When a phantom killed Dawn Hillier, he returned the knife to her kitchen and vanished
Dawn Hillier was brutally murdered in her Brisbane home in 1977, and the case remains unsolved nearly 50 years later. The crime shocked the community, with the killer using a knife from her own kitchen and leaving it at the scene. Despite extensive investigations and a reward for information, the identity of the murderer remains a mystery.
- ▪Dawn Hillier was 17 years old when she was murdered in her home in Gordon Park, Brisbane.
- ▪The murder weapon was a carving knife taken from her kitchen, which was returned to its place after the crime.
- ▪Despite a $250,000 reward and advances in forensic science, the case remains unsolved nearly five decades later.
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Police called it the work of a 'maniac'. Nearly 50 years on, Dawn Hillier's brutal murder remains unsolvedCBy Ciara JonesTopic:CrimeSun 24 May 2026 at 7:08amSun 24 May 2026 at 7:08amSun 24 May 2026 at 7:08amabc.net.au/news/queensland-dawn-hillier-murder-gordon-park-1977/106538486Link copiedShareShare articleThe front door was ajar and unlatched, exposed to the winter night like a gaping wound. It was the first unmistakable fracture in the ordinary.Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.Inside the flat in Gordon Park, a leafy northern Brisbane suburb, the television thundered without an audience.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).