Networked Knowledge - Book Reports

[This edited version of the report has been prepared by Dr Robert N Moles]

Debi Marshall homepage

See also
Bob Moles: A state of Injustice - book now online
Bob Moles: Losing Their Grip - The Case of Henry Keogh - book now online

On 5 June 2007 Perth Now / AAP reported “Blogger not killer: police”.

It said suggestions that the Claremont serial killer might be blogging on a crime blog and leaving clues to his identity have been discounted by WA police. The man, who calls himself "Dr Phibes", started contributing detailed knowledge about the killings after journalist Gary Hughes started writing about the murders in his blog Gotcha in October last year. Hughes said Dr Phibes had continued writing to Gotcha for the past eight months. He now calls himself Dr Phibes of The Valley and Dr Phibes of Herne Hill.  WA police spokesman Ian Hasleby said today that the police were aware of the blogger's identity and had spoken to him. "He's been spoken to and his claims have been investigated," Mr Hasleby said. "There has been nothing of use or interest to the investigation."  

Brisbane-based journalist Debi Marshall sparked a furore last month when she launched her book on the serial killings, The Devil's Garden.  WA police reacted angrily to the book, in which Marshall criticised what is the longest-running and most expensive murder investigation in Australia. Police have not found the killer of the three Perth women, who were last seen in Claremont and the body of the first victim has never been found.

Dr Phibes' latest comment was yesterday. Dr Phibes' first post referred to specific possible locations of the victims' bodies, saying it was "just a feeling" he had. Former police detective and lecturer at Perth's Centre for Forensic Science, Robin Napper, said Dr Phibes' comments were "seriously spooky". “Whoever this blogger is, he has more than a passing interest in the subject and is teasing us with his knowledge of all three victims," he told author Marshall in The Devil's Garden. In another comment, Dr Phibes wrote: "I met Sarah McMahon in early nov 2000. She came to my place for a visit with 2 friends on a Friday.I saw her on the Sunday afterwards. She disappeared on the day after Melbourne Cup in Nov 2000. The Police flew their chopper (Polair 61) over my 1/2 acre place near the Swan Valley, as cause i had met her.They bugged my phone for a while."

Hughes said he had not tried to contact Dr Phibes because police reaction to Marshall's book had been negative, with claims Marshall was "cashing in" on one of Western Australia's greatest tragedies. Hughes said Marshall had exchanged emails with Dr Phibes, but he wasn't sure if they had met. "As you know, people use anonymity to comment on blogs," Hughes said. "My blog attracts traffic from both sides - police, former detectives and known criminals."

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