Casefile True Crime - Case 54: Daniel Morcombe

Episode Date: July 1, 2017

On December 7 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe set out from his home in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to walk the one-kilometre journey to the nearby bus stop. He was planning to go to a local shopping centre to get a haircut and buy some Christmas presents for his parents. It was a trip Daniel made often, usually with his twin brother, Bradley. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-54-daniel-morcombe

Today's episode relates to violent crimes against children. It will not be suitable for all listeners. Please keep that in mind before continuing. On December 7th, 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morkham left his home in the Queensland hinterland town of Palmwoods to go to the Sunshine Plaza shopping centre in Maruchidor. He planned to get a haircut and look for Christmas presents. He had begged his twin brother Bradley to go with him. The twins went to the plaza together on the bus often, but on this rainy day Bradley didn't

want to go, so Daniel went alone. Their joint birthday was only 12 days away, and shortly after that it would be Christmas. Despite having to go by himself, Daniel was happy. He was excited to buy his parents something special for Christmas. Daniel left his home on Wumbi Palmwoods Road and made the one-kilometre 20-minute walk from his house to the bus stop underneath the Keele Mountain Overpass. He passed a small service station along the way. The owner, Jenny, noticed him walking alone just after 1pm in the direction of the bus stop.

Sheltered beneath the overpass on Nambour Connection Road was an unofficial bus stop. It's unmarked, but buses would pick up and drop off passengers there if requested. The grass on the side of the road was worn to dirt where buses had pulled in and out. It is a curved stretch of roadway that begins in the south at Forest Glen and ends at the subtropical hinterland town of Nambour to the north. Around 7km in length, it takes 6 minutes to drive from one end to the other. There are four lanes, two in each direction. The road is framed on both sides by trees and bushes, and it is always busy with local

and tourist traffic. Daniel had caught the bus from here to the shopping plaza many times before. Standing underneath the overpass, he waited for the 1.35 scheduled afternoon bus service to Sunshine Plaza. Driving time from the bus stop to the plaza was about 15-20 minutes. The spot where Daniel waited for the bus was just a short distance away from the Big Pine Apple, a popular tourist landmark on what is known as the Sunshine Coast. The overpass is also in view of the nearby Suncoast Church.

The bus Daniel was expecting had broken down 750 metres before the overpass, but it was out of his sight. Due to the breakdown, a replacement bus had already been dispatched, but the driver had been instructed by the duty controller to run an express service and not stop along the way. At 2.15, after Daniel had been waiting 45 minutes, this replacement bus approached him. Daniel signalled for the bus to stop.

The driver saw him signal, but he continued on as instructed. He gestured to Daniel that another bus was coming, as a small shuttle bus was only a few minutes behind, stopping to pick up the stranded passengers along the route. A female passenger confronted the driver about not stopping for Daniel, who she had seen trying to flag down the bus. Just three minutes later, at 2.18pm, the small shuttle bus reached Daniel's bus stop. However, during those three minutes, Daniel had vanished without a trace. Palm Woods is a small country town in Queensland's hinterland, nestled just off the Bruce Highway.

With just over 5,000 residents, it's a close-knit and unassuming town, 20 minutes from the Sunshine Coast tourist resort town of Malulaba. The land around was once covered in pineapple plantations, which propped up the area's farming industry. In the early 2000s, Bruce and Denise Morkham purchased a large family home at the northern end of Palm Woods, closer to the smaller town of Wombok. They had three young boys, so the spacious four-bedroom home under stunning five acres was the perfect family home.

Bruce and Denise were regional franchises for the Jim's mowing business, and Bruce was a cane gardener, so he was drawn to the sprawling garden and the old barn, which used to be used for storing pineapples from the local plantations. They had moved from another house close by, so the area was familiar to them. From a young age, the boys were used to riding their bikes around and having their own independence. When the twins were six, Daniel was hit by a four-wheel drive out the front of the family's house. It was okay, but spent the night in the hospital.

They were resilient kids. By 2003, the family had been in their new home for two and a half years, and their sons, 15, aged 15, and the twins, Daniel and Bradley, aged 13, were entrenched in their local community. The boys had moved schools to Bardena, and they spent weekends helping their parents do up their property. They had a dam which they stocked with fish like Australian bass, golden perch and barramundi, and the boys helped their father plant over 100 fruit trees. The boys loved spending time at home and exploring the area.

Bruce Morkham described Daniel as a shy, quiet boy who would pick flowers and collect knickknacks for his mother on the way home from school. He and Twin Bradley were best mates and were always together. Bruce and the twins had befriended two ponies at a local plant nursery, although not technically twins as the ponies were born a day apart to different mothers, but the same father. The boys still formed a special bond with them. When they were old enough, the ponies came to live with the Morkhams at their property. Daniel named his pony Bullitt, and Bradley's pony was called Sorrento.

The boys would walk them around and ride them every second day. They had ducks, chickens, cats, and Daniel's other best buddy was their German shepherd, Chief. Chief was very protective of Daniel. Daniel's shy and quiet temperament led him to have a special way with animals. He was kind and patient, and it was no surprise to his family that he wanted to become a vet. The Morkham family was close, and as mid-2003 approached, their mowing business had over 50 franchisees.

Bruce and Denise looked to quieten down their lives, so they sold off half of them and planned a Greek holiday to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. After their holiday in October 2003, Bruce and Denise rejigged their business and decided to run their operations from home, so they could spend more time with the boys. The afternoon Daniel had gone to the shopping centre, Bruce and Denise Morkham arrived home from a work Christmas party in Brisbane, about 4.30. They had wanted their three sons to go, too, but the boys decided to stay home and pick passion fruits on a neighbouring farm.

Neither Dean nor Daniel was home when Bruce and Denise arrived. He told his parents Dean was at a friend's house, and Daniel had left to go to Sunshine Plaza earlier in the day, but he wasn't home yet. Bruce and Denise immediately believed something was wrong. They called the bus company and learned of the problems with the broken down bus that afternoon. They drove along the bus route, expecting to find Daniel stranded somewhere along the way, but he was nowhere to be found.

At 7.30 they drove to Merruchidor police station. Daniel's description was noted, and an alert was put out for patrol officers to be on the lookout for him. Bruce and Denise were told to go home and wait for Daniel in case he returned home, and if he didn't, they could file a missing person's report the next day. They spent the remainder of the night calling friends and family to check if Daniel had wound up at their houses, but no one had heard from him. Using flashlights, they searched their own property in case Daniel was in the sheds or

stables, at the dam, or amongst the fruit trees. They also headed back to the bus stop, but they weren't sure what they were supposed to be searching for. By now it was night, and Daniel was afraid of the dark. They were frantic with worry. Bruce and Denise stayed up on the couch waiting all night, but Daniel didn't return home. At 8am the next morning, they returned to the police station to make a report. By 9am, police officially named Daniel Morkham a missing person and released pictures of the

smiling boy to the media. His disappearance made local news, and Bruce and Denise fronted the media, appealing for information. Over the following days, up to 50 state emergency service volunteers began a door knock and a large-scale search of the area. Rescue helicopters searched from the air to cover more land. A mannequin was dressed in the outfit Daniel wore on the day he went missing. A red Billabong brand t-shirt, navy blue shorts, and grey glow brand sneakers.

It was placed beneath the Kill Mountain Overpass where Daniel had been waiting to catch the bus. Witnesses came forward and confirmed seeing a child matching Daniel's appearance beneath the overpass between 2.10 and 2.15pm. Some recalled seeing him drawing in the dirt with the stick. The driver of the replacement bus confirmed being flagged by Daniel. The driver of the smaller shuttle bus, who had been told to pick up Daniel and any other stranded passengers, confirmed the bus stop was empty when he arrived 3 minutes later.

Sightings of a blue sedan in the area were reported by other witnesses. They described seeing a young male near the blue car and an adult male with him. Some witnesses saw two adult males in the blue car. A woman confirmed she had seen Daniel waiting under the overpass as she drove past. Moments later, a blue, 80's model car came speeding past her. I could see a person which I thought was a male in the back seat. He was punching and moving violently in the back of the seat, slightly to the right. The woman had attempted to write down the license plate number but her pen didn't work

properly and she had thrown out the piece of paper she tried to write on. Another witness described a white four wheel drive vehicle parked near the bus stop. The driver of the first bus and several passengers mentioned seeing an unkempt, gaunt man standing a short distance behind Daniel, presumably also waiting for a bus. He was described as having a tattoo on his shoulder and a goatee bead. When the second bus came by a couple of minutes later, both Daniel and the unknown man were gone. As divers conducted searches of nearby waterways and dams, investigators focused their attention

to identifying the unknown man. The news of Daniel's disappearance had by now gained a national media attention. But despite an appeal, the stranger from the bus stop never came forward. His identity remained a mystery and police began to suspect he had some involvement in Daniel's disappearance. Task Force Argos, the child sex offender investigation team of Queensland Police, spoke to known and suspected child sex offenders who lived in the area at the time. A total of 39 known pedophiles were found to be in the vicinity of the bus stop on the

day Daniel disappeared. Each had their own alibi and none could be proven to be the man seen near Daniel. Meanwhile, a vigil was held in support of the Morgan family at Daniel's school, Sienna Catholic College. 400 friends and supporters joined Bruce and Denise and Daniel's brothers at the service. On the 19th of December, 12 days after he disappeared, it was Daniel and Bradley's 14th birthday. These were usually a special day for the twins. They would blow out the candles on the cake together and take turns opening their presents.

But this was a terrible day for Bradley, with no sense of celebration. On December 21st, 14 days after his disappearance, police re-enacted Daniel's movements on the day he vanished to jog the memories of motorists who drove along Nambour Connection Road that day. For the first time since the start of the investigation, the Morkums stated publicly that Daniel had been abducted. Police continued to search homes, fields, and waterways. They collected statements, questioned persons of interest, and checked alibis.

They were under pressure to find Daniel and identify the unknown man seen with him at the bus stop. Rumours of a child snatcher kept children from travelling alone, and the lingering terror of when he would strike again kept the local community on edge. Throughout this ordeal, Daniel's parents were never idle. From the day Daniel went missing, the niece and Bruce Morkum vowed they'd never give up looking for him. They personally followed up every call they received about their son's disappearance,

investigated every clue they could, and conducted many of their own searches. They searched areas where they believed Daniel could have been taken or his body disposed of. At each location, they would search on their hands and knees for any evidence of their son, and discovering what they thought was a piece of Daniel's red shirt in a junk pole during one search. Christmas passed with the Morkum family preparing a seat at the dinner table for Daniel, despite his absence.

2003 ended with no new discoveries, but the Morkums continued onwards, never giving up hope they would find Daniel. The first day for Daniel's service was held on the 20th of April 2004. The colour red had become a symbol of Daniel, and Bruce and Denise launched a thousand red balloons into the sky. They maintained awareness, and encouraged others not to forget. Many fundraisers and events were held in his honour, and over a million leaflets calling for information were distributed.

By late 2004, the Queensland State Government announced a $250,000 reward, and a possible indemnity from prosecution for any information that would help solve Daniel's disappearance. This reward was the biggest in Queensland's history, and led to 8,000 calls from the public to crime stoppers. Composite sketches of the unknown man seen at the bus stop were drawn up using descriptions given by multiple witnesses. The sketches showed an older Caucasian male, with dark hair, heavy brows, lean face, goatee, and a tense jaw.

On the first anniversary of Daniel's disappearance, a memorial was unveiled at the area where he vanished. A thousand people attended the service, and a plaque with a message circled with red ribbon thanked the efforts of those who contributed their time and effort in the search. At the end of the plaque, at red, Daniel was a much-loved brother of Dean and Bradley, and son of Denise and Bruce. May peace be with you. The Morkums sold their family home, and moved to a smaller house in the same district.

After leaving Daniel's bedroom and belongings untouched after all this time, in anticipation of his return, Denise carefully packed away his things and placed the items in a storage shed. By now, Bruce and Denise Morkum had been bombarded with hundreds of emails and letters, full of conspiracy theories and disturbing false information. Mediums, pedophiles, and others contacted the Morkums with many different theories about what had happened, from how he was killed to where he was hidden, and everything in between. None of this information ever led anywhere.

In February 2005, Bruce and Denise launched the Daniel Morkum Foundation. The Foundation aimed to educate children on personal safety, to assist victims of crime, and to support the families of missing persons. It was paramount in ensuring Daniel wasn't forgotten. Each year on the anniversary of his disappearance, his image and story became headlines in the Australian media once more. As time passed, there were no major breakthroughs with the case. Another $750,000 was donated privately, making the total reward for information on Daniel

$1 million, but the reward went unclaimed. The private donation expired in May 2009. The $250,000 reward from the state government still remained on offer. On the day the private donation portion of the reward expired, the media reported a known pedophile, Douglas Jackway, could be of interest to police. Jackway had been released from prison in 2003, one month before Daniel disappeared. Jackway had a proven criminal history of snatching young boys in broad daylight for the purpose of sexually assaulting them.

The theory Jackway was responsible was further supported by the blue sedan witnesses spotted near the bus stop, which matched a car Jackway owned at the time. He also had tattoos on his shoulder and a goatee beard. Jackway lived in Goodner an hour and a half drive from the Kill Mountain Overpass, and he had plans to be in the area on the day of Daniel's disappearance. He told police his car had broken down near the Kill Mountain Overpass the day after Daniel disappeared. Prior to his release, clear evidence had been presented that Jackway was a risk of re-offending.

But he was released anyway, and the Queensland government was heavily criticised. Jackway was a solid suspect, but there wasn't enough for an arrest. A full-size model of the unknown man seen near Daniel was placed underneath the Kill Mountain Overpass. Within a few days, the police received another 300 tip-offs from the public. In total, crime stoppers received over 20,000 leads during the investigation. More than 100 police officers conducted over 10,000 interviews. But as time passed, the investigation slowed to a halt.

There was little doubt Daniel had met with foul play, but there was no concrete evidence to direct police towards an arrest. The coronial inquest into the disappearance of Daniel Morkham began on October 11, 2010, seven years after he disappeared. The Morkhams hoped their search for the truth would soon be over. In the 10,000-page police brief given to the coroner, a total of 35 people were listed as high-level persons of interest. Their names were suppressed from the media.

Each suspect was referred to by the letter P for person of interest, along with a number. Bruce and Denise Morkham attended each day of the inquest. They listened to the sordid and disturbingly detailed history of abuse each person of interest had previously perpetrated against children. One person of interest, known as P1, actually confessed he and an accomplice dumped a barrel containing Daniel's body into the Brisbane River. The river was searched, but nothing was found. The confession was later proven false.

Another person of interest, known as P5, described as a psychopath who had previously been accused of rape and kidnapping, had threatened his girlfriend into giving him an alibi. When his girlfriend was asked why she protected him, she claimed she was blinded by love. P5 had approximately five hours unaccounted for on the day Daniel went missing. On 31 March 2011, P7 was summoned to give evidence. P7 travelled from his home in Western Australia to Brisbane after being told a warrant would be issued for his arrest if he didn't appear. P7 was a tall, lanky man with light-coloured eyes, a goatee, and he wore silver earrings.

He had a tattoo of a clown on his shoulder and tattoos of skulls on his arm. Denise Morkham laid her eyes on him and felt a cold shiver. She felt in that moment, after seeing scores of people take the stand, that P7 was the man who took her son. P7's real name was Brett Peter Cowan. He was born on September 18, 1969, in Bumbry, Western Australia. His parents were Marlene, a homemaker, and Peter, a Vietnam war veteran. The family moved to Queensland, and Cowan grew up in the suburb of Everton Park, around

10 kilometres north of Brisbane. Cowan was described as ordinary, with few hobbies, interests, or social groups. He was often overlooked by those around him. Cowan was raised in a strict military household, and was the third of four brothers. His father suffered PTSD from his experiences in the Vietnam War. His mother was a proud member of the community. Cowan was considered the black sheep of the family. He boasted of an extensive history of sexual predation and abuse against children.

By age 18, Cowan claimed to have preyed upon up to 30 children aged between 6 and 8, starting when he was around 10 years old. Cowan targeted most of his victims at the local swimming pool, in fleeting encounters in order to avoid detection. He later started abusing a younger female relative. The abuse continued over a nine-year period. Cowan claims he would ask for permission first, and only realised he was doing something wrong when he was much older.

There is no evidence to suggest that Cowan himself had been abused growing up. In his teens, Cowan attended Marcelin College, a Catholic high school in northside Brisbane. He was a loner, prone to violent behaviour towards people he perceived as weaker. He also displayed a cruel streak towards animals. On weekend camps during bush skills courses, he paraded dead lizards and possums he had killed. He was of average intelligence and dropped out of school in year 10, relying on his parents to support him.

He was a cigarette smoker and habitual drug user who first tried marijuana at age 11 and regularly used amphetamines, cocaine and LSD. His first convicted child sex offence occurred in 1987 when he was 18 years old. Cowan was already known to police at that stage and was performing court-ordered community service as punishment for drug and theft offences. Maring a pair of orange overalls, he worked maintenance at a public park in Brisbane while children from a nearby childcare centre played around him. Cowan grabbed the seven-year-old boy by the hand and pulled him into a toilet block, locking

them both in a cubicle. A childcare worker noticed the boy was missing and started calling out his name. Cowan placed his hands around the boy's throat, squeezed and threatened to kill him before releasing him. Cowan's demeanour after the attack was calm and carefree. When the police came by Cowan's family home that night, he barely reacted. He was charged and pled not guilty. He denied putting his hands around the boy's throat and eventually claimed the boy enjoyed

what they did together. After his arrest, Cowan was released on bail, during which time he disappeared. He spent two years on the run interstate before he was finally found in the beachside suburb of Cronulla in Sydney and brought back to Brisbane for trial. The survivor of this attack bravely testified against a small and cowan in court. Cowan was convicted of indecent dealing and deprivation of liberty and sentenced to two years imprisonment. Cowan's second convicted attack occurred in 1993 when he was living in a caravan park

in Darwin with his girlfriend. Cowan had not informed his girlfriend of his past and she did not suspect it was a pedophile. That evening, a six-year-old boy who lived two caravans away from Cowan was walking back from the toilets. Cowan spoke to the boy and enticed him to join him in checking out some wrecked cars nearby. After leading the child through a gap in a fence away from the caravan park, Cowan grabbed him and carried him to a rusty wrecked car.

He tied him up and stuffed paper in his mouth. When the rope loosened during the attack, Cowan took a knife and cut the boy's legs and chest, leaving him to die. Covered in blood, with extensive injuries all over his body, the boy twisted out of his restraints. Dazed and in shock, he stumbled to a service station for help. His injuries were so severe it was initially thought a car hit him. He wouldn't tell police who attacked him.

Cowan had traumatized the child so profoundly he was too terrified to name him. Once the rumours of a child molester living in their community spread through the caravan park, Cowan joined the search for the attacker. Nobody suspected Cowan and the survivor continued to stay quiet. Other residents of the caravan park saw Cowan as young, popular, outgoing, happy and he had a girlfriend. They didn't suspect him for a second. Cowan even made a scene, seeing he hoped the police would catch the bastard.

It was all over for Cowan when a DNA sample was found in the child's underwear. When the police asked residents of the caravan park for samples to match, Cowan confessed. The survivor believed Cowan attempted to kill him and expected him to die after the attack. However, the charge of attempted murder was dropped prior to the trial. Cowan used years of heavy drug taking as the reason for his history of assaults. He was sentenced to seven years jail for unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and gross indecency. Psychological assessments deemed Cowan a pathological liar who lived a parasitic existence

with a gross lack of awareness. He believed his victims would not report him as they probably enjoyed the experiences. Cowan was only required to serve three and a half years of his sentence after acknowledging his sexual deviancy was a problem and agreeing to attend a sex offender's treatment program. After his release, Cowan moved to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland with his pastor aunt and uncle Keith and Jenny Philbrook. Cowan claimed to be a reformed Christian who had given his heart to God and was no longer taking drugs.

He attended the Suncoast Church which was located only 100 metres from the Kilmountain Overpass where Daniel disappeared. Cowan joined a Christian outreach program and regularly attended meetings at the church. Church leaders were never aware Cowan's criminal history involved acts against children but boundaries were apparently put in place by Cowan's uncle to limit his interactions with children as he did have some knowledge. During his time worshipping at Suncoast Church, Cowan allegedly tried to rape a fellow parish member, a 15 year old girl.

Police were not contacted about this attack. It was believed he was being covered up by the church at the time. A claim denied by the church leader, who was adamant if such an allegation was confided to him, he would have remembered it and taken swift action. Cowan soon met and married another churchgoer in 1999 and they had children together. His wife claimed to be aware of the basics of Cowan's criminal history but as a forgiving Christian she trusted he had changed. Another churchgoer claimed Cowan stopped attending the parish once he was married.

Cowan and his wife divorced within five years of marriage and a custody battle for their children took place in the family court. Cowan was interviewed by a psychologist and he admitted he always worried if things got bad he could offend again but insisted he would never do it against his own flesh and blood. Custody of their children was awarded to Cowan's ex-wife. At the time of Daniel's disappearance, Cowan still lived with his wife on Alf's Pinch Road in Biwa, a 30 minute drive from the Kilmountain overpass.

On December 21st 2003, a few weeks after Daniel's disappearance, police interviewed Cowan for the first time. Cowan owned a white 1990 four-wheel drive Nissan Pejero, similar in description to one of the cars a witness had seen at the overpass right around the time Daniel disappeared. On Tollpolice he left home around 1.30 that day. He had spent the morning working in his garden. He drove to an acquaintance's house in Nambore to collect a mulcher and he estimated he got home around 2.30.

His route took him past the bus stop where Daniel was waiting. Cowan claimed he didn't observe any people or any vehicles at the bus stop when he drove past. When he got home he mulched some trees, had a shower and stayed in for the night. After this first interview he voluntarily gave a DNA sample and provided a photograph of himself. He also consented to a forensic examination of his car. This examination did not reveal any evidence Daniel had been inside the vehicle.

The next day police questioned Cowan's wife. She believed Cowan didn't return home that afternoon until about 3pm. Cowan's acquaintance, who he borrowed the mulcher off, told police that he had been at his house for only 5 minutes to collect the mulcher. The police re-enacted the drive Cowan took that day and discovered there was 45 minutes in Cowan's statement that was unaccounted for. Police didn't interview Cowan again until July 6th, 2005. He was now separated from his wife and lived in New South Wales.

During this second interview Cowan agreed with police the composite sketch of the unknown man seen with Daniel at the bus stop shared a resemblance to himself but he felt it looked more like his brother. In this second interview Cowan admitted seeing the broken down bus on the side of the road near the Wimbike turn off. The interview concluded with a final question. If you had abducted Daniel would you tell me? To which Cowan replied?

Probably not. After his marriage ended Cowan commenced a new relationship. She was 18. He was 37. Cowan was rough with her and derived sexual pleasure from strangling her to the point of her passing out. Cowan's email address at this time was the number 6, ULDV and the number 8, Sexual Deviate. On September 14th, 2006 police interviewed Cowan once more.

He was again questioned about the timing of his movements on December 7th, 2003 and police confronted him about the unaccounted 45 minutes in his story. For the first time since police approached him Cowan admitted he had a drug supplier Sandra Drummond. In the unaccounted time in Cowan's statement he now claimed he was at Drummond's house with her partner Kevin Fitzgerald for half an hour, buying cannabis. When asked why he hadn't mentioned this earlier Cowan said he didn't want to implicate Drummond. Police later took a statement from Drummond who confirmed Cowan was a customer but couldn't

recall if he had come to her house on the day Daniel disappeared. At the coronial inquest Cowan was asked again about seeing the broken down bus. He said after thinking about it some more he was now unsure whether or not he did see the broken down bus or if instead he had just heard about it on the news or saw it in a reenactment. He also told the inquest Daniel was too old for his liking as he preferred boys aged from 6 to 8 years old. When asked directly if he had any involvement in what happened to Daniel Cowan said, I

had nothing to do with Daniel's disappearance, nothing at all. Bruce and Denise Morkham left the court visibly distressed. They both felt Cowan was the unknown man seen at the bus stop with Daniel but there was no evidence of that and Cowan was free to leave after giving evidence at the inquest. He had answered all questions asked of him. A few days later Cowan's drug dealing alibi Sandra Drummond appeared before the inquest. Previously she was unable to give police a definitive answer as to whether or not Cowan was at her home on the afternoon Daniel disappeared.

She couldn't remember. But now there was new evidence. At the inquest she stated that on most Sundays she and her partner Kevin Fitzgerald would visit the Bowa RSL and play the poker machines using their loyalty cards. The loyalty cards actually keep a record of the time you played the machines and their loyalty cards showed that Drummond and Fitzgerald were playing the machines from 2.20pm on the 7th of December 2003 which clashed with the time that Cowan said he was at their house. Despite his alibi unravelling Cowan was free to return home.

On April 1st 2011 he boarded an 8pm flight back to Western Australia. His participation in the coronial inquest was complete and for him the saga was over. Whilst waiting for take off the passengers seated beside Cowan started some idle chit chat. The passengers name was Joe Emery. He was a friendly bloke around the same age as Cowan. They shook hands and hit it off quite well. They had a lot in common. Joe Emery was a career criminal and he and Cowan spent the 5 hour flight to Perth getting

to know each other. Cowan was impressed by Emery and he gave him his phone number. The two men remained in contact and formed a close friendship. It was a week after appearing at the coronial inquest that Cowan first heard about Drummond's testimony on the news. Hearing the new evidence placing her and Fitzgerald at the RSL playing poker machines at the time he was supposed to be at their house Cowan was quick to protect himself. In an attempt to misdirect the police and hide the criminal history associated with his real

name Cowan legally changed his name to Shadow Nanya Hunter. Shadow was his dog's name. Cowan heard the name Hunter on television and Nanya was short for none of your business. Cowan was living in a caravan park and Joe Emery visited regularly. Cowan had been fired from his job and couldn't afford to live in the park for much longer. He was desperate for money. So Emery introduced Cowan to his friend Paul Fitzgerald, Fitzie as it was more commonly known.

Fitzie was the boss of a crime gang that Emery was a member of. After spending a few weeks getting to know Cowan better Cowan had earned his respect so Emery thought he would be a good fit for the gang. Emery vouched for Cowan and Fitzie started him off with some small time jobs to make sure he could be trusted. As Cowan's involvement increased he earned the trust and respect from the other gang members. The structure of the gang was hierarchical and each member worked under a strict code

of trust, loyalty and honesty. This moral connection was paramount in Cowan's feeling he could confide in those around him and had actually discouraged the pathologically deceptive behaviour he had exhibited throughout his whole life. Pimping, drug dealing, burglary, bribing, blackmailing, loan sharking, gun running and smuggling were just some of the crimes Cowan committed. He collected money from sex workers, blackmailed a bank manager, bribed custom officers at Perth International Airport, stole $50,000 worth of cigarettes, purchased firearms and

fake passports, stole cars, transported blood diamonds and moved a large sums of money and drugs. Cowan proved himself to be loyal to Fitzie and the gang and he was rewarded with bigger jobs and as the crimes got bigger so did the payouts. Greed became Cowan's primary motivation, fancy food, alcohol, cars, clothes, women. Things he could never afford in his life previously were now readily available to him. Powerful men knew Cowan or Shadow Nunya Hunter as he was now known and they respected him. Life was good for Cowan.

The disappearance of Daniel Morkham and the coronial inquest was a distant memory as he lavished himself in luxuries. On August 4th 2011, Fitzie messaged Cowan and said he wanted a meeting. Cowan was later picked up in a car by Fitzie and the two of them drove to meet with Craig. Craig was a corrupt cop who Fitzie paid well for confidential information and Fitzie wanted Cowan at the meeting. Craig gave Fitzie some information about different jobs they were planning and warned him to dump at Silver Houndeye they were using as the police had their eyes on it.

As the conversation was wrapping up Craig mentioned one more thing, it was the reason why Cowan was at the meeting. There was a subpoena coming from Brisbane for Cowan to appear at the coroner's court again. Cowan was surprised, that's been a gony remarked. Craig said this subpoena was fresh. Cowan became nervously defensive and said he didn't know anything about it. Craig assured them his information was good and they had better prepare for it.

Craig left the meeting, leaving an anxious Cowan with Fitzie. What's that about mate, Fitzie asked Cowan. Cowan quickly explained, I was living in the area that Daniel Morkham went missing from and that's how it fucking met Joe, on the plane back from being subpoenaed over there for coroners court in Queensland and I know I had nothing to do with it. My alibi is 100%. There's nothing we can't get fixed Fitzie assured him, but the thing they want, I know the bosses make sure, nothing can come back on us, because you know we work as a group.

There's nothing they can't fix so don't stress about shit, it's just you gotta be honest, you gotta be 100% honest to us, you know, you can't fucking lie to us. Cowan nodded and told Fitzie there was nothing to worry about. Four days later Cowan met with Fitzie again. The revelation he was being subpoenaed to reappear at the inquest had been weighing on his mind and he was worried it would jeopardise his place in the game. I am loving this Cowan said, I am happy, I haven't been like this before, it's not just the money, it's what I'm getting from you, the mateship, I'm not proud of my past.

In prison I made the decision to never offend again, I don't want to be behind bars for the rest of my life. Cowan told Fitzie that he was sure his legal name change to Shadow Nunya Hunter would mean the subpoena wouldn't reach him. A plan to import X-disciples worth a million dollars was lined up as the next big job for Cowan. Cowan's cut would be 100 grand and he talked with other gang members about the Toyota FJ Cruiser and boat he was going to buy with the money.

On August 9th 2011, Fitzie collected Cowan for an overnight trip, they were going on a run to pick up cash. Cowan mindlessly chatted to Fitzie about himself, sex, murder, his father and his brothers who hated him and his trades and skills. And now I rented the drive, Fitzie's phone ring, change of plans, Arnold was in town and he wanted them to turn around. She ran the local gang but Arnold was the big boss, head of the National Syndicate. Cowan had heard about Arnold before but had never met him, that was about to change.

Arnold had just ordered to see Cowan. Arnold was waiting in the Swan River Room, the presidential suite of the Hyatt Hotel. When Cowan entered the room, Arnold enthusiastically shook his hand. Arnold wore a tailored dark suit with a crisp white collared shirt. Cowan was wearing a baggy leather jacket and jeans, his oily brown hair tied loosely at the back of his neck. Arnold led Cowan to a couch and encouraged him to sit. The men sat at either corner of the couch, face to face, a metre apart.

Arnold leaned back, resting an arm along the back of the couch and crossed the leg over the other. He harboured no tension in the room. Cowan hunched forward, his elbows on his knees. Arnold began their conversation with informal chitchat. He referred to Cowan as bud. He listened attentively as Cowan discussed how he had been painting the fence on his farm.

Cowan also talked about an injured bird he had been nursing back to health. Arnold asked if Cowan was happy and if he had any problems. Was anyone forcing Cowan to do anything he didn't want to do? Cowan replied no. He was enjoying himself and said everyone had been great to him. After two minutes of casual conversation, the tone changed abruptly. Cowan got to the point as to why he ordered to meet Cowan. This is the actual conversation between Arnold and Cowan, which was recorded.

Listen, one of the reasons I brought you here was as you know, I said to you before we've got to walk before we run, we've got to crawl before we walk. And as you probably also know, I've got a lot of people in my confines all around the country that I pay good money to to get good information from. And as this thing's progressing, this big job that we're looking at, I've been checking out, which is only expected of me. And there's a couple of things that have come up that we need to talk about, all right? If I'd known, I thought it was all dealt with.

Look, I've been here on, I'm here on other business, I'll be straight with you, I'm here on other business, but I got some information through earlier this morning, which is kind of mainly postpone all that stuff, so that we can sort this out. What do you need to tell? Is this something you need to tell me or? And bearing in mind that this whole, what we do is based on respect and honesty, all right? Well, it's helpful.

Just let me stop you there before you go on. I'll let you know that I don't care what you've done. All right? No qualms at all, you know, I've dealt with a lot of, a lot of real bad cuts, all right? And I've had a lot of real bad cuts on my books. What they do, what they get up to, doesn't faze them at all. All I'm looking for is loyalty, respect and honesty, and I'll pay you back as you pay me back.

So go on. Now, because I lived in the area, let me figure out how to turn this bloody thing off. Just a moment. Sorry. Go on. I was living in the area in O3 when Daniel Walken went missing, and so I've been interviewed and I was handed for ages about that. I can guarantee I had nothing to do with Daniel Walken's disappearance.

One of my alibis, or half an hour of my alibis, I reckon they've got the pieces, because my drug dealers now changed mine. I wasn't at a house. And I've lost my two eldest kids due to this as well. I was brought forward to the coroner's inquest in March, April this year, and I thought that was the end of it. So I was surprised when Craig said to me that there's not a warrant, but a penalty. So, yeah, look, I got some info this morning.

Basically saying those things, but what concerns me more than anything else is the info is telling me, and as I said, I take good money to a lot of people, and I take a lot of risk in doing that, to get the information that I need to keep us safe and clean as a group. Because ultimately, if the heat's on you, then the heat's on Paul, the heat's on Jeff, and the heat's on me, and I can't afford for that to happen. So what's happened is, from the information I've got, I'm told you've done the Daniel Walken murder. I've told that it's dead set, that you're the one who's done it, and like I said,

that doesn't bother me at all. But what concerns me is that I need to, I can sort this for you. I can sort things out, I can buy alibis, I can get rid of stuff, all that kind of things that needs to be done, I can do, but I need to know what I need to do. You know what I mean? So you're saying to me, look, I had nothing to do with it, that's not what I'm being told. And that brings me in a real dilemma, in a crossroad, because I want to move forward with what we're doing, but until I can sort this out, I can't, because you're too hot.

I'm told you there is a subpoena coming for you. I'll show you the email, I've got copies of them. I've got to sell the heat and other stuff, and when I've got copies of them, I've got better stuff to do. Man on man, one on one, in confidence, to see how I can sort this out, all right? Because as I've said from what I'm told, you're good for us, and I want to bring you on board, but I've got to weigh up the risks to me, it's not any business, you know? Ahem. Have a look at that, that's what I copy this man.

You got me in line, sir. I'll read it for you, all right? Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way. You know glasses? Yeah, I've got them in the car. I'm getting the same way, you know? I've fired it and fired it and fired it, but, you know, I need them. Okay, what I've got is Arnold, Shadow Hunter, ADS spec, Peter Cowan, the main suspect in a disappearance of Daniel Morkham

who went missing in Queensland in December 2003. My sources told me that there's no doubt he's the person responsible for this event. Witnesses have placed him at the scene with Morkham just prior to disappearance. As you see, there's about a 45-minute window of opportunity where Cowan is unaccounted for. He provided a week alibi two years later in a family court matter, but there's something about this alibi that's not right, and I'll find out all more shortly and let you know. The Morkham case is one of the highest-profile missing person cases in Queensland history

and there's a lot of media interest in it. Cowan gave evidence at an inquest under the code name of P7, and I suggest you Google some of the info that I've provided to get more of a feeling for this matter, which I've done. Cowan's inquest or recommending shortly in town will again be in the spotlight. If you can't sort this out, then I suggest you drop them down to Hot Potato. All right, so that's where I've copped, and that's where I've postponed everything.

I haven't postponed what's happening, but I've postponed the business I had to do this morning. You sit down when you're one-on-one and sort this shit out, all right? And like I said, I can't sort out what I don't know. So look, what happened and how can I sort it out? Yeah? I don't know. Yeah.

Like I said, all right? Honesty, trust, respect, all right? You know where you're going, you know what your options are here, all right? And you know the information I've got, and I've said I'll pay good people, good money to keep us clean. And if I've got to postpone what we're going to do for a few months to sort this out, I'm happy to do that for your sake, all right? All right?

Because I'm told that you're pretty low. You've built up a good relationship with some of the boys, and they speak very highly of you. They speak out. So what do I need to fix? Yeah, okay. You know, okay? I do.

All right, so you hear that? What I'm saying is, you know, I need to kind of go, I need to stick it right back to the whole thing, so that if there's anything like, I don't know if they've got any DNA or that kind of shit. No DNA. You know, obviously they haven't found the fucking body. They took my car, they searched my car,

they did all forensics on my car, they got nothing out of my car. Well look, just read me through the whole fucking thing, how it happened, from where to go, and then I'll think about things that we need to sort and fix. Do you want a coffee or something? No, I don't want to. I don't know how,

I've seen him standing there, I did a look around and... Okay, how, what time is this? I don't know. Okay, so from what I'm told, it's about lunchtime early morning. You were going, where were you going, where were you going? I was going up to my boss's father's place to pick up a wood mulcher.

It's only your boss's father's place to pick up a wood mulcher? Yep. So he's done me some free-locking in the yard, at the farm, and I was... Yep, yep. Little one. Yep. Um, picked it up on the way home,

there was a broken down bus. Yep. There was a sun bus, broken down, and then I seen Daniel. Did you know him at all? Okay, so you've seen him on the side of the road? Yes. Or did you do a usual thumbnail?

No, I went up and around and parked in the church car park. My car was never on the road, so I don't know how that got. I've heard something about a white bull ride at this thing. Yeah. Well, it was nuts sitting on the highway at all. So you parked behind there? Behind.

Near the church or where it was? Yep. Okay. I walked down and sat there and then... You talked him for long or? I didn't talk him at all when I got there, maybe just because I was waiting for the bus. Okay, yeah, fair enough.

Yep. The bus drove past, and that's when I said, I'm going down to... Shutton Centre, do you want to lift? Yep. And he's gone, yep. So he missed the bus or something, have you?

No, the bus drove past, because he's given me orders not to pick up any more passengers, because it was the broken down one, and there'd be another bus through. Yep, yep. Okay, so he's asking me, do you want to lift? He said, yeah. Yeah, he's jumped in.

Where did he sit in your car? The front of the bus? The passenger seat, front of the bus. Yep. Yep. He... He said, take me to something similar, to the...

to the spot that I knew of. Well, where was that? To Beowah, just off the coaching crew. What's it called? Because that's pretty important. What's it called? Beowah. Beowah?

Yeah, B-W-A-R-W-A-H. Beowah? Yes. Beowah. Okay, so you know, you knew the area pretty well. You take him to Beowah. How far away is that from where you picked him up? Half an hour.

Half an hour. I don't know the area. I've never really been to Beowah. I don't know much about Beowah. So, all right, so you take him to Beowah. Have you talked him along the way, or... Have you? No, no problem.

All right. Like I said, I'm not judging at all. All right, so bear that in mind, all right? Yeah. Just tell me what I need to fix. You take him to Beowah? Um... Yeah, I went for an abandoned house thing

that I knew where... You know exactly where that was? End of Roy's Road. End of Roy's? End of Roy's Road. How do you spell that? No, Roy's Road. Oh, Roy's Road.

R-O-Y-S or something, yeah? Roy's Road at the end. Yeah. Because what we might need to do is... I'll get that mail. We might need to get that sorted. We're going to need to get that sorted, all right? Um...

I went back because I just put it under bushes and I went back to... Okay, so, all right, so... So you're taking him to the house? Yeah. What happened in the house? Um... Like I said, I'm not judging, all right?

Yeah. Why? You never got to my estimator, anything like that. You panicked, and I panicked, and you grabbed him around the throat and just put him in the audience. All right, how long did it take you to strangling him out? You know?

You probably don't think you'd be able to find him. So what you were looking at... Didn't seem long. All right. So you grabbed him around the throat, he's still sitting in the car? No, no. He's taken him to the house?

Yeah. Where about from the house? Um... Just into the... There's no furniture or nothing. It's just into the first room. The first room? Yes, in the door.

Did he fucking spit, leave, barbed anything in that room? Not that I know of. What about his clothing? Everyone's clothing on still, or...? Um, yes, he had his clothing on then. All right, so you choked him out? He died?

Yeah. In that room? Yes. What have you done then? Um, taken him outside, and put him into the back of my car. Well, when you say the back of your car, he's talking about the...

Where? It was a white bull driver or something? Yeah, it was Pagera. Okay. So that was like a... Like a big door at the back? Yeah. Did it have seats in the back of the door, or...?

Okay. The multure was in there. All right, so you've lied him in the back of the car? Yes. With the multure there still? Yes. Has he touched the multure, or...? Nothing.

Did you reckon he left any prints at the house, or...? No, the house is gone. It's gone? Yes. All right, so we'll get to that in a minute. So you've taken him in the back of your car? How long did it take to just take to reckon? Um, I only had to go, like, in the house,

150 metres to where I was, because it's all bush and... Oh, so you've taken him from the house? Yeah, it's an old same mining site. You've picked him up from the house, put him in the back of your car, and you've driven him 150 metres or so to where? Um, most clearly bushed away from... It's in the front stop there. I was actually going to lease the property to the sand last month.

Yep. Um, there's an embankment where the sand mining got up to, and then it's all been grown up with trees and bush again, and then got, um, the old, like, sand mining waste. Yep. Look, I'm not familiar with the area, mate. Just draw us a little fucking map so that I know what we're talking about, just, like, from where the house was to where the...

where the thing was. And then the Roy's Road comes in here, like, back to, the Macadamia and Abacardo farm, and that sort of spreads out around here, like this, and everything. There's a couple of sheds. And then there is the house here. Yep.

This is the Roy's Road. I guess it's the property. Yep, yep. Um, where the house is, there's a little track that goes up down there, through a gate. Yep. Down to, it's nothing, there's a caravan and an old mobile sawmill. About 150 metres away, right?

Yep. So what? Okay. So once you've done that, what have you done with him then? Took him out of the car. Yep. Um, dragged him down to the embankment.

When you dragged him, did you believe anything? I had to. How'd you drag him? For the fate of the... arms or...? You know, I carried him over and threw him down the embankment, and he... Okay, so you threw him over to the embankment?

How far was that? A metre and a half. A metre and a half, yeah. Has he left any marks, or...? No, I... I tell you, if I can push them, it's like the old cowboy movie. All right.

So, he's gone down to the bank, down to the embankment, about a metre and a half. What have you done then? I went down there, and that's when I dragged him through. I don't know how far it was. Um,

you saw it down somewhere, I thought. A good spot? Yep. So was it sand, grass, what? Sandy. So you still have all his clothing on? Did he leave anything behind, or...? No, he had all his clothes on.

Yep. Um, I've stripped him off. Yep. And, um, trees and all that sort of... branches and covered his body with that. His clothes are put back with me, and he's thrown him into the creek.

He's thrown him in the creek? Which creek? I'm not too sure, I guess. Was the creek sand right there, or...? I don't know. Um, I have to go across one lane. I'd still...

It's weird and everything, but like an old logging bridge type thing. Like, it's not over a logging bridge. It's down the creek or something? Yeah, there's a creek down. It's fast flowing, and it's really close to me. You just chucked them all in there.

Did you have to put them in a bag or anything like that? Just about one by one, or a whole lot, or...? A whole lot. And what happened to them? They just stuck off there. The sand can flowed away. The sand can flowed away.

Nothing. None of that's ever been found. Well, you're lucky, aren't you? Yep. And... All right. So after he's done all that, you know, I've heard something

about a fucking watch, that he had a watch, some fucking thing, some... Did you have that? He... All went in. A whole lot went in. Everything.

So he didn't keep anything in his. There's no chance he was going to find anything of his? No. All right. So you've left him there, under the shrubs? Yes.

What do you mean? I went home. You've thrown a... You've thrown a close in the thing? Yes. You've gone home? Yes, I did. I did stop at my dealer's place

and pick up stuff. Did you? Yes. So they're lying when they say that? No, it wasn't that. All right. Okay. So you did go to the dealer's place.

I did go to the dealer's. Mind you, from what I understand, a couple of years later, that... It came in. So... And I mean, it's probably that drug stuff

you wouldn't know what time of day it was, you know? All right. So you've... You've... You've gone to your dealer's place on the... After you've thrown a close in the...

In the river, you've gone to the dealer's house? Yes. Up there or...? Yeah. Yeah? Yeah. 50, you know?

Yeah. Never bought big quantities until you've gone to 40. Oh, just going with it? Yeah, going with it. Okay, yeah. Um... We spent about 15, 20 minutes there

and... Which I always did. Yep. You know? I like to spend half an hour or so, so I'm not walking into there. Yep. Um...

Went home, went inside, circulated in the water, told her I was back, went out and started chipping the... the timber. Okay. So...

That's the end of that thing? Did you go back? I had a week. Not well within that week, I went back. Had he... Had he hit the press before then, or what?

He's missing them. I don't think so, yeah. Yeah, for sure. I don't think we'll find out. You've gone back about... Had he... Had he hit the press then? Right.

Oh, yeah, like, as a missing person. As a missing person, all right? So what you're thinking, do something new or... Just in case. I went for the shovel back.

Okay, so you... About a week later, you've gone back, taken the shovel back. In the same... In the same car? Yes. And what do you done then?

Um... Went down to where I put him. Yep. Um, I only found a fragment of bone. The rest of it was gone. It's half, in a week. In a week.

The rest of it was gone. Like, there was a path to... You get tell... to the summit. You get tell... like, there was... that on the ground. So what's that?

What do you reckon is that me? I don't know. There's a lot of yabbies and... animals and that sort of thing. That yabbies now, eh? So, yeah. All right. So what was left of him?

Little piece of bone like that. But I... No skull. No fuck all. So what are you doing with that? That was part of the skull. Yep. And I'm...

very... And then, like, broke out with the shovel. You know, it's still there. Because that's going to cause us a problem. We're going to have to go and grab that. And I'll break it. Like it's...

No, no, but nowadays, they can do wonders with all this fucking shit. You know, DNA, all that kind of crap. Yeah. So we'll have to... We'll have to... I'll have to get you to fly over here with some of it.

With a couple of boys and sort all that shit out, all right? But we'll sort that out for you. The shovel? You broke... Here's... Do I go up with the shovel? Where's the shovel now?

Dunno. What'd you do with it? I took it home with it. It was in the gardens and... And you... It's fucking not still there, or...? That's the house. Man, this is a fucking long time ago, I suppose, isn't it?

Yeah. Is... Is someone still living in that house that you... Somebody's re-ranging the house. So the shovel might still be there, I know. Yeah. Oh. Okay.

Mine's on there. Because I left my wife... Um... Um... ...about... ...seven months, eight months after that. Yeah. And, um,

we were living in the living room from that house to Nambu or to another house. Okay. And then I left her and went to Morinba. All right, so as far as you know, there's nothing abuse you've hit. No, nothing at all. You can fucking make your own shit,

you're telling stuff. Yeah, nothing at all. And a bit of bone that was left. Yeah. How big was it? Oh, it's very large. Oh, that's amazing, eh? That's why I'm...

To this time, it's still big. So you've gone there to fucking bury it all, and that's all that's left? That's all. And you've buried that in that spot? Yeah. All right. Is there anything else you think that we need

to fucking clean up? No. The alibi, the fucking... This drug dealer, yours? Yeah. You still talk to her, or... I mean, in such a... You think we could approach her

to fucking pay us some fucking dollars, or you think we should just... I'll never think about that. I'll never think about that. All right? She's done the drugs as far as I'm interested. So she may be approachable on that sort of thing. But it's the boyfriend that's saying

that he would have remembered the motor and all that sort of stuff on the chipper. What's the chipper got to do with it? Well, it's... Because I did show him the chipper. Oh, you showed him the chipper, and he's saying that he would have remembered, but he's saying he doesn't remember.

He doesn't remember. Okay. Oh, shit. Look, I need to make some fucking calls. I need to have a bit of a stink. What I'll do, I'll get Adam, or... I'll get Jeff to come back up, and he can take it down, fucking Paul.

I'll give the... That boy feels something fucking bad. Let me make some calls. When I've sorted out the fucking calls, I'll give Paul back the fucking phone. Well, they might have to think about putting it up tonight, something. We're gonna fucking play tomorrow

with one of the boys, with a couple of the boys, and sorting all this shit out. Don't have a look, making sure everything is fucking good. Because if we can sort this out now, it's gonna keep us all happy. Right?

Right. Two, um... Anything else? Cutting all ties. I've cut ties to me anywhere before. Yep. And I've gotten that problem with cutting all ties to everybody, even to the state of death,

to the dead. Okay. Well, you know, I can... You know, I can fucking fix it. All right? I mean, Joe... We fixed... We sent Joe away for a while,

and we had a few dramas. It's not an issue. All right? We've got to go with the lines. Oh, I'm sure he's going all right. Yeah. So... Have faith in me, all right?

Yeah. Um... We'll sort this out for you, and, um... We'll move on. I might have to put this job back a little bit until we sort it out. That's not a problem.

All right? No, but you... Now, now, it's up to you what you're telling us. All right? All I know is I need you to sort the best of it. Yeah, well, it's not something that I'm going to tell anybody. No.

No, that's fine. We have to come up with a scenario then. Yeah? Oh, let me have a think about it. We'll sort something out, all right? Jeff, that needs to know. Is that... Yeah.

Yeah. Someone else is going to need to know. I'll leave that to you. Yeah, because I'm going to have to send someone with you to sort all this fucking shit out, all right? But let me have a think about it. Let me get... I'll get them to come back up with Jeff,

and I'll make a couple calls. I'll talk to a couple more people that have been giving me some of this info. It's just to see if there's anything else that could get us on the spot. That's half near Alboy. That... The media was telling me it wasn't there.

That's good. We need to clean up. Well, anything last week, and you say the house is gone now. Yeah, the house is gone. What do you mean gone? The moment that... I don't know.

It's like a workaholic. Okay. And was there any fucking... No blood. No blood, no spit, but then... Did you fuck him? No.

Didn't fuck him. Did you fuck him? Blow? Did you, you know? So you left no spook? Nothing. Nothing. Even if there was my DNA in the house,

I'd been there before with another guy. Yeah. Okay. Now, look, what we're talking about now is the empty house. I'll make a thought for you. Like?

Like anything else that you've fucking done that's gonna get us on the spot. No, there's nothing. And no more kids are gonna fucking find mission and they're looking at you? No, nothing like that at all. All right. I didn't go out that day

with a little nice computer on or anything like that. It just happened. So when you're through this fucking... I'm just thinking, why are you talking what I'm thinking? You know, because there's a lot of shit

I'm trying to fucking thought out of here. There's something about this watch. You know, they're missing this fucking watch. Did you see a watch you had or...? I didn't. That might have been in the pocket or some fucking thing. I wonder if it was heading up the sink.

Might have to look at... You're gonna have to show them also where your fucking... All the blood's through there. Yeah. You know, if you had a time to go, watch and everything.

Yeah. That's probably in your advantage. But what concerns me is the actual fucking places that your fucking... where you're talking, you know? But we'll sort that out. Really knows about that place, honestly. Yeah.

We'll sort it, all right? And like I said, we're just gonna have to put things back a bit. Sort it. There you go, mate. Listen, you want to come back up with Jeff and grab Shadow

and just take him down for a coffee or a drink or a bite to eat or something? I've just got a few calls. I've got to sort a few things out. All right, no worries. See you soon. Bye. After his confession to Arnold,

Cowan had lunch with Fitsie. He was cocky now. He boasted again about abducting Daniel Morgan. He explained he took Daniel to the isolated property in the Glasshouse Mountains and invited him inside for a glass of water. They entered the abandoned building and Cowan attempted to remove Daniel's pants.

Daniel said no and fought him off. He said, you know, if you don't want to go, Cowan said no and fought him off. Cowan panicked, wrapped his arm around Daniel's throat and squeezed until he was dead. Cowan said he thought he was going to be arrested

when police arrived at his front door for that first interview, two weeks after Daniel went missing. The day after Cowan confessed, Arnold arranged for Cowan to return to Queensland with Fitsie and another member of the gang, Ian. Cowan was given strict orders

to take Fitsie and Ian everywhere he went on the day of the abduction. Fitsie and Ian were to help dispose of any remaining evidence that could implicate him. On August 13th, Cowan directed Fitsie and Ian to a demountable building along Kings Road at the Glasshouse Mountains, located in Biwa,

30 minutes south of the Kill Mountain Overpass. The area was far from civilization. It was a lonely, isolated place. Cowan, Fitsie and Ian walked one by one into the dense bushland. Cowan led the way, and as he weaved through trees, ducked under low branches,

and climbed over shrubbery, Fitsie and Ian secretly marked the path they took. Cowan retraced his steps with eerie familiarity. He revealed the exact path he carried Daniel's body before dumping him in a pond of water. He also pointed out the location of Cooch and Creek, where he had disposed of Daniel's clothing. When the three men returned to their car,

the police pounced. With their firearms drawn, they ordered Cowan to raise his hands and get on the ground. For a brief moment, police claimed to have seen an uncharacteristic look of shock flash across Cowan's face.

But within seconds, he composed himself and smiled as he was handcuffed and arrested. Cowan made no admissions and declined an interview. He was charged with murder, kidnapping, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment of a child under 16,

and interfering with the court. When Joe Emery sat next to Cowan on the plane, he had been practicing the moment for months, planning every move in advance for the great deception he was about to perform. He smiled at Cowan as he sat beside him and settled into the five-hour flight to Perth. That moment was the beginning of an incredible

and intricate top-secret police operation, a ploy to full child murderer, Brett Peter Cowan. Cowan was never part of a crime gang. Joe Emery, Fiti, Craig, Arnold, Ian, and everyone else he had met were all undercover police officers. Cowan had never committed a crime either. He was made to think he had,

but it was all part of the elaborate undercover operation. In late December 2010, Assistant Commissioner Condon first considered the possibility of using a special technique against Cowan by a voluntary confession for his involvement in Daniel Morkham's murder. Although there were 35 other persons of interest

in the Morkham investigation, Cowan had made himself the most likely suspect. Cowan was a convicted, opportunistic pedophile who targeted young boys, a diagnosed pathological liar familiar with the area where Daniel Morkham disappeared. He admitted to going to Nambour on the day of Daniel's disappearance.

He admitted he drove along Nambour Connection Road past the bus stop around the time Daniel was there. He drove a car similar to one seen at the bus stop. He brought an uncanny resemblance to the composite sketch of the man seen near Daniel, and he had no satisfactory explanation or concrete alibi for a 45-minute period of time during that afternoon.

The seven-year investigation was a cold case. No new evidence or witnesses had appeared, and the body of Daniel remained undiscovered. There was insufficient evidence against Cowan to charge him. So the only thing that would lead to an arrest after all these years was an authentic, voluntary confession from Cowan's mouth. Even then, a confession may not have been enough.

They also needed to find Daniel's body. A rarely used policing technique was the final option, a special operation used in criminal cases to obtain impossible confessions. It was difficult to orchestrate, but had proven successful in previous unsolved crimes. Senior undercover police officers created a fictitious crime gang for Cowan to join,

with the aim to get him to confess to Daniel's murder. With some cautious reservations, the technique was approved for use against Cowan. A total of 36 undercover police officers from Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria were involved in the operation, which came to be called Operation Vista. Five months of intense undercover work led to the moment in the Swan River Room

at the Hyatt Hotel where Cowan confessed to Arnold. In the adjoining room, the investigation team were monitoring the conversation via hidden cameras and microphones. Everything Cowan said and did was recorded. After Cowan's arrest, an extensive examination was conducted of the area he pointed out to Fitzian Dean.

A police command post was established, and more than a thousand state emergency service volunteers joined the search. Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said the search would not finish until they had exhausted every possible avenue, and no hope was left of them finding something. They searched for four days and found nothing. Then finally,

a small, muddy, grey glow-brand right-footed shoe was discovered. Later, a matching left-footed shoe was also discovered. Both were sent for forensic testing. The Morkums were visiting family interstate at the time the shoes were found. They cut their trip short and returned home. While visiting the search area, the Morkums considered the location a spiritual place of healing.

Bruce Morkum confirmed the shoes matched those Daniel owned and was wearing the day he disappeared. They were examined with another pair of shoes that belonged to Daniel, and the analysis showed matching wear patterns. Three unidentifiable bones were also found in the area. Bruce Morkum said the discovery wasn't good news or a celebration of any sort, but it brought with it a sheer relief.

Maybe it was the final chapter he had been hoping for, for a long, long time. A dive team searched Couch and Creek where Cowan confessed to disposing of Daniel's clothing. Remnants of underwear, a belt, and a well-preserved pair of shorts were discovered. Four more weeks of sifting through sand and undergrowth unearthed a total of 17 bone fragments.

They included sections of a rib, hip, leg, arm, and vertebrae. Forensic testing later proved the bone fragments came from one person, a young male. DNA obtained from Daniel's old toothbrush aided in the confirmation the bones belonged to the 13-year-old. Daniel owned a distinctive fob-style pocket watch with Dan engraved on it, a gift from his brother Bradley. It was the watch Arnold was talking about during the confession.

Another piece of evidence they were hoping to get to sink Cowan, but it was never found. Brett Peter Cowan was charged with murder, child stealing, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment of a child under 16, and interfering with the corpse. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to stand trial. The trial began on February 10th, 2014

at the Supreme Court of Queensland. Bruce and Denise Morkham told the court they wanted Cowan's identity to be made public, and the court order suppressing his name was revoked. They hoped it would lead to further witnesses to come forward. Cowan's dark history of child abuse convictions were inadmissible during the trial. Cowan declined to testify.

His defense team applied to have all evidence of anything said by him to police or agents of the police, including any alleged admissions, either by word or conduct, excluded. They argued the statements and actions made by him in August 2011 could not be proven to have been made voluntarily, and it would be unfair to use them against him. As Cowan's own criminal past was protected from the jury,

everyone else's was open. Cowan's defense argued Douglas Jackway had killed Daniel Morkham. Jackway was one of the early suspects in the case, who owned a blue car similar to one seen at the bus stop. Unlike Cowan, Jackway's history of abuse against children was detailed to the jury. The defense team referred to the blue sedan seen near the bus stop, similar in description to a car Jackway owned.

Jackway's unsubstantiated claims are very was on the day. The fact Jackway's appearance matched descriptions given by witnesses, Jackway's history of abducting and abusing boys, and Jackway's aggression when police seized his car for DNA testing. The defense team appealed to the jurors that Jackway could be responsible, and that it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Cowan had committed the crime. According to them, Cowan's confession was not voluntary, but coerced, and Cowan had provided planted information given to him by undercover police officers during Operation Vista.

When Cowan's position in the gang was at risk, he admitted to Daniel's murder under the impression he would obtain an alibi from Arnold. But despite his confession, his defense team argued he had no actual involvement in the crime. He was doing it to keep his position in the gang, and because he wanted an alibi for Daniel's disappearance, so he would no longer be harassed about it by police. 116 witnesses gave evidence, and over 200 exhibits were tended. The jury of six men and six women deliberated finally eight hours before delivering their verdict.

Guilty. Bruce, Denise, Dean, and Bradley Morkham each read victim impact statements prior to the sentencing. The following is Bruce Morkham's statement. 10 years ago, you made a choice to rip our family apart. Your decision to pull over and abduct Daniel for your own evil pleasure ultimately caused a level of personal pain to each of us that has made it hard to go on. Over the 10 years, we made a face for media with determined self-control on the outside. On many occasions, particularly in the first few months,

I was physically ill each morning at the unbearable images of what may have happened to my son Daniel. Even today, I am haunted by thoughts of how long he was actually held captive and what other unspeakable things you did in those sheds at the end of King's Road at Bawa. Why would you really dump someone without clothes? Why was his belt loose and not still looped through his pants? It makes me nauseous just thinking about your total lack of respect for a child's life. Listening to you describe and watching you with a smirk on your face how you threw Daniel's lifeless body down an embankment

and a week later you returned and crushed his skull with a shovel. Chop. Chop. Chop. You coldly explained in an emotionless matter-of-fact way. We now have to live out our days with the unimaginable images of wild dogs devouring our much-loved son's remains. Daniel did not deserve that. He was a great kid and would not hurt a fly. You have robbed him of 70 years of life. Our family's first sleepless night without Dan on December 7, 2003 haunts me even today.

That feeling of helplessness and unimaginable pain never leaves you. The next day I recall picking up Dean after work in the afternoon on Monday, December 8. He asked me, have they found Daniel? These are four small words that torture me even today because I had to answer no. I listened to Denise's broken sleep punctuated by frequent nightmares and looking into the face of my young twin boy who has lost his soulmate, a raw image that is often relived which had a profound effect on how I functioned. Nothing about my life today resembles how we enjoyed life as a family before that day.

Our friends from 2003 are different because we are no longer the same people. We can be short-tempered and have a streak of bitterness and carry-on caused by your delirious selfish actions. We were forced to move away from our unique garden paradise and much-loved family home. We were running a successful small business that we were forced to sell. We could not return to regular employment because we were constantly distracted with disturbing thoughts. We were forced to sell all our other investments to be able to survive. But survive we did because you made one monumental mistake that day. You picked on the wrong family.

Our collective determination to find Daniel and expose a trial killer was always going to win. Perhaps the greatest impact your heinous crimes had on me is being witnessed to the impact it has on the people that I love. You have caused a measurable mental stress and anxiety to not only me but to Daniel's mother Denise, Daniel's brother Dean and to Daniel's twin Bradley. I have also witnessed the impact your cold, calculating actions caused to extended family members. Daniel's grandparents have had years of healthy living trimmed off their life. Daniel's uncles in arts and cousins, plus mates at school have all been seriously impacted by what he did. I often wonder about the other victims who you have left in your wake.

That too causes me moments of great sadness. Your own children are of course victims of your crimes and I wonder about them. In a strange twist of fate, the Daniel Morkham Foundation was established to educate children about personal safety and also assist young victims of crime. I've sat watching you in the same court for close to 40 days, covering the coronial inquest, the committal hearing, the pretrial hearing and your trial here. Throughout that time, you have been completely devoid of any remorse of what you did to Daniel. Your deliberate actions are now recorded for all to see. It is the most brazen crime that has shocked the nation. Sitting in the same room as you revolts me.

How you sit there day after day, almost frozen in the one position, is chilling. You have been convicted as a repeat sex offender, leaving a trail of destruction, distress and damage to souls for three decades. Predators like you cannot be rehabilitated. A cunning plan by police has brought you unbalanced. You have been exposed as an opportunistic, perverted, cold-blooded, child-killing pedophile. Central to the facts are not who done it, but you done it. May Daniel's soul rest in peace. The Presiding Judge

Cowan was sentenced to life imprisonment and showed absolutely no remorse. The presiding judge said, quote, Cowan was a convincing, plausible and adaptable liar. You had no intention of taking Daniel to the shopping centre. You were just thinking about what you could do with him. Everything about what you did to that child was horrific and disgraceful. This is not just a murder, but a terrible murder, that has had widespread and shocking impacts. After the discovery of his body and actually prior to Cowan's trial,

Daniel Morgan was finally laid to rest at a funeral held at his old school. It was December 7th, 2012, the nine-year anniversary of the day he disappeared, and 475 days after he had been found. More than 2,000 people attended the service. The church was packed and overflowing. An unopened Christmas gift from 2003, Daniel's school report card that had arrived the day after he disappeared, and a school photo of Daniel were placed on his casket.

Bruce Morkham told the thousands of supporters, quote, Please do not be sad. Appreciate that the evil act that took Daniel happened a long time ago. Today is about embracing his return to his family and being reflective of what might have been. The colour red featured prominently throughout. Daniel's casket was carried out of the church by his brothers and schoolmates, while friends, family, and the state emergency service members who searched for him formed a guard of honour. The song Daniel by Elton John played.

Daniel was buried a short distance from the Morkham family home, not far from the bus stop he was abducted from. Every year on the anniversary of his disappearance, a day for Daniel is held to promote awareness of the vulnerability of children. Cowan has never shown a shred of remorse to the Morkham family. The Daniel Morkham Foundation is maintained to this day by Bruce and Denise. It educates school children all over Australia, giving them skills to recognise danger,

and to raise awareness of the dangers of predatory criminals. The Morkhams have visited thousands of school children, personally spreading the message of protection, safety, and opportunity for all children. The Foundation also offers a huge support to victims of crime, providing everything from money to medical treatment. In one of his first interviews with the media, shortly after Daniel disappeared, Bruce Morkham sat nervously in front of the camera. Despite the shock and anxiety of suddenly being thrust into the media spotlight

for one of the worst reasons he could ever imagine, Bruce's words were bold. They have picked the wrong family, he said looking into the camera. We will never give up. Bruce and Denise made a promise on the day Daniel went missing that they would find him. They kept their word.