escalating violence in our community Become a member of the Sensible Sentencing Trust

Mouseover links for full page descriptions

Offender Database Craig McConnell

Craig Andrew McConnell

Alias

.

Offences

Murder of a Gold Coast, Australia sex shop owner Robert Mannix in June 1984
Murdered Lovena Cunningham, also in Australia, in August 1984
Also prior convictions for rape, armed robbery, car theft

Victims

Robert Mannix
Lovena Cunningham

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1965

Current Location

At large in the Timaru area

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to life imprisonment with parole after 18 years in 1986
Released February 2003

Background
NZ Herald story here and here
More on his Australian history here and also here

The Gold Coast Bulletin. Southport, Queensland, November 8, 2010
Cold Case Part 2 of our story that featured in Saturdays Bulletin. Ann-Louise Brown continues her search for the murderer of Gold Coast woman Linda Reed Bob Pease, a retired homicide detective, believes he knows who killed Linda Reed.

It is the same man he charged with the crime 25 years ago - convicted double murderer Craig McConnell. Linda, a 21-year-old Gold Coast woman, was brutally murdered almost 27 years Ago. She was hijacked at Pacific Fair, sexually assaulted, bound and drowned, her body left in a creek bed near a deserted Gaven road.

Mr Pease headed the investigation into Linda's murder and was instrumental in having McConnell charged. When the case went to trial, however, McConnell was found not guilty after the prime witness, McConnell's alleged accomplice Gregory Rooker, committed suicide.

"The evidence against McConnell was so compelling," Mr Pease said. It was unfortunate Rooker died before the trial. There's no doubt his evidence would have strengthened the case."

Mr Pease said McConnell had admitted in Boggo Road Jail to killing Linda, telling Graham Steer, who passed the information on to police. McConnell's knowledge of the crime was so intimate he even admitted to finishing Linda's lunch - cheese and pickle sandwiches - after killing her. Forensic teams found traces of cheese in Linda's car and her stomach contents. McConnell's history also made him a prime candidate.

"He had a shocking criminal history - two murders, rape, armed robbery, car theft. In my opinion he's a psychopath," Mr Pease said. "McConnell was a cold-blooded murderer. He'd already killed two other people that we knew of and we were investigating him for other killings around the same time. Female hitch-hikers had been turning up dead around the Coast.

"I think he killed others but we could never pin them on him - just Linda's murder. The day he was found not guilty was one of the worst in my life. I was devastated."

Though double jeopardy laws mean he can never be tried for Linda's murder again, McConnell has maintained his innocence.

In 2003, he was released from jail after serving 18 years, having being found guilty of murdering Tweed sex-shop owner Robert Mannix and Surfers Paradise prostitute Lovina Cunningham. He was deported to his native New Zealand. He has started a new life in Timaru, a two-hour drive south of Christchurch, where he co-owns an auction house.

When asked about Linda's murder and her father's illness, McConnell was defensive and audibly anxious. "I was found not guilty of her murder and I had nothing to do with it," McConnell said.

"I've done my time and that's the end of my comment."

A reward of $250,000 has been offered for information leading to a conviction in the case. Police have also offered indemnity from prosecution for any accomplice who provides information.

'He had a shocking criminal history two murders, rape, armed robbery, car theft. In my opinion hes a psychopath' - Retired homicide detective Bob Pease

---

Corrections and Additional Information
We endeavour to make this database as accurate as possible, but we are at the mercy of whatever information we can find in various online and offline archives. We rely on the public - that is, people like you - to fill in the gaps that we cannot. If you wish to submit additional information or a correction to this file CLICK HERE . Privacy: Trust policy is that all sources are treated as strictly confidential unless we are explicitly told otherwise. If you wish to see a file removed from this database certain conditions must be met by the offender set out HERE Note that this does NOT apply for those that are the primary offender in a murder, rape, or any sexual offending involving minors. We do not enter into correspondence regarding the guilt/innocence of offenders. Such correspondence is not responded to, especially if the offender concerned has a number of prior convictions

Back to Top