The Case Of Australia's Berrima Axe Murderer Quiz

Answer: Kearns Landregan

On February 19, 1841, the body of Kearns Landregan was found by Hugh Tinney. When Tinney inspected the body, he noticed that Landregan's head was smashed in, obviously by a heavy blunt instrument. When Tinney fetched the police, they discovered, from evidence found on his body that he was Kearns Landregan.

It seems that Kearns was last seen in the company of a farmer named Dunleavy two nights before his body was found. The police also found out that Landregan worked on a farm owned by John Dunleavy.

It seems that Dunleavy was an alias for John Lynch, who was arrested on February 21, 1841, and charged with Landregan's murder.

Answer: Ireland

In 1835, Ireland was travelling with a young Aboriginal boy when he met up with John Lynch. Lynch and Ireland had stolen some items from area residents, but Lynch became greedy. He wanted the items for himself, so he coerced the Aboriginal boy to help him murder Ireland. Then, without warning, he murdered the boy. According to Lynch's own words, both victims dropped like a log of wood.

Answer: Frazer

Lynch became friends with the Frazers, a father and son who were travelling to Berrima. Upon meeting the Frazers, Lynch began to think about killing them and stealing their team. The Frazers and Lynch travelled to Cordeaux Flat, where they spent the night. The next morning, Lynch murdered the father and son. They never knew what hit them.

Answer: 30

Lynch demanded $30 from Mrs. Mulligan. Lynch said that the money was owed to him because he risked his life robbing people to get the items that he gave her husband. Thankfully for Mrs. Mulligan, Lynch decided to leave and go to the local hotel to await her husband's return.

Answer: Johnny

Lynch lured young Johnny into the woods. He told the boy that they were going to cut some wood for his mother. When Lynch and Johnny entered the woods, Lynch attacked Johnny and killed him. His skull was crushed by a blunt object.

Answer: Mr. Mulligan

Lynch had Mr. Mulligan walk in front of him, and when they got into the woods, he attacked Mr. Mulligan with the axe, killing him. On his return to the farm, Lynch also killed Mrs. Mulligan and their teenage daughter. He then brought all the bodies into the brush and burned them.

Answer: True

After murdering the Mulligan family and setting the corpses on fire, Lynch assumed the identity of Mr. Mulligan. He placed an ad in the Sydney Gazette stating he was selling the farm because his wife had left him, and that he wasn't going to pay the farm's debt.

Then Lynch made up a new identity, that of John Dunleavy. According to the records, Dunleavy had bought the farm. But in reality it was John Lynch.

Answer: John Dunleavy

Lynch told the police that he was John Dunleavy, not John Lynch. But the police didn't buy that for a moment. Lynch was convicted of murder a few months later.

Answer: 9

John Lynch murdered nine unsuspecting people. For every murder, Lynch felt he had God's blessing, and he also felt that this was the reason why it took him so long to be caught.

Answer: April 22, 1842

John Lynch, Australia's most famous serial killer, was hung on April 22, 1842 at Berrima Jail. All information can be found at www.crimelibrary.com and 'Australia's Serial Killers' by Paul B. Kidd.