Introducing - Creating Mr Cruel
6/10/20262 min
For more than 30 years, the name Mr Cruel has haunted Melbourne.
He was meticulous, terrifying and seemingly vanished without a trace — leaving behind one of Australia’s most disturbing unsolved crime mysteries. But in this gripping six-part investigation, Adam Shand uncovers secret forensic evidence that challenges everything police thought they knew about the case.
Across the series, we revisit the abductions, the fear that gripped suburban Melbourne, the assumptions that shaped the investigation, and the hidden evidence that may overturn them all.
Was Mr Cruel really the offender police believed they were hunting or has the truth been buried in the evidence all along???
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAdam Shand· Host0:05
Hi, this is Adam Shand. Thanks for your support of real crime. I want to introduce you to a new show I've been working on called the Adam Shand Collection. This new show will be short miniseries on some of Australia's biggest crimes and new investigations in the shadowy netherworld of crime and justice. Series one of the Adam Shand collection is called Creating Mr Cruel. It's one of Australia's greatest unsolved mysteries. Who was the predator abducting children from 1985 to 1991? The first three episodes are available in Apple podcast subscriptions from Monday, June the 22nd. He's the predator who changed how Melbourne families lived. A shadowy intruder who abducted young girls from their homes in a terrifying crime spree.
Speaker 2· Soundbite0:53
Blindfolded, gagged and wrapped in plastic garbage bags, she was taken from her Ringwood home and assaulted. Detective said the man, armed with a pistol and wearing a dark-coloured balaclava, was intent on capturing the child. Police are convinced the man has offended before. He went to great lengths to conceal his identity and may be prepared to kill to avoid detection.
Adam Shand· Host1:15
He released them after hours in captivity. Later, it became days.
Speaker 3· Soundbite1:21
Carmen, this is your favourite dress. You have to come home and wear it.