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  Norfolk Island: murder in paradise June 27, 2004 Reporter : Helen Dalley Producer : Paul Steindl  In the Pacific paradise of Norfolk Island, murder was usually the last topic of conversation. After all, there hadn't been one reported for 148 years — until Easter Sunday two years ago. Janelle Patton, a 29-year Sydneysider, was brutally murdered — the coroner revealed 64 separate injuries to her body, including a fractured skull, broken pelvis and numerous stab wounds. In such a small environment, you'd think it would be easy to catch the killer. But the Australian Federal Police, who are in charge of the investigation, have no witnesses, no murder site, no weapon, and even more incredibly, no motive. The police also have the names of everyone who was on the island that day — 690 tourists and 2081 locals. The coroner's inquiry has named 16 "persons of interest". But so far no one has come forward with information that may lead to the killer. Norfolk Island is a close-knit community, and the locals are unhappy with media suggestions that the murder has tarnished their island paradise. Helen Dalley has been to Norfolk Island to investigate the case and the impact the murder has been having on the residents of this slice of Pacific paradise ...On Easter Sunday, over two years ago, Janelle Patton was brutally slain on the small, sleepy island of Norfolk, 1600 kilometres east of Sydney. Her body was discovered in a picnic ground six hours after she was last seen on her regular morning walk. The extent of her injuries was only revealed earlier this month in the coroner's inquiry into her death. She had 64 separate injuries including a fractured skull, broken pelvis, broken ribs and numerous stab wounds, one which punctured her lungs causing her to bleed to death internally. Apart from this physical evidence the police have little else to go on. They have no witnesses, no murder site, no weapon and importantly no motive. There was a brief but violent storm early that afternoon that appears to have washed clean any sign of a murder scene as well as any evidence surrounding the spot where the body was dumped. The murder was the first reported on the island for 148 years, and had a seismic effect on the local community. The after-shocks and rumblings continue. The coroner's inquiry publicly named 16 "Persons of Interest". The Australian Federal Police, who are in charge of the investigation, believe that one of these 16 can help solve this crime. The police have the names of everyone who was on the island that day, 690 tourists and 2081 locals. What the police haven't been able to crack is the inherent reluctance of locals to come forward with crucial evidence someone must have. The coroner and the police believe the murder was committed by a local and that some other locals must know who did it. Sergent Brendan Lindsay, one of two Federal Police working full-time on the island, was called to the murder scene that day. "I believe there is information out there that could assist us with our inquiries," he told Sunday. "There is no doubt that there are some people hiding the events of what happened on that day." Most Australians have little knowledge of this far-flung island in the Pacific. While Norfolk is a territory of Australia, it has a unique history, tradition and culture all its own. On June 8 each year, the island celebrates the arrival in 1856 of Pitcairn Islanders, who were direct descendants of the Bounty mutineers. These Pitcairners then made Norfolk their home, after the island had been abandoned as one of the harshest convict jails in the NSW colony. Yet today, many descendants of those original Pitcairn families feel little allegiance to Australia … remaining loyal to mother England … even preferring to sing 'God Save the Queen' over their Australian national anthem. A century and a half later the result is a close-knit, loyal community, with its own language, that's regularly spoken by islanders. Even though they're part of Australia, Norfolk has no income tax and no Medicare. It runs its own government and taxation system, and controls its own customs and immigration, requiring a passport for Australians to enter. They also fight hard to resist the implementation of other mainland laws, like the wearing of seat belts and random breath testing. It was this culture that the police encountered. They were given information that was basically gossip — some malicious, some with good intentions — but still mainly gossip. The police had to sort out what was important and then establish alibis and timelines for all their "persons of interest." The coroner was told, "Some people took the opportunity to malign others for their own purposes." But the full public airing of personal peccadilloes and dirty linen, laid bare by police at the inquest, and duly reported in sensational media headlines on the mainland has infuriated islanders… angry that a murder investigation spotlight has been turned on them, tarnishing their island paradise as well as their reputations.  Tom Lloyd is the local newspaper proprietor and editor: "Maybe they've got themselves to blame for getting this reputation around the island, for these comments that were made about them, about being womanisers and how they won't accept no for an answer and things like that. I mean, they've obviously built up this reputation and it's been used against them and they now have to prove that they're innocent."Laurie "Bucket" Quintal was Janelle's boyfriend shortly before she was killed. He is also one of the 16 persons of interest. Laurie Quintal: "I think what, what made me a suspect was that I knew Janelle. I think other than that, I don't think they've got … well there's nothing to point me towards the murder you know, like I was not the person for a start, I haven't got the personality to do such a gruesome thing. " Sunday: "So you didn't kill her?" Laurie Quintal: "Of course not, no." Sunday: "It was a violent murder wasn't it?" Laurie Quintal: "Yeah … it was horrible." Also identified as persons of interest were Janelle's parents, Ron and Carole Patton. They told Sunday they were surprised but not upset they'd been named. "People did look to us and and I guess were in a way ..." "Pointing the finger at you?" "Yes, pointing the finger at us and saying, well, why aren't the police investigating us and we realise now that they have done that very thoroughly." The reward for solving Janelle Patton's murder now stands at $300,000 as well as an indemnity from prosecution for anyone except the murderer. This would seem to indicate that the police have hit a brick wall in the chase for the killer. Journalist Tim Latham is writing a book on the case. He isn't so sure that the police and the coroner are out of ideas: "People are angry that they're on the list but also people on the island know who is more on the list than others… So I would say there was a dual list and the police were hanging out the main people that the community had nominated as the people who had done it. It was a classic use of the coronial powers as a fishing tool to fish around and see what they can flesh out, so the next couple of months will be telling to see whether that tactic worked because it was a big tactic." In the meantime Ron and Carole Patton, Janelle's parents, say that she was not only physically brutalised to death, but then again in the court when details of her failed relationships, quarrels, drinking habits, even intimate diary thoughts, were all revealed. Her mother told Sunday: "Any hurt that people are feeling pales into insignificance and people just have to say; 'Well yeah, I am upset but let's channel my anger into finding the person who did this to another human being'. The naming of people of interest isn't going to go on once the person who did this to Janelle is found." Click here to read a transcript of this story |
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