much.
Please let Karmein go. We know
you are a KIND AND CARING PERSON.
We hope Karmein is SAFE with you.
School has resumed and it would
be nice if Karmein can return to
school. Thank you for LETTING HER
FREE. And we can REBUILD OUR
LIVES. PLEASE HEAR OUR PLEA ?
LOVE
from The CHAN Family
Father, mother and sisters of Karmein
— Phyllis Chan
Karmein Chan remains discovery location
How it happened
On Thursday 9 April 1992 at around 5PM, Karmein’s body was found in Thomastown by a man walking his dog. The red dots on both maps show the exact location (37°41’29.9″S 145°00’30.3″E).
It’s within a field surrounded by an industrial zone, with a small river running South-West. It’s not nice and does not feel safe at all.
What was recovered
It is unclear if the full skeleton was recovered. According to some sources, that is the case, but according to at least another:
Forensic odontologists Dr John Clement and Dr Sheena Chan in charge of examining the skeletal remains had little to work with—only portions of the skull, the jaw, and the neck could be found.
We will proceed with our documentation effort in order to clarify.
Observations
- The area is not accessible to regular vehicles; a 4 wheel drive is required
- You don’t get there by mistake, prior knowledge of the location is very likely
- The abductor most likely used the Southern access points, as he would have been able to park his vehicle about 150 meters from the burial site
The Billy Chan attack
On Monday 23 January 1995, Phyllis Lam (ex-Chan) was attacked in front of her home on Rocklea Road in Bulleen just after midnight by Billy Chan, a disgruntled ex-employee (not a relative). It was a violent event that left her physically impaired.
I am Karmein Chan’s mother… I am the missing girl’s mother… Please leave me alone!
— Phyllis Lam
He fled with the bag she was carrying, filled with money, a few documents, jewellery and Karmein’s passport.
Phyllis got rescued by a neighbour and immediately taken to the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.
Escape via a SEC service road
While it is commonly accepted the abductor drove North on Church Rd, then West on Reynolds Rd, it has been suggested that another escape path going through a SEC service road might have been used.
The map below is from the 1990 Melway 20th edition and shows the two candidate escape routes:
Holden Commodore Vacationer
During a press conference related to the case of Sharon Wills, a previous victim of Mr Cruel in December 1988, the police announced there was almost a car incident near Bayswater park just before Sharon was dropped off.
The little girl described the car as “hard to start, smelling clean, but old”. That same car might have been used during the abduction of Karmein Chan.
- Around 11.15PM, near collision between witness and a white early 1980s Holden Commodore Vacationer VK turning left into Mountain Highway (also known as Wantirna-Sassafras Road) from Jersey Road with its lights off
- Altercation escalates between witness and driver of the Vacationer; plenty of colourful names are called, attracting the attention of passers-by
- Vacationer turns right into Church Street, where Sharon Wills was later found (around 14 Orchard Road)
During the whole incident, the man driving the white Holden Commodore Vacationer VK did all he could so that his face could not be seen by the witness.
The witness also reports seeing a child under a blanket on the backseat of the Vacationer.
Parer Street stalker
In the days leading to the abduction of Karmein Chan, a student from Presbyterian Ladies’ College, a girls-only school, reported witnessing a car driving up and down Parer Street, with the driver looking intently at the girls waiting to be picked up by their parents.
This happened daily over several days, often enough to raise suspicion and get a report to the police. The driver was a caucasian male between 25 and 35 years old, and the car was described as “beat up”.
He was not seen again after the disappearance of miss Chan.
Tributes to Karmein
From John and Phyllis Chan
Our darling daughter, you were snatched from us so very suddenly. We have searched and searched, we have cried and cried, how we wish you are back with us now.
But God is great, he will comfort us and give us strength. Karmein, you are safe with God now. We love you, we miss you. Forever in our hearts you will be remembered. Some day we shall meet again.
Rest peacefully dearest Karmein. Mum and Dad
From Karly and Karen Chan
Our dearest sister, we miss you heaps. We think of you every day sister Karmein. Thank you for being our big sister. We love you, we love you, we love you. Till we meet again from your loving sisters Karly and Karen
A song for Miss Chan
Special thanks
This website could not have taken shape without the help, generosity, and kindness of several people.
To those who shared memories, information, advice, or simply words of encouragement, thank you.
Your time, trust, and care have mattered more than you probably realize.
Every contribution, large or small, helped me move forward in a task that often felt impossible to complete.
This site is stronger, fairer, and more accurate because of you.
I am deeply grateful.
Want to learn more?
A list of online resources curated by The Cruel Song.
Read
- Start here: Melbourne Marvels
- Add a healthy dose of Who is Mr Cruel?
- Explore the Australian Newspapers Collection
- Have a look at the Mr Cruel Map
- Read through the MrCruel blog
Listen
- Melbourne Marvels podcast on Spotify
- Melbourne Marvels podcast on Apple Podcasts
- Casefile 41 on Spotify
- Casefile 41 on Apple Podcasts
Watch
A Person To Remember
Je t’ai cherchée sur toute la Terre
S. Sabban
Mais tu n’y étais pas
Je t’ai cherchée au Ciel
Mais il ne répondait pas
Je suis allé aux Enfers
Sous toutes les Mers
Mais j’en suis revenu amer
Découragé, solitaire
Je me suis retranché dans ma coquille
Et, surprise, tu étais là
Tu vis en moi
Souvenir froissé
Qui jamais ne respire
Je t’aime, bien sûr
Comment ne le pourrais-je pas ?
Familière inconnue, à la vie si tôt interrompue
Jours volés par une nuit aux rêves dépravés
Rien ne remplace, je le déplore
La chaleur d’un corps
Cathédrale de chair, soumise au Temps
Ossature, pensées, ligaments
Je me trompais quand je songeais
Que les morts perdent tout emplacement
Ils sont là, en dedans
Locataires silencieux, ombrageux occupants
Sources
| Code | Title | Identifiers | URL | Facts |
| KCSRC00001 | The Age, 08/05/1991, page 5 | Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 8, 1991 ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 | Link | Karmein Chan’s class at PLC |
| KCSRC00002 | The Age, 30/04/1991, page 3 | Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited Apr 30, 1991 ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 | Link | Karmein Chan’s first year at PLC |
| KCSRC00003 | The Age, 07/04/1991, page 89 | Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited Apr 7, 1991 ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 | Link | Documentary watched by the 3 sisters on TV just before the abduction took place |
| KCSRC00004 | The Age, 11/04/1991, page 30 | Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited Apr 11, 1991 ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 | Link | TV channel name for doco on Marilyn Monroe |
| KCSRC00005 | Book – Dirty dozen : shocking Australian true crime stories | ISBN: 9781740665728 | Link | Interview of Phyllis Chan/Lam |
| KCSRC00006 | Wikipedia – Murder of Karmein Chan | n/a | Link | Information about the Chans Detailed review of the abduction |
| KCSRC00007 | Blog – Melbourne Marvels | Melbourne Marvels | Link | Most knowledgeable resource about the Mr Cruel case |
| KCSRC00008 | Blog – Who is Mr Cruel? | n/a | Link | Another very good source of information |
| KCSRC00009 | School term dates 1991 | State Library Victoria | Link | School term dates for the year 1991 |
| KCSRC00010 | Website – Aerial photos | Manningham Council | Link | 1991 aerial photos of the Chan residence |
| KCSRC00011 | Website – Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society | Judith Leaney | Link | Vintage photo of Bulleen Plaza |
| KCSRC00012 | Book – Melway Edition 20 from 1990 | ISSN: 0311-3957 | Link | Vintage Melbourne maps |
| KCSRC00013 | Map – The Met, Public Transport Map of Melbourne from 1992 | n/a | Link | Melbourne transports map from 1992 |
| KCSRC00014 | Map – The Mr Cruel Map | Melbourne Marvels | Link | Spatial data Facts |
| KCSRC00015 | Photo | ©Wayne Ludbey/The Age FXB1603372 | Link | Phyllis Chan in Karmein’s bedroom, 13/04/1991 |
| KCSRC00016 | Photo | ©Tina Haynes/The Age FXB1614201 | Link | Phyllis Chan in Karmein’s bedroom, 03/11/1991 |
| KCSRC00017 | Conversation with Eamonn Gunning from Melbourne Marvel | n/a | n/a | Birthdates of Karly and Karen Chan Presence of an alarm system in the Chan residence |
| KCSRC00018 | The Age, 21/04/1991, page 5 | Link | Karmein’s glandular fever Phone call from Karly Chan to her father on the night of the abduction | |
| KCSRC00019 | The Age, 13/09/1997, page 3 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited Sep 13, 1997 | Link | Abduction timeline according to deputy state coroner Iain West (differs significantly from the Wikipedia/Paul Anderson timeline [KCSRC00005]) |
| KCSRC00020 | grays.com | Sale : 20084097>Lot : 0001 | Link | Photo of 1974 Holden HQ Monaro GTS |
| KCSRC00021 | Website – Registration labels repro | n/a | Link | Rego sticker analysis |
| KCSRC00022 | User “pwurg” from Reddit | Profile | Link | Photo of the intercom system installed in the ex-chan residence |
| KCSRC00023 | Color version of a photo mostly seen in black and white | The Hunters: Mr Cruel (S01E01) | Link | Karmein Chan during winter |
| KCSRC00024 | OpenAI ChatGPT 4o | The height of Karmein Chan has been obtained from a specialized OpenAI ChatGPT 4o (moderate risk of hallucination) | n/a | Karmein Chan height in 1991 |
| KCSRC00025 | Ask Oracle website | n/a | Link | Zodiac sign information about Karmein Chan |
| KCSRC00026 | YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@australianews | Link | Edgars Creek incident original video (2012) |
| KCSRC00027 | Bus and Coach Society of Victoria website | Melbourne Government Bus Routes 1971 to 1993: 200 – 377 & 600 – 602 | Link | Historical bus routes information (Melbourne) |
| KCSRC00028 | Missing and Murdered blog | n/a | Link | Trivia about Phyllis Lam and Karmein Chan |
| KCSRC00029 | YouTube | The chilling case of Mr Cruel’s abductions | Link | Informations about the abduction of Karmein Chan |
| KCSRC00030 | Weather Spark website | April 1991 Weather History at Melbourne Airport Victoria, Australia | Link | Melbourne weather data for Saturday 13 April 1991 |
| KCSRC00031 | Vice website | Maddison Connaughton from Vice, April 13 2016 | Link | Twenty-Five Years On, Here’s Everything We Know About the Murder of Karmein Chan |
| KCSRC00032 | The Canberra Times, Monday 15 April 1991 | Kidnapping ‘May be the third’ | Link | Newspapers article about the abduction of Karmein Chan |
| KCSRC00033 | User “GoingInForPhase2” from Reddit | Profile | Link | Drawings of the balaclavas used by Mr Cruel |
| KCSRC00034 | The Age, Friday 11 April 2025 | When Karmein Chan was abducted, this policeman was first at the scene | Link | Original Victoria Police statement from Rodney David Phillips, the 1st policeman to enter the crime scene |
| KCSRC00035 | Facebook post | n/a | Non-disclosable | Bulleen Plaza restaurant, opening year |
| KCSRC00036 | Reddit DM | n/a | Non-disclosable | Chan sister’s favourite dish |
| KCSRC00037 | Book – Melway Edition 20 from 1990 | ISSN: 0311-3957 | n/a | Burwood, PLC, Parer street |
| KCSRC00038 | Map – Melbourne & suburbs | © ACV 03/1990 | n/a | Vintage map of Melbourne |
| KCSRC00039 | Website – TakeMeBackTo | n/a | link | Trivia about Saturday 13 April 1991 |
| KCSRC00040 | Website – My Trips by Blenner Hassett | n/a | link | Hong Kong harbour in 1988 |
| KCSRC00041 | The Age, 17/04/1991, page 3 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited Apr 17, 1991 | link | Quotes from the interview given by the Chan parents on Tuesday 16 April 1991 |
| KCSRC00042 | The Age, 03/05/1991, page 5 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 3, 1991 | link | Patronage drop in both restaurants |
| KCSRC00043 | The Age, 24/05/1991, page 3 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 24, 1991 | link | Karen Chan birthday (Tuesday 31 May 1983) |
| KCSRC00044 | The Age, 05/06/1991, page 5 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited Jun 5, 1991 | link | Karly Chan has started to sleepwalk |
| KCSRC00045 | The Age, 14/08/1994, page 6 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited Aug 14, 1994 | link | Lesser known portrait of Karmein Chan |
| KCSRC00046 | The Age, 04/05/1991, page 19 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 4, 1991 | link | Photo of the Chan sisters sitting on a bed |
| KCSRC00047 | The Age, 11/05/1992, page 5 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 11, 1992 | link | Information about Karmein Chan’s funeral service |
| KCSRC00048 | The Age, 17/05/1992, page 3 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 17, 1992 | link | Information about Karmein Chan’s funeral service |
| KCSRC00049 | The Age, 16/05/1992, page 3 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 16, 1992 | link | Information about Karmein Chan’s funeral service |
| KCSRC00050 | 3AW radio broadcast | Copyright 3AW | n/a | Audio recording of radio broadcast about Karmein Chan’s funeral ceremony |
| KCSRC00051 | The Age, 02/05/1991, page 1 | ISSN: 2203-580X e-ISSN: 0312-6307 Copyright Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited May 2, 1991 | link | Letter from Phyllis Chan to “Mr Kind” |
| KCSRC00052 | Unlabelled newspaper from Tuesday 2 July 1996 | Copyright Eltham District Historical Society via Victorian Collections | link | Opening year for Ying’s restaurant in Eltham |
| KCSRC00053 | YouTube video | YouTube user VFAFOOTY | link | Video shot around and inside the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital in 1991 |
| KCSRC00054 | YouTube video | YouTube user Gezza1967 | link | Aerial view of The Royal Children Hospital of Melbourne in 1963 |
| KCSRC00055 | Podcast with Associate Professor David Wells as a guest. He used to be a forensic physician with Victoria Police at the time of the attacks | Crime Insiders Episode 237, season 3 FORENSICS | Mr. Cruel Monday 4 August 2025 | link | New details about Mr Cruel Medical condition related to his back |
| KCSRC00056 | Anonymous informant | n/a | Non-disclosable | Karmein Chan wanted to become a paediatrician |
| KCSRC00057 | Podcast dated from Tuesday 16 September 2025 | Melbourne Marvels Mr Cruel 12 Special episode Interview with the Holden Commodore Vacationer witness | link | Mr Cruel might have been seen bringing Sharon Wills to her release location on Tuesday 27 December 1988 around 11.30PM |
Backstage
This section contains less polished content.
Press review
Photo analysis
Speculative timelines
Version
TCS-WWKC-0033
The Cruel Song 