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Mackay, Donald July 15 1977; Griffith NSW
Topic Started: Jul 14 2012, 03:14 PM (450 Views)
monkalup
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$200,000 reward announced for information about Donald Mackay's remains - Griffith LAC, Unsolved Homicide Team
Friday, 13 July 2012 04:24:31 AM

Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the murder of Griffith businessman Donald Mackay, the NSW Government has announced a reward of $200,000 for information leading to the recovery of his remains.


Mr Mackay, 43, went missing from the car park of a hotel in Kooyoo Street, Griffith, on the evening of 15 July, 1977. Blood and bullet cartridges were located near Mr Mackay’s locked van.


Extensive police investigations and a 1984 coronial inquest concluded that Mr Mackay died of wilfully inflicted gunshot wounds. It’s believed he was murdered on the same day he disappeared.


Mr Mackay’s body has never been found.


“In the decades since Mr Mackay’s disappearance, police have investigated many tip-offs about the location of his remains, to no avail,” Griffith Local Area Commander, Detective Superintendent Michael Rowan, said.


“We are confident that someone knows what happened to Mr Mackay’s body and, in what we believe may be a last-ditch effort to solve this matter, we are appealing for them to come forward,” Det Supt Rowan said. “If people wish, they can give us the information anonymously.”


Det Supt Rowan described the murder of Donald Mackay, an anti-drugs campaigner and respected family man, as a “travesty”.


“This is only compounded by the fact we don’t know what happened to his body,” Det Supt Rowan said. “It has left a family forever wondering, and a community stained by events that occurred before many of its residents were born.”


Police are also appealing for information that may assist the ongoing murder investigation by State Crime Command’s Unsolved Homicide Team.


Although a man served jail time in Victoria for conspiring to murder Mr Mackay, and a Royal Commission named six other men who may have ordered the killing, no-one has ever been charged with his murder.


“We would very much like to provide some closure to Donald Mackay’s family, and want to hear from anyone with previously undisclosed details about those events 35 years ago,” Detective Chief Inspector John Lehmann of the Unsolved Homicide Team said.


Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Michael Gallacher, said it was hoped the passage of time would encourage someone with information to come forward.


“Someone out there knows where Mr Mackay’s remains are, and that is information that would provide a grieving family some closure.


“This family has lived for 35 years not knowing what happened to their loved one. At the very least, they deserve to know his final resting place,” Minister Gallacher concluded.

Anyone with information that may assist police is urged to contact Griffith Local Area Command on
02 6969 4310 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The reward of up to $200,000 is payable for information that leads to the recovery of Donald Mackay’s remains.


http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_r...0bWwmYWxsPTE%3D
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=771232
Monetary reward for Mackay case- report
Updated: 09:19, Friday July 13, 2012

The NSW government is hoping a $200,000 reward will help police find the remains of anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay, who went missing 35 years ago.

The Mafia is believed to be behind the murder of the former Liberal Party candidate, who disappeared after leaving a pub in the Riverina town of Griffith on July 15, 1977.

The offer of $200,000 from the NSW government coincides with the 35th anniversary of his murder.

Mr Mackay was 43 when keys were found next to his blood-stained Mini panel van and three spent bullet cases were found nearby the Kooyoo Street hotel.

The body of the father of four was never located but police are back on the case after a new lead prompted hopes of finding his burial place.

No one has ever been charged with his murder, even though a man served jail time in Victoria for conspiring to murder him, and a Royal Commission named six other men who may have ordered the killing.

Detective Chief Inspector John Lehmann, from the unsolved homicide team, said in a statement the family needed closure.

Inspector Lehmann told Fairfax Media police may have a location soon.

'We have had some information that's come in in recent times, as to various locations (of Mackay's remains), and we're having a look at that and just seeing how viable it is (to pursue),' he said.

It is believed Mr Mackay was killed on the same day he disappeared after his campaign against marijuana growers riled Griffith Mafia dons.

Extensive police investigations and a 1984 coronial inquest concluded he died of wilfully inflicted gunshot wounds.

Police Minister Michael Gallacher said it was hoped the passage of time would encourage someone with information to come forward.

Actor Andrew McFarlane played Mr Mackay in the 2009 TV series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.

Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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http://z13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightAust...topic=924&st=0&
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Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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http://www.australianmissingpersonsregiste...onaldMackay.htm
Donald Mackay was last seen outside the Griffith Hotel on July 15th, 1977 at about 6pm after he had been having a drink with some friends. Donald was a prominent anti drugs campaigner and it is believed he was murdered. An investigation of the scene where Mackay's locked van was parked revealed blood stains, car keys and three spent .22 shell casings.

Donald's body has never been located thus he is still a missing person.

Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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'Last ditch' plea for Mackay's body
13th July 2012 11:56 AM
Updated: 4:20 PM

Tags: donald mackay, drugs, police, underbelly


Donald Mackay

www.australianmissingpersonsregister.comAdvertisementThe family of Donald Mackay is hoping a renewed focus on finding the remains of the anti-drugs campaigner, along with a $200,000 reward, could bring a horrifying chapter of their lives to a close.

As the 35th anniversary of Mr Mackay's disappearance approaches - July 15, 1977 - the New South Wales Government and police hope the reward could loosen the tongues of those with information.

Mr Mackay, 43, was last seen at the Griffith Hotel car park, where police later found bullet casings, blood and his locked van.

An inquest in 1984 found he was likely shot to death that night.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the state's unsolved homicide squad had received information that could lead them to Mr Mackay's remains.

It also reported that Mr Mackay's son Paul, who still lives in Griffith, said it was the first time the reward had been increased since 1981.

"It is still important for the people of Griffith, as well as our family, to see those people still living in our community who conspired to murder our father brought to justice," Mr Mackay told the SMH.

In a statement, Detective Superintendent Michael Rowan said the failure to find his remains made the circumstances of his death even worse.

"It has left a family forever wondering, and a community stained by events that occurred before many of its residents were born," he said.

"We are confident that someone knows what happened to Mr Mackay's body and, in what we believe may be a last-ditch effort to solve this matter, we are appealing for them to come forward."

A man served jail time in Victoria for conspiring to murder Mr Mackay and a Royal Commission named six others who may have been involved in ordering the killing, but justice was never done for the murder itself.

The events leading up to Mr Mackay's murder were included in the 2009 Underbelly television series.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Griffith Local Area Command on (02) 6969 4310 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story...a-mackays-body/
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Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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http://mafiatoday.com/general-breaking-new...-mackays-grave/
After 35 years, the family of the anti-Mafia activist cling to one small hope.

YESTERDAY’S decision by New South Wales police to offer a $200,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of the remains of the murdered Griffith businessman and anti-Mafia activist Donald Mackay is a last-ditch attempt to loosen tight and ageing lips.
And it is for the sake of a family that has grieved for 35 years. The man police have long alleged was paid to pull the trigger on July 15, 1977, James Frederick Bazley, still lives in Melbourne. He is 86, unwell, and in the rare moments he has broken his silence, has denied he was the killer.
Officers of the NSW unsolved homicide, or ”cold case” squad, have made several approaches to Bazley through his solicitor in recent years, pleading with him to say where he dumped Mr Mackay’s body. They were always rebuffed. There have been many theories, but many long-term investigators believe it was weighed down and dropped into the Murray River, near Tocumwal, on the NSW-Victorian border, on the night he was killed. Detective Chief Inspector John Lehmann, of the NSW unsolved homicide team, said yesterday police had received new information ”in recent times” about possible places, and hoped for a breakthrough.
But he said reports that police were about to start excavating particular spots in the NSW Riverina were not correct. Yesterday’s decision to double the previous reward to $200,000 comes with a significant change in circumstances.
Advertisement
Rather than the reward for information leading to a conviction, as previously, it simply requires information leading to Mr Mackay’s remains. Investigators have privately conceded it is unlikely anyone will ever be charged outright, despite their belief he was assassinated on the orders of kingpins in the Griffith-based Calabrian drug Mafia, including the late Robert Trimbole.
Instead, they hope the killer or surviving associates may finally grant some measure of peace to Mr Mackay’s four children. They have never known what happened to their father’s body after he was shot in a Griffith Hotel car park. Mr Mackay’s wife, Barbara, will never know; she died in 2001. Mr Mackay went missing after an after-work gathering at the Griffith Hotel. His bloodstained mini-van, still locked, was found in the car park. The van’s keys were on the ground, drag marks were visible and three .22-calibre cartridges were found nearby.
Two days before, Mr Mackay had told this reporter he believed he was a marked man.
Concerned that local police were in the pockets of Mafia chieftains – a fear borne out some years later when three police who had been stationed at Griffith were jailed for perverting the course of justice – he had contacted drug squad detectives in Sydney in 1975 about his suspicions that the Griffith area was the base for extensive marijuana growing.
The drug squad had used his furniture store as their secret headquarters for an operation that led to what was then the biggest cannabis bust in Australia’s history.
When a group of men were brought to trial over the plantation, a drug squad detective was ordered to produce his diary. It contained information about Mr Mackay’s secret role. Mr Mackay told me that when he discovered this had occurred, he felt ”chilled”, and believed his life was in danger. He was right.
Despite his denials, Bazley, an old Painters and Dockers hitman, served time after being found guilty of conspiring with two other men to kill Mr Mackay, murdering two drug couriers, Douglas and Isobel Wilson, and taking part in a $270,000 armed robbery. All up, he got life, but was released in 2001 after serving less than 15 years.
Bazley claimed to the veteran crime reporter Tom Prior some years ago that the killer was a NSW policeman, Fred Krahe, who died decades ago.

Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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Donald Mackay (anti-drugs campaigner)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Donald Mackay

Born Donald Bruce Mackay
(1933-09-13)13 September 1933
Griffith, New South Wales
Died 15 July 1977(1977-07-15) (aged 43)
Occupation Businessman
Known for Anti-drugs campaigning
Spouse Barbara Mackay (m. 1957–1977) «start: (1957-04-06)–end+1: (1977-07-16)»"Marriage: Barbara Mackay to Donald Mackay" Location:St Martin's Anglican Church, 9B Arnold Street, Killara33°45′55″S 151°09′52″E / 33.76527°S 151.164536°E / -33.76527; 151.164536 (6 April 1957: Marriage: Barbara Mackay to Donald Mackay) (linkback://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Mackay_(anti-drugs_campaigner))
Children James, Paul, Ruth and Mary[1]

Donald Bruce Mackay (13 September 1933 – 15 July 1977) was an Australian anti-drugs campaigner who came to fame in 1977 through the circumstances of his murder.

Mackay was born in Griffith and raised in Sydney. He and his family ran a local furniture business called Mackay's Furniture.

His wife Barbara (1935–2001) was an active member of the Uniting Church in Griffith and directed a great number of musicals for young children in Griffith, including Spindles and the Lamb and It's cool in the Furnace. Today, the Mackay family still has a property in Griffith. Donald Mackay's son, Paul, runs the family furniture store.

In 1974, Mackay stood as a Liberal Party candidate for the House of Representatives against Al Grassby. He also stood for political office in 1973 and 1976 but was never elected. However, his preferences went to the Country Party candidate John Sullivan, allowing him to unseat Grassby.[2]

Contents [hide]
1 Lead-up to murder
2 Evening of Mackay's murder
3 Aftermath of Mackay's murder
4 References
5 External links


[edit] Lead-up to murderConcerned about the growing drug trade in his local area, and learning of a large crop of marijuana in nearby Coleambally, Mackay informed Sydney drug squad detectives, resulting in several arrests and the conviction of four men of Italian descent. At the trial of the arrested men, Mackay was identified as the whistleblower.[3]

An attempt was made to lure Mackay to Jerilderie by a "Mr Adams" who wished to make a large order of furniture from Mackay's family business. Mackay, busy with other matters, sent employee Bruce Pursehouse to meet "Adams", who did not approach Pursehouse. This is believed to have been an attempt to assassinate Mackay. Pursehouse later identified a man he had seen at Jerilderie as a suspect in the Mackay killing.[4]

[edit] Evening of Mackay's murderOn 15 July 1977, Mackay disappeared from a hotel car park after having drinks with friends and has never been found. Stains from his blood group were evident on his van[5] and the ground nearby, and his car keys were underneath.[6] Nearby were drag marks, hair, and three spent .22 calibre cartridges.[7]

The Woodward Royal Commission found that the six prime suspects to the murder all had convenient alibis.[8] On the night of the murder, Tony and Domenic Sergi, nominated as principal suspects by the Woodward Royal Commission, were on a "pub crawl" in Griffith with a number of police officers;[8] Giuseppe and Rocco Barbaro went to Sydney and, then, the Gold Coast, not returning to Griffith until 20 July;[8] Francesco Barbaro, brother-in-law of Tony Sergi and cousin of Savero Barbaro (who was arrested 3 months earlier of marijuana production), stayed at the Griffith Ex-Servicemen's Club;[8] and Robert Trimbole was at Randwick, Sydney, at a restaurant.[8]

Mackay's disappearance made headlines around the nation and many, such as Griffith supervisor of detectives James Bindon, drew the conclusion that gangland figure Robert Trimbole was responsible for the apparent contract-style killing.[9] Trimbole had previously made death threats against Mackay.[9] The killing fuelled the perception of Griffith as full of mobsters and "Australia's marijuana capital".[10]

[edit] Aftermath of Mackay's murderThe Mackay case led to the then-premier Neville Wran appointing Justice Philip Woodward to lead the Woodward Royal Commission into the illegal drug trade in New South Wales. In 1979, Woodward found that Mackay had been murdered by a hitman acting on instructions from the "Honoured Society", a Griffith-based cell of the 'Ndrangheta, a Calabrian criminal organisation.[11][12]

Justice Woodward, in his final report, concluded that the members of this organisation involved in Mackay's murder were Francesco Sergi (born 24 January 1935), Domenic Sergi (born 3 March 1939), Antonio Sergi (born 4 February 1950), Antonio Sergi (born 29 October 1935), Francesco Barbaro (born 8 September 1937) and Robert Trimbole (born 19 March 1931).[13] Justice Woodward requested for police to search Griffith's "grass castles" but this was denied.[14]

In 1980, Al Grassby was charged with criminal defamation when it was alleged that he had asked New South Wales state politician Michael Maher to read in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly a document that imputed Mackay's wife Barbara and her family solicitor were responsible for Mackay's disappearance. An inquiry by John Nagle Q.C. found that "no decent man" could have spread the "scurrilous lies" that Grassby had.[15] Grassby maintained his innocence and fought a 12-year battle in the courts before he was eventually acquitted on appeal in August 1992 and was awarded A$180,000 in costs.[16] Grassby had already lost a civil suit filed by Barbara Mackay, forcing him to unconditionally apologise.[17]

In 1984, the coroner ruled Mackay had died of "wilfully inflicted gunshot wounds".[18]

In 1986 hitman James Frederick Bazley was charged over the death.[19] Bazley claimed he was innocent, blaming allegedly corrupt former Sydney detective Fred Krahe as the killer,[20] but was convicted of conspiring with Gianfranco Tizzone, Robert Timbole, George Joseph and unknown other persons to murder Mackay, as well as the murders of Douglas and Isabel Wilson.[7] He was sentenced to life imprisonment.[18]

Gianfranco Tizzoni, who turned informer in 1983, admitted to his 'complicity' in Mackay's murder.[21] Specifically, Tizzoni admitted that he arranged for a hitman he knew as 'Fred' to undertake the contract.[22] When shown photographs of possible suspects, Tizzone fingered James Frederick Bazley as the trigger man.[22]

The annual Donald Mackay Churchill Fellowship was inaugurated in 1987.[23] The Churchill Trust awards a Donald Mackay fellowship annually for journalists and detectives to study methods of investigating and bringing to light organised crime.[24]

In late 2008, the Rotary Club of Griffith erected a memorial in Banna Avenue, the main street of Griffith, to honour the 30th anniversary of Donald Mackay's murder.[25][15]

The statue of Donald Mackay itself is a white marble bust with a plaque inscribed with "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Australian actor Andrew McFarlane portrayed him in the 2009 television series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.[26]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Mackay...ugs_campaigner)
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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