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Draft:Prue Bird Disappearance

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Prue Bird
Born(1978-03-26)March 26, 1978
DisappearedFebruary 2, 1992 (aged 13)
Glenroy, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Known forDisappearance

Prue Bird, a 13-year-old teenage girl from Glenroy, Victoria, disappeared in February 1992. Her case involved figures in Melbourne’s crime network and led to a 2012 confession from Leslie Camilleri, who was later convicted of her murder. The case remains significant due to lingering questions, inconsistencies in Camilleri’s confession, and the fact that her body was never recovered. [1]

Background

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Bird lived with her mother and grandmother, Julie Hetzel. Hetzel's partner, Paul Hetzel, had connections to the criminal network and had cooperated with police regarding the 1986 Russell Street bombing. During this period, convicted bomber Craig Minogue allegedly made threats against Bird. Maurice Marion, a bank robber associated with Paul Hetzel, was also investigated due to his criminal background and potential links to the case[2]

Disappearance

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In February 1992, Bird disappeared from her home in Glenroy. Initial investigations considered the possibility that her disappearance was connected to her grandmother's partner's criminal associations. Police examined this theory, focusing on Hetzel’s associates, but no conclusive physical evidence emerged.[2]

Conviction of Leslie Camilleri

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In 2012, Leslie Camilleri, who was already serving a life sentence for the 1997 Bega schoolgirl murders, confessed to killing Bird. [3]His statements contained inconsistencies, and Justice Elizabeth Curtain described some aspects of his account as “fanciful” during sentencing. Camilleri received an additional 28-year sentence for Bird’s murder.[4] [5][6]

Despite this confession, doubts about the case persist due to the lack of physical evidence and inconsistencies in Camilleri's narrative. Prior to Camilleri’s confession, Maurice Marion and other individuals were investigated, but no substantial evidence linked them to Bird's disappearance. [2]

Ongoing investigation

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Bird’s body has not been recovered, and unresolved issues surrounding the case, including inconsistencies in Camilleri’s confession, contribute to ongoing interest. Bird’s mother, Jenny, has continued to seek information and resolution regarding her daughter’s disappearance.[2] [1]

References

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