In the Hands of Evil: In the Hands of Evil: The true story of Venet Mulhall's life and death and the hunt for the serial killler, Reginald Kenneth Arthurell also known as Regina Kaye Arthurell

By Paul Quinn

IN THE HANDS OF EVIL is a true Australian crime story that the brother of a murder victim was compelled to write. 

The author is more at home in his workshop restoring an old classic car than at the keyboard of a computer.

But fate intervened and placed him in a position where he was the only person able to put

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Quinn
• Release date: May 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781648713507

Paul Quinn

Paul Quinn is a Certified Nurse Midwife with over 30 years of experience in women's healthcare. Holding a PhD in nursing, he is an accomplished researcher in women's health and is the author of Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Your Questions Answered, Birth Control: Your Questions Answered, and Teen Pregnancy: Your Questions Answered.

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IN THE HANDS OF EVIL

The sad but true story, of Venet Mulhall’s life and death and the hunt for a serial killer and the pursuit for justice.

PAUL QUINN

© Copyright. Paul Quinn 2020. All rights reserved. The moral right of the Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the copyright act.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted mechanically or electronically or held in any form for commercial use, apart from fair dealings of the media, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Private use is allowable only as per the Act.

A copy of this book is in the National Library of Australia

ISBN: 978-1-64713-600-0 (paperback)

IN THE HANDS OF EVIL

Author: Paul Quinn. A true crime and real life story as experienced by the Author.

Email: [e-mail]

Contents

PREFACE

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1 SENTENCING

2 THE LETTER

3 HARD TIMES

4 VENET’S PROBLEMS

5 PRISON FELLOWSHIP

6 PAROLE

7 LIFE AT COONA

8 THE PHONE CALL

9 FORENSIC INVESTIGATION

10 HOME

11 STATE ELECTION

12 A LIFE OF CRIME

13 POSITIVE ACTION

14 THE HUNT

15 IMMINENT DANGER

16 ANOTHER LADY

17 REGROUPING

18 COMMITTAL HEARING

19 TOM THORTON’S DEATH

20 TOM THORNTON’S LIFE

21 THE REPORT

22 ROSS BROWNING’S MURDER

23 LETTER WRITING

24 RETURN TO COONA

25 THE TRIAL

26 FAST FORWARD

27 THE END

AFTERWORD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PREFACE

This is the book that as the brother of a murder victim I was compelled to write. I am more at home in my workshop restoring an old classic car than I am at the keyboard of a computer trying to be an author. However my aim is to tell my story my way and to inform as many readers as possible of the devastating effect this serial killer had on, myself, my family and the families of his other two victims. As well as anyone else who was unfortunate to come into contact with him.

I am the only person that can put together most of the facts of the murder of the three people this serial killer has been convicted of. However there is much, much more to the story. I also give an insight into those lives lost, the crime scenes and the evidence found. Told also in this book is the effort to raise public awareness of the reward offered by the New South Wales State Government and the nationwide manhunt that was to achieve his apprehension and conviction.

This killer is now eligible for parole for the third time and this book is part of my campaign to try and prevent this from happening. My aim is to create awareness in the community of the failure of our legal system. I strive to give a voice to the families of the homicide victims and support our right to have as normal a life as possible after the loss of a loved one. A life, other members of society enjoy without having to endure the constant threat of a serial killer being released by an uncaring legal process, more concerned with the legislated rights of an offender than the rights of every day citizens.

Therefore this book is dedicated to the memory of Venet Raylee Mulhall nee Quinn, Ross Anthony Browning and Thomas Thornton.

Venet Raylee Mulhall nee Quinn circa 1962

FOREWORD

This is an account of a devoted brother seeking justice for his sister. A sister who had her generosity and trust abused. A sister who believed in a person who was ultimately responsible for her death.

Paul Quinn should be congratulated for his determination to see justice carried out, even to the extent of studying Law at university. Paul took on this responsibility to ensure that he understood the system that let down his sister so badly.

When Paul contacted my electorate office he met Beryl Stevens and Jodie Small. These two women made sure that Paul was given all the assistance available. He could not have been provided with better access to ministerial offices. Beryl and Jodie were well known as warriors for justice. Paul was with soul mates.

This account is not over.

Paul is still as zealous as he was at the outset. The light he has shone and will continue to shine on the justice system hopefully will bring about some welcome changes.

Paul’s attention to detail is the star of this story.

He should be congratulated. Signed Faye Lo Po

Member of Parliament (retired) and order of Australia Medal recipient.

Faye Lo Po and myself at the ballot for positions on the voting paper for the 1995 New South Wales State elections

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The events that are portrayed in this book are factual and stated as they occurred although some names have been changed.

The apprehension of this serial killer would never have happened without the involvement and assistance of many people. Most of them were complete strangers and all were united in a common cause. That cause was to put a serial killer in gaol where he should have been all along and to make the community a safer place.

During the hunt for Arthurell, I was provided with a lot of information by the New South Wales Police Officers of the Western Area Homicide Squad. They provided me with various court documents, statements and the Australian Police Journal as well as keeping me updated. They answered all my questions without hesitation and always treated me with respect and compassion on the numerous times that I contacted them. I also thank the Police media unit and others that arranged for articles to be published in national magazines.

I must also acknowledge the editors and reporters of the many newspapers Australia wide who published the story from the information I sent them. It was the feedback from their stories and the magazine articles that allowed the police to track Arthurell around Australia. The articles they published galvanised the assistance of an Australia wide community and brought us into contact with many of the strangers who wanted to assist.

Recognition must also be given to the relatives of both Tom Thornton and Ross Browning, all of whom have suffered at the hands of this brutal killer. These people, provided openly and without reservation, the information they had regardless of how painful it was. I felt that it was my duty to tell their story, along with all the other facts I knew, to prevent it from being lost in the passage of time. This information and my own firsthand experience has been the basis of this book.

Family, friends and strangers all played a crucial role in the events that culminated in the arrest of this killer and now I can acknowledge their efforts and share the full story with each one of them.

I would also like to acknowledge the assistance given by the Hon Faye Lo Po Member of Parliament now retired and Order of Australia Medal recipient. Her staff delivered the letters I wrote directly to Ministerial offices. The Hon. Bob Debus MP who at the time was Minister for Corrective Services responded to my criticism of the Parole/Offenders Review Board with sympathy and compassion. He also provided me with information that was relevant. The Hon. Paul Wheelen MP who, at the time was the Minister for Police and who without hesitation issued a reward for the apprehension of this killer. The Hon Brian Langton MP who at the time was the Minister for Transport approved the wanted notification to be placed on every railway station in New South Wales and in the State Rail News.

Of course the most deserving of recognition and thanks belongs to my wife Wendy. Together with our daughter we shared the horrendous experience of the crime scene and with the assistance of many people we succeeded in putting this killer in gaol. Since then all the effort has been to keep him there for long as possible. This effort has involved a lot of correspondence that has only been possible because of Wendy’s understanding, patience and skill to correct my typing in the many letters that I have written over the years. Without her and all the members of my family who contributed to the proof reading, editing and generally being there for me, I would not have been able to put the words together, that were necessary to bring this book into reality.

Chapter 1

SENTENCING

Eighteen years minimum non parole and an additional term of six years were the words of Chief Justice David Hunt of the New South Wales Supreme Court. Justice Hunt concluded his lengthy summation with the pronouncement of his sentence on Reginald Kenneth Arthurell for the murder of my sister, Venet Raylee Mulhall. The words of Justice Hunt the facts in this case does not strike me as the worst case type resounded in my mind while I tried to assess the reality of what the pronouncement really meant. I breathed a sigh of disgust and shook my head in disbelief, instantly the question came to my mind. Why has the Criminal Justice System again been blind to the true nature of this criminal? This is not right, I thought. Arthurell should have been given life never to be released, after all this was his third conviction for homicide. Unfortunately he would be eligible for parole in the year 2015. The anguish that began in 1986 was not over.

The sudden release of months of tormented emotions simply rushed forth in a burst of tears. I looked around at my wife Wendy, our three adult children, my sister Dale and Venet’s eldest daughter and I could see that they were all shedding a few tears. I stood quickly and buttoned up my suit coat as an aid to regaining my composure. Seated directly behind us, were Detective Sergeant Gary Collett and Detective Paul Walkoam of the Central Western Homicide Squad. It was these two detectives had headed the police investigation into the murder of my sister. Venet was killed in her Coonabarabran home on or about February 12th 1995, she was just fifty four years old.

Turning to them I was greeted with outstretched hands from both, words failed, but the understanding that was communicated in the handshakes did not have to be spoken. The respect each of us had for the other had come from the experiences we had endured in the past months. Finally Paul, the more talkative, of the pair, said take your time, you can stay in here for a while, they won’t kick you out. Present also, in the Court room that morning to hear the sentencing of this serial killer, were the reporters from the television stations and the newspapers. As soon as the sentence was handed down they rushed out to gain some vantage points outside. It was now my task to face the cameras again and make coherent statements about the events that had reached a conclusion, in the Sydney Supreme Court that morning.

When we exited the Supreme Court Building, we were surrounded by reporters and TV camera crews. I was recorded and shown on the evening news, saying that, we as a community have a real problem with our Judicial System in this State, when a murderer is not given a life sentence after a third conviction of homicide. I added further to these comments, by publicly ridiculing the NSW Parole Board for letting this killer go free in the first place. The whole family walked up the steps, down the steps, across the road and along the footpath as requested by the reporters. This was our way of repaying them for their contribution towards making this day happen.

After the reporters were satisfied, we made our way from the court house to a nearby coffee shop where we sat and discussed the events of that morning. It was Friday October 3rd 1997. The mood among us was very much a sense of numbing sadness. The criminal court procedure was over. We had succeeded in putting the murderer of our family member in gaol. In gaol for a long time, but not for life, there was no joy or satisfaction to be felt by any of us. The loss of our loved one could not be filled by the punishment given to this violent lowlife. Over coffee each person, raised points about the criminal process that had caused them concern or raised past events they simply wished to discuss again. This conversation continued until we had digested all that our minds could recall of the court proceedings and the evidence that had been heard during the previous three weeks. There was much discussion about the worst case type referred to by Justice Hunt and it was the general consensus, that all of the circumstances and the evidence regarding Venet’s murder should have been presented in court. Arthurell’s strategy was that by, pleading guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to murder meant he would circumvent the need for the Court to be told the full horror of what he had inflicted on Venet Mulhall and thus reduce his criminality.

We all knew this was reality, but it did not seem real. It was still hard to believe Venet was gone. Harder still was the realisation that we feared such a thing could happen to her, from the time she began to communicate with prisoners. The fear, anxiety, distress, depression, sadness and anger, was felt by each of us but above all else the anger that had descended on me as a result of this crime is still hard to comprehend. Interrupting the conversation at that point, our daughter Julie commented that at breakfast that morning and then again over coffee we had covered the most detailed descriptions of the crime scene, and along with the analyses of all the evidence, including the forensic reports given to the court. Julie’s remarks made us all realise how irreversibly our lives had been affected and were changed forever by this trauma

Chapter 2

THE LETTER

You have to be kidding I exclaimed, when Wendy showed me the letter we received. You have to be kidding, I repeated after reading the first sentence. The letter came addressed to us from a Reginald Kenneth Arthurell who was an inmate in the Northern Territory’s Berrimah Gaol. Greetings in the name of the Lord, Blessed be his name. It was October 1986. Who does this bloke think he is? I said aloud. For some time now we had been aware that Venet had been writing to prisoners on death row in America, through the Prison Fellowship run by the Australian Baptist Home Trust. We knew immediately she had something to do with us receiving this letter. Why has he written to us, I wondered? I felt it was time to have a talk to Venet about her involvement with writing to prisoners.

Oh I’ve been writing to long term prisoners in Australia as well Venet declared, when I questioned her about the letter. Who is this person, what has he done? I asked. "We are not supposed to ask