Man arrested over 1988 murder of Scott Johnson - Sydney Morning Herald

Homicide detectives have arrested a man over the 1988 gay-hate killing of Scott Johnson, who fell to his death from a cliff near Manly's North Head.

The arrest comes more than 30 years after an initially bungled police investigation and subsequent inquest concluded the 27-year-old US mathematician had died by suicide.

The last photo of Scott Johnson, who died in a cliff fallCredit:NSW Police

After years of campaigning by Mr Johnson's family, led by his brother Steve, a 2017 coronial inquest found he had most likely been the victim of a "gay-hate attack".

In March lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Peter Yeomans confirmed the investigation had narrowed in on a "particular individual" after a $1 million reward was offered in 2018.

Advertisement

The amount was then increased to $2 million in March when Mr Johnson's brother Steve agreed to match it.

Around 8.30am on Tuesday Strike Force Welsford detectives arrested a 49-year-old man at Lane Cove, before a search warrant was executed at a nearby home.

A man is in custody as part of investigations into the 1988 murder of Scott Johnson.Credit:NSW Police

The man was taken to Chatswood police station and charges are expected to be laid later today.

Police have also commenced a forensic search at North Head this morning.

The arrest follows a three-decade search for truth by Steve Johnson, who never believed the original police theory of suicide, a conclusion accepted by the first coroner but ultimately thrown by a third inquest in 2017 , which found Scott was thrown, hounded or frightened off the cliff by at least two people motivated by hatred of gays.

Steve Johnson said from his home in the US: "I’d like to start by thanking Commissioner Mick Fuller and lead investigator DCI Peter Yeomans for this near miracle bringing justice today to my brother Scott, who died at the cliffs of North Head in Manly more than 31 years ago.

"Especially while grappling with this terrible pandemic, DCI Yeomans and his team managed an heroic feat building this case and apprehending Scott’s alleged killer. Scott’s family and I deeply appreciate their commitment to finding justice for Scott Johnson here today.

"Scott would be pleased to see how far the gay community has come toward living openly and freely as he believed all of us should. Despite the sometimes fierce institutional resistance to investigating the death of my brother, the Australian people have always welcomed me with open arms and embraced this case as a fight for justice for all us.

"Many dozens of people in the US and Australia worked hard for justice for Scott not only for this wonderful human being whose life ended too soon but because Scott died violently as so many other gay men did in the 1980s and 90s in a world full of anti-gay prejudice and hatred. All the men who died need a voice and in some small way I hope Scott has provided it."

Commissioner Fuller personally notified Steve Johnson of the arrest.

"Making that phone call this morning is a career highlight – Steve has fought so hard for so many years, and it has been an honour be part of his fight for justice,” the Commissioner said.

“While we have a long way to go in the legal process, it must be acknowledged that if it wasn’t for the determination of the Johnson family, which inspired me and the Strike Force Welsford team – led by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Yeomans – we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

A critical shift in the investigation came in December 2018, when the NSW Government increased the $100,000 reward to $1million. Then, earlier this year, Steve Johnson – a self-made millionaire – added the extra $1 million to the reward. He was a pioneer of image, sound and video-compression technology that was bought in 1996 by America Online, of which he became vice-president.

Police wrongly advised the first coroner that the area around the cliff was not a gay beat, a place where homosexual men gathered for sexual liaisons. Had it been a beat, that coroner was told, it would also have attracted people who wanted to harm gays.

The third inquest established clearly that it was not only a gay beat, but also heard from gay men that it was indeed frequented by gay-bashing gangs.

Scott Johnson, a mathematics prodigy, was completing his PhD at the Australian National University at the time of his death. On the morning of Saturday, December 10, 1988, his body was found at the base of a cliff at Blue Fish Point, near Manly.

A second inquest in June 2012 – prompted by Steve Johnson's campaign - returned an open finding on the cause of death.

Steve Johnson's campaign also led to Strike Force Parrabell, an investigation into the deaths of more than 80 gay men in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. It established about a third of them were "bias" crimes targeting gay men, or suspected bias crimes. In mid-2018, it referred 23 cases to the Unsolved Homicide Squad for further investigation.

Scott Johnson's death was not then among them. At the third inquest, NSW Police advised the then state coroner Michael Barnes to make an open finding once again, but Mr Barnes rejected that advice and found Scott died because he was pushed, hounded or frightened off the cliff while attending the gay beat.

Steve Johnson long had a tense relationship with NSW Police but lauded the shift in the investigation under the new leadership of Commissioner Fuller.

"After state coroner Michael Barnes determined in 2017 that Scott had been killed, overturning the original officers’ suicide assessment, Commissioner Fuller pledged to me that he would do
everything possible to solve Scott’s homicide," Mr Johnson said on Tuesday.

"By doggedly pursuing Scott’s case, the NSW Police is telling the gay community – indeed, to everyone in Australia – that times have changed. A recognition that all of us deserve equal protection and justice under the law, and equal standing with each other without prejudice.

"I hope the families and friends of the many dozens of other gay victims will take some solace in what has happened today. And I hope that this opens the door to resolving some of the other mysterious deaths of gay men that occurred during this dark time.

"This is of course very personal to me. Scott and I were very close. Our brother and two sisters loved Scott dearly. It’s a shame that our parents are not alive today to see justice done. They may rest more peacefully now, however. I deeply appreciate the effort by everyone who worked so hard to bring this good news today. Thank you."

When police announced their search had narrowed earlier this year, Steve Johnson then said he was "very emotional.".

"To go for so long with an intransigent police force, totally uninterested in investigating my brother's death as a homicide, to a team clearly dedicated to solving it. And then to learn they are this close to solving it ... it leaves me hopeful and emotional," he told the Herald in March.

Most Viewed in National

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNtaC5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvbnN3L21hbi1hcnJlc3RlZC1vdmVyLTE5ODgtbXVyZGVyLW9mLXNjb3R0LWpvaG5zb24tMjAyMDA1MTItcDU0czJ6Lmh0bWzSAWdodHRwczovL2FtcC5zbWguY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL25zdy9tYW4tYXJyZXN0ZWQtb3Zlci0xOTg4LW11cmRlci1vZi1zY290dC1qb2huc29uLTIwMjAwNTEyLXA1NHMyei5odG1s?oc=5

2020-05-12 00:52:01Z
52780780622377

Bagikan Berita Ini