NSW: Suspect revealed for war veteran's beheading murder

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2007
NSW: Suspect revealed for war veteran's beheading murder

By Kim Arlington

SYDNEY, April 18 AAP - A man with schizophrenia and a history of homicidal thoughts
has been revealed in court as a suspect in the murder of a war veteran found decapitated
in northern NSW.

Mark Hutchinson was found beheaded in the backyard of his home in Markham Street, Armidale,
on January 13.

No one has been charged over the death of the 82-year-old, an artillery gunner in World
War II, and police could find no apparent motive.

But the NSW Supreme Court was told that four days after Mr Hutchinson's body was discovered,
a man named Frederick Vorhauer - whose mother lived near Markham Street - was detained
by police.

The reasons police suspected him of the killing were detailed in court, as Mr Vorhauer
challenged an order to provide saliva and hair samples for forensic testing in relation
to the crime.

However, Justice Carolyn Simpson dismissed his appeal earlier this month.

The court was told that the day before Mr Hutchinson's body was found, a witness saw
a man fitting Mr Vorhauer's description jump the victim's fence and run to a nearby creek.

When Mr Vorhauer was apprehended by police on January 17, his shirt "appeared to be
heavily bloodstained" and red staining was found on his shoes, Justice Simpson said in
her judgment.

Mr Vorhauer was psychiatrically examined and found to be mentally ill, suffering from
chronic schizophrenia.

The court also was told that on January 7, he had disappeared from the Banskia House
mental health facility in the nearby city of Tamworth, where he was receiving treatment.

The murder had been reported in the media, Justice Simpson said, and Banksia House
staff had expressed concern to police that Mr Vorhauer "may have been the perpetrator".

His medical records showed a history of "the use of dangerous objects, threats of harm
to others, aggressive and even homicidal thoughts towards various individuals", the judge
said.

Mr Vorhauer was found last year waving an axe at traffic and passers-by, and loitering
near a school carrying scissors, with a tomahawk on the ground nearby, the court heard.

Drawings and writings by Mr Vorhauer, provided as evidence at his appeal hearing, included
a depiction of a headless torso and a reference to Jack the Ripper.

Police had sought forensic samples from Mr Vorhauer for comparison with evidence found
at the crime scene, and in March an Armidale magistrate granted an order authorising their
collection.

But on appeal, Mr Vorhauer's lawyers argued there was insufficient evidence for police
to reasonably suspect he had committed the offence.

They also argued there were not reasonable grounds to believe the forensic procedures
might produce appropriate evidence.

However, Justice Simpson disagreed, saying, "The whole purpose of the authorisation
of forensic procedures is to provide evidence either to strengthen an existing suspicion,
or to explode that suspicion.

"I am satisfied that there was ample material to justify (police) suspicion that the
plaintiff was the perpetrator of the murder."

A State Crime Command spokeswoman would not reveal whether the forensic procedures
had taken place, but said it was one line of inquiry that police were pursuing.

Police said no one had been arrested or charged over Mr Hutchinson's death.

AAP ka/wjf/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: HUTCHINSON

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