Episode 77: The Moorhouse Street Murders: David & Catherine Birnie - Part 2

Life in Perth, Australia, the capital of Western Australia, in the 1980s was a blend of laid-back suburban living and rapid development. The city was relatively isolated but growing, with a strong sense of community. The residents always had felt safe, with children playing outdoors and returning home when the street lights came on. However, that sense of safety was shattered in 1986. Women began to disappear randomly off the streets of Perth. Then in November, a young girl came charging into a corner store claiming she had been kidnapped and raped by a couple. Police canvas the house this brave girl led them to and arrested Catherine and David Birnie. When interviewed, the couple eventually confessed to 4 murders over the span of a month. The couple, separately, led detectives to the grave sites of Mary Nielson, Susannah Candy, Noelene Patterson and Denise Brown. What unraveled was a story of obsessiveness and dark fantasies. This will be a two part story, the first going over Catherine and David’s background, giving an insight into their psyche. Part two will be go over the stories of their victims, including the bravery and courage of the woman who escaped.

 

Sources:

https://mail.murderpedia.org/male.B/b/birnie-david.htm

“A City in Shock over Bodies in Bush” by Paul McGeough in The Sydney Morning Herald on November 13, 1986

“Murder Uncovered reveals more possible victims of David and Catherine Birnie” by Marika Dobbin-Thomas on The Sydney Morning Herald on February 9, 2017 (https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/murder-uncovered-reveals-more-possible-victims-of-david-and-catherine-birnie-20170208-gu8o1o.html)

“Couple Charged after Four Women Found in Shallow Graves” by Paul McGeough in The Sydney Morning Herald on November 12, 1986

“Survivor of Perth Serial Killers The Birnies Speaks Out” by Libbie-Jane Charleston on Huffpost on April 9, 2016 (https://www.huffpost.com/archive/au/entry/survivor-of-perth-serial-killers-the-birnies-speaks-out_n_9638026)

“Murder Uncovered: How a young girl and rookie cop caught serial killers David and Catherine Birnie” by Sunday Times on Yahoo! News on February 4, 2017 (https://au.news.yahoo.com/murder-uncovered-young-girl-rookie-133754715.html)

“The Moorhouse Murderers David and Catherine Birnie” by Roy Hill on MEDIUM on June 20, 2022 (https://medium.com/@roy66hill/the-moorhouse-murderers-david-and-catherine-birnie-18ca8f5c2132)

“WA attorney-general John Quigley delays mass murderers' parole eligibility” by Emily JB Smith on ABC News on November 1, 2024 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-02/serial-killers-mass-murderer-birnie-quigley-maloney-parole-wa/104552914)

“Catherine Birnie, the ‘parasite’ serial killer who now wants freedom” by Candace Sutton on News.com.au on September 2, 2021 (https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/catherine-birnie-the-parasite-serial-killer-who-now-wants-freedom/news-story/7dbb6c2671d66234fd63230e8e85fbc9)

“Killer Couple: David & Catherine Birnie” on Australian Families of Crime, Season 1, Episode 6 on Amazon Prime Video

“The Moorhouse Horrors: The Call Girl Killing” on Crime Investigation: Australia, Season 1, Episode 6 on Tubi