Case 183
The MacKenzie Family
*** Content Warning: child victims, child sexual assault, extreme violence ***
In February 1993, a tragedy struck that would put a Western Australian town on the map for all the wrong reasons. 31-year-old single mother Karen MacKenzie and her three children, Daniel, Amara and Katrina were all sleeping peacefully when an intruder entered their home and brutally hacked the family to death with an axe. The murders devastated the community and came to be known as the Greenough Family Massacre. But who was responsible?
Investigators considered all possibilities, including that the perpetrator could be a scorned lover, or that the murders could have been a revenge attack by a local criminal gang. But when Karen’s friend Bill Mitchell is also attacked, the truth that emerges is worse than anyone could have imagined.
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Elsha McGill
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
PREMIUM
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RESOURCES
COURT RECORDS
William Patrick Mitchell VS the Queen
VIDEOS
Criminal Investigation Australia – The Greenough Family Massacre
A Current Affair – Keep this monster behind bars
ONLINE ARTICLES
Axe murderer William Patrick Mitchell ‘wiped out a quarter of my family tree’ – News.com.au
Axe murderer William Mitchell refused parole over gravity of crime and risk to community – ABC News
Axe murderer William Mitchell should not be able to apply for release, victim’s sister says – ABC News
Parole rejected for Greenough killer William Patrick Mitchell – News.com.au
Police probe ‘Greenough killer letter’ – News.com.au
Jail downgraded for Greenough axe killer – Sydney Morning Herald
‘Everything in life happens for a reason’ – Perth Now
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES
Mother, three children killed – The Age
Drug links to slaughtered family – The Age
WA murders admitted – The Sydney Morning Herald
WA murders – The Sydney Morning Herald
Life for murders – The Sydney Morning Herald
Axe killer is sentenced to life in jail – The Age
Axe murder of family to die in jail – The Age
‘Throw away the prison keys’ – The Sunday Times
Death too quick a penalty: sister – The West Australian