Deviant duo who abducted and held Perth woman captive 36 years ago

[mrskafoops]

I found this article interesting. There seem to have been a lot of crazies in Perth.

Sick kidnap case eerily similar to WA serial killings

Disturbing revelations of how a woman was abducted, held captive and brutally sexually and physically assaulted for days before making her escape have been detailed by detectives.

www.perthnow.com.au

 

[metic]

in that article they have mentioned the Bernie's and show a photo of Catherine. They were already in prison for 5 months. I think it shows disrespect to the victim of the crime, ( makes it harder to solve) it doesn't give the victim a clean slate to begin with.
the Burnies were not involved - facts .
this crime reporter ruined the article imo.

 

[BFew]

ps I don't think a dedicated thread is needed for this yet, there is no more information to post is there ?

If someone with more info comes onto Bigfooty crimes forums and looks to see if there is a dedicated thread for this new case and can't find it, we and WA Police might miss out on some more information.

I strongly disagree with the philosophy that lack of info from the media or other social media or BF poster sources means we should not start a new thread for a case like this yet.

It made front page of the West Australian Newspaper.
I again strongly recommend that a thread be opened for it.

 

[Kurve]

OK sorry I don't mean to diminish the importance of the victim.
Opening new threads is good idea, but why would a thread be started for this case but not a whole bunch of others just as important crimes / victim cases? just seems a bit odd imo, there are many cases that don't have a thread right? I have created threads in the past and do hope to see more started , it is a great idea, but maybe do some more new threads aswell, threads that are not popular with views, posts & comments well I started some for unsolved homicide /missing persons that are redundant, im speaking from experience, when I suggest to not start a thread, they disappear, nobody posts, maybe two people will like your post, you have to like doing good things without reward, or participation from other commenters.
you all have my blessing to start threads!, hope you have some good karma..
there's a General Crime chat thread with so many posts , to be fair it might need reviewing in keeping up the same consistency of making threads for crimes that are not mainstream/ popular and have barely any information about them

Anybody can open up a thread if they have a special interest or local knowledge or feel impacted, or just because. I generally try to open threads that are getting a bit of press to start because we can keep the momentum up with fresh material.

 

[metic]

Police admit case is difficult to solve;

"They offered to buy her a drink, which she accepted, and she drank half of the beverage before next remembering waking up in the backseat of a car with the man sitting next to her and the woman behind the wheel".

"She’s been brutally assaulted by the female, sexually assaulted by the male, and possibly other males as well.”

"Police are especially keen to speak to the van driver, believing he could potentially help crack the case by opening up lines of inquiry and leading them to the area from where he picked the woman up. She says it was a 10-15 minute drive from the city.

"The woman at the centre of the current investigation says she reported the case to police at the time, however there is no record of that report.

That could potentially be attributed to record-keeping practices at the time."

"A couple of months after the kidnapping, the victim had a serious car accident and she was left dealing with her injuries".

"Det-Sgt Higgins admitted the case, given its age, may be hard to solve. It has already taken 12 months for officers to scour through records and put together her statement."

Sick kidnap case eerily similar to WA serial killings

Disturbing revelations of how a woman was abducted, held captive and brutally sexually and physically assaulted for days before making her escape have been detailed by detectives.

www.perthnow.com.au

 

[zedx]

Police admit case is difficult to solve;

"They offered to buy her a drink, which she accepted, and she drank half of the beverage before next remembering waking up in the backseat of a car with the man sitting next to her and the woman behind the wheel".

"She’s been brutally assaulted by the female, sexually assaulted by the male, and possibly other males as well.”

"Police are especially keen to speak to the van driver, believing he could potentially help crack the case by opening up lines of inquiry and leading them to the area from where he picked the woman up. She says it was a 10-15 minute drive from the city.

"The woman at the centre of the current investigation says she reported the case to police at the time, however there is no record of that report.

That could potentially be attributed to record-keeping practices at the time."

"A couple of months after the kidnapping, the victim had a serious car accident and she was left dealing with her injuries".

"Det-Sgt Higgins admitted the case, given its age, may be hard to solve. It has already taken 12 months for officers to scour through records and put together her statement."

Sick kidnap case eerily similar to WA serial killings

Disturbing revelations of how a woman was abducted, held captive and brutally sexually and physically assaulted for days before making her escape have been detailed by detectives.

www.perthnow.com.au

BBM '...for officers to scour through records and put together her statement....'. This part of his statement baffles me, as if her report has not been found/recorded what could they put together other than her current statement? or am I misunderstanding the context?

 

[FTY1]

Police admit case is difficult to solve;

"They offered to buy her a drink, which she accepted, and she drank half of the beverage before next remembering waking up in the backseat of a car with the man sitting next to her and the woman behind the wheel".

"She’s been brutally assaulted by the female, sexually assaulted by the male, and possibly other males as well.”

"Police are especially keen to speak to the van driver, believing he could potentially help crack the case by opening up lines of inquiry and leading them to the area from where he picked the woman up. She says it was a 10-15 minute drive from the city.

"The woman at the centre of the current investigation says she reported the case to police at the time, however there is no record of that report.

That could potentially be attributed to record-keeping practices at the time."

"A couple of months after the kidnapping, the victim had a serious car accident and she was left dealing with her injuries".

"Det-Sgt Higgins admitted the case, given its age, may be hard to solve. It has already taken 12 months for officers to scour through records and put together her statement."

Sick kidnap case eerily similar to WA serial killings

Disturbing revelations of how a woman was abducted, held captive and brutally sexually and physically assaulted for days before making her escape have been detailed by detectives.

www.perthnow.com.au

The other couple that it could have been at the time was Barry Watts and Valmae Beck. They left West Australia in mid 1987 and potentially committed several murders after they left with the conviction on Sian Kingi.

Valmae Beck died in 2008 under the name Fay Cramb.

Tracking the evil union of one of Australia's most sadistic couples

The trail of carnage left behind by sexual predator Barrie Watts and his accomplice and wife Valmae Beck.

www.abc.net.au

 

[mrskafoops]

The other couple that it could have been at the time was Barry Watts and Valmae Beck. They left West Australia in mid 1987 and potentially committed several murders after they left with the conviction on Sian Kingi.

Valmae Beck died in 2008 under the name Fay Cramb.

Tracking the evil union of one of Australia's most sadistic couples

The trail of carnage left behind by sexual predator Barrie Watts and his accomplice and wife Valmae Beck.

www.abc.net.au

Valmae Beck does resemble the sketch a bit. I wonder if she had a gap between her front teeth?

 

[GreyCrow]

Valmae Beck does resemble the sketch a bit. I wonder if she had a gap between her front teeth?

I think she did

 

[mrskafoops]

BBM '...for officers to scour through records and put together her statement....'. This part of his statement baffles me, as if her report has not been found/recorded what could they put together other than her current statement? or am I misunderstanding the context?

This is odd… maybe because it happened so long ago they’re going back to the original statements, reports and information?

 

[zedx]

This is odd… maybe because it happened so long ago they’re going back to the original statements, reports and information?

It has been stated there is was no records found of a report from her. So yes they did search through records to find it. But if there was nothing found, there would be no original statements or anything else ' to put together' . So which is it nothing or something??

 

[BFew]

Is very recently, the first time this identikit photo has ever been made public?
It seems familiar to me. As though it was posted somewhere a few years back.
Possibly on one of the CSK related or other crime vids showing WA Police at work with their board of pics and info in the background?

 

[mrskafoops]

I think she did

I can't find any photos of her without her mouth firmly closed .. the hair colour and length fits. Surely the police would have made the connection?? Or the victim recognised her from media footage?

 

[GreyCrow]

I can't find any photos of her without her mouth firmly closed .. the hair colour and length fits. Surely the police would have made the connection?? Or the victim recognised her from media footage?

I also looked trying to confirm my memory - and my comment was from memory - so I hope I havent thrown anybody off

In most photos Valmae looks as if she has no teeth

Scientists believe they have identified a specific gene accountable for whether offspring have a gap in teeth. Medical researchers believe this gene is dominant. If you have a gap in between your teeth or have a family member with such an abnormality, there is certainly a decent chance your offspring will have it.

Might be an avenue of investigation

 

[GreyCrow]

One of the reasons for going back over records etc could be business records and mapping the areas to confirm possibilities.

I wonder if the woman moved or ever went back to the same pub - mainly because there could have been sightings of the woman at least

That its implied she only saw them that one time could mean they left Perth or the victim did - or at least distanced herself from the area

 

[GreyCrow]

From the article - which caught my eye

1983: Twice divorced mother of six, Valmae Faye Forte, 41, meets petty criminal Barrie John Watts, 31, at a Perth Tavern where Watts works as a doorman.

This is also what the police may have been tracking down - without further information on when Watts and Becks (and his ''mate'' ) were in custody before bail - it could be they couldnt have been involved OR they were and started the stealing offences to build a cash bag knowing of the April offence

Offence April 1987


July, 1986: On Watts's release from prison, he promises Beck he will stay on the "straight and narrow". They move in together.

Mid-1987: Watts resumes his criminal career with his best friend and they use Beck as their lookout.

Watts and Beck are charged with stealing and fraud offences and spend several weeks in prison.

Both are released on bail and flee Western Australia.

 

[zedx]

From the article - which caught my eye

1983: Twice divorced mother of six, Valmae Faye Forte, 41, meets petty criminal Barrie John Watts, 31, at a Perth Tavern where Watts works as a doorman.

This is also what the police may have been tracking down - without further information on when Watts and Becks (and his ''mate'' ) were in custody before bail - it could be they couldnt have been involved OR they were and started the stealing offences to build a cash bag knowing of the April offence

Offence April 1987


July, 1986: On Watts's release from prison, he promises Beck he will stay on the "straight and narrow". They move in together.

Mid-1987: Watts resumes his criminal career with his best friend and they use Beck as their lookout.

Watts and Beck are charged with stealing and fraud offences and spend several weeks in prison.

Both are released on bail and flee Western Australia.

'....promises Beck he will stay on the "straight and narrow"......they use Beck as their lookout'
Doesn't really ring true does it, sounds like an excuse from her, as she was just as bad as him!

 

[metic]

Is very recently, the first time this identikit photo has ever been made public?
It seems familiar to me. As though it was posted somewhere a few years back.
Possibly on one of the CSK related or other crime vids showing WA Police at work with their board of pics and info in the background?

View attachment 1650393

Dont think i have seen this exact face , it does seem strangely familiar imo too bfew...
it's a bit similar to the suitcase in Swan River victim Annabelle Chen.

 

[mrskafoops]

Detectives investigating a horrifying sex attack 36 years ago in which a woman was abducted, held captive and sexually and physically assaulted have received fresh information that has led to a Belmont house being identified as the possible scene of the crime.

In what lead investigator Det-Sgt Anthony Higgins described as a “critical” breakthrough in the historic case, a call to Crime Stoppers recently has opened up significant new lines of inquiry — causing police to zero in on the home on Lapage Street.

Can this face help solve one of WA’s most chilling crimes?

Cops investigating a horrifying sex attack 36 years ago in which a woman was abducted, held captive and assaulted have received fresh information that has led to a composite image being released.

www.perthnow.com.au

 

[GreyCrow]

Given the identikit and who was living on LaPage St there was an Indonesian/Phillipino person living there in 1980 - who would have been aged 32 at the time of the offense

Not saying it is this person just trying to make facts fit

Doesnt matter extensive new buildings have gone up on the house number site

 

[BFew]

Dont think i have seen this exact face , it does seem strangely familiar imo too bfew...
it's a bit similar to the suitcase in Swan River victim Annabelle Chen.

Here's the revised face (this time with hairstyle added) in a new article on today's West on this case, publicising that WA Police are still trying to ID the woman suspect (and her male partner in alleged crime) and now want to speak to anyone who lived on Lapage St, Belmont WA in April 1987 when the attack occurred, particularly those who lived close to the end of the cul-de-sac at the time.

How police were led to home used in torture of woman in 1987

Cops investigating a sex attack 36 years ago in which a woman was abducted, held captive and assaulted have received fresh information that has led to a house being identified as the possible crime scene.

thewest.com.au

'Extraordinary tip leads WA Police to home potentially used in rape and torture of woman 36 years ago​

Shannon Hampton
The West Australian
Wed, 24 May 2023 4:00AM

Detectives investigating a horrifying sex attack 36 years ago in which a woman was abducted, held captive and sexually and physically assaulted have received fresh information that has led to a Belmont house being identified as the possible scene of the crime.

In what lead investigator Det-Sgt Anthony Higgins described as a “critical” breakthrough in the historic case, a call to Crime Stoppers recently has opened up significant new lines of inquiry — causing police to zero in on the home on Lapage Street.

Police now want to speak to anyone who lived on the street in April 1987 when the attack occurred, particularly those who lived close to the end of the cul-de-sac at the time.

The major development comes just two months after The West Australian revealed details of the attack for the first time, and how the then 20-year-old woman was locked in a room and subjected to days of abuse after being snatched from a city bar by a man and a woman.

While the case has eerie similarities to the crimes of serial killer couple David and Catherine Birnie, the pair have been ruled out as suspects because they were caught and put behind bars five months earlier.

Det-Sgt Higgins said the bombshell call to police was crucial to identifying new lines of inquiry, adding the information detailed was “consistent” with what the victim had told officers.

“And as a result of that, we’ve now identified a possible location of interest to the investigation, which is a house near the cul-de-sac in Lapage Street in Belmont,” he said.

“There’s a lot of features of that house that is consistent with (the victim’s description) which gives me the feeling that we are on the right track — we’ve identified the potential scene of where this has happened.”

Det-Sgt Higgins said police are currently trawling through historic property ownership records to determine who was living at the address at the time.

Police have also spoken to new witnesses.

“We have opened up other lines of inquiry with witnesses to speak to, which has taken place and that information is being corroborated by the victim and her story,” the detective said.

A composite image of the female suspect created with the help of the victim, who has said she remembers the face “like it was yesterday”, has also been updated.

The image now includes the hairstyle the woman is believed to have had at the time.

As earlier revealed, police believe the victim had been at a bar on the corner of Lord Street and Newcastle Street when she met the male and female suspects, who appeared to be in company with each other and were playing pool together.

The victim says the pair offered to buy her a drink, which she accepted, and drank half of, before next remembering waking up in the back seat of a car with the man sitting next to her and the woman behind the wheel.

She has told police that she remembers being driven over a bridge, or possibly two bridges and that the journey took 10-15 minutes from the city.

That description is consistent with the location of the house of interest, Det-Sgt Higgins said.

The woman was then locked in a room in the house for a “number of days” where Det-Sgt Higgins said the woman was “brutally” assaulted by the female, sexually assaulted by the male — and potentially other males as well.

After several days, fearing she would be killed if she did not make an escape, the woman was able to break free from the house through an unlocked window before running, naked, for her life.

Her escape route involved jumping fences and “zigzagging” from the address.

The woman then came across a parked van — and a man she credits with saving her life.

She jumped into the van to hide from her attackers and recalls seeing empty milk crates.

The van driver gave the woman a shirt to cover herself and drove her home to the Leederville area.

“That person is pretty much a hero to the victim. He’s saved her from further abuse and helped her get back to a safe place,” Det-Sgt Higgins said in March.

After the victim was driven home, she told her housemate about the ordeal and attended the Sexual Assault Resource Centre for an examination.

She had injuries “pretty much head to toe, front and back”, including to her genital regions, indicating an assault.

The woman says she reported the case to police at the time, however, there is no record of that report.

That could potentially be attributed to record-keeping practices at the time.

A couple of months after the kidnapping, the victim had a serious car accident and was left dealing with her injuries.

But she courageously came forward last year after finally feeling capable of reliving her trauma.

Det-Sgt Higgins is calling for anyone with information about the case, who lived on Lapage Street in April 1987, or who recognises the woman in the composite image, to call Crime Stoppers immediately.

“They should provide us as much information as they can as to who lived in that street, what did they see, was there anything they identified as criminal offences or anything they were concerned about?” he said.

“And just try to explain to us what houses were identified as constantly having issues at, and that will help us to narrow down the type of people we are looking at.

“If they recognise the image (of the woman suspect) and can tell us who it is, that would be fantastic.”

The woman is described as being 35-40 years old at the time, with a solid build.

She was wearing a white tank top, tight jeans and boots.

Det-Sgt Higgins said the fresh leads had given police renewed hope the case could be solved.

“Solveability has definitely increased ... but the information we have is only intelligence ... solving the case is one thing, but getting enough to charge someone, getting a prima facie case and then proving that beyond a reasonable doubt — we are still a long way away from that,” he said.

“But with the public’s assistance, we can progress that forward and as long as we keep moving forward on this, the solveability increases.”

The detective added: “We want to solve every case and every victim deserves that closure.”

“Just because it’s 36 years old — it doesn’t mean we can’t solve it,” he said.

Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000

 

[BFew]

 

[zedx]

Here's the revised face (this time with hairstyle added) in a new article on today's West on this case, publicising that WA Police are still trying to ID the woman suspect (and her male partner in alleged crime) and now want to speak to anyone who lived on Lapage St, Belmont WA in April 1987 when the attack occurred, particularly those who lived close to the end of the cul-de-sac at the time.

View attachment 1697446

How police were led to home used in torture of woman in 1987

Cops investigating a sex attack 36 years ago in which a woman was abducted, held captive and assaulted have received fresh information that has led to a house being identified as the possible crime scene.

thewest.com.au

'Extraordinary tip leads WA Police to home potentially used in rape and torture of woman 36 years ago​

Shannon Hampton
The West Australian
Wed, 24 May 2023 4:00AM

Detectives investigating a horrifying sex attack 36 years ago in which a woman was abducted, held captive and sexually and physically assaulted have received fresh information that has led to a Belmont house being identified as the possible scene of the crime.

In what lead investigator Det-Sgt Anthony Higgins described as a “critical” breakthrough in the historic case, a call to Crime Stoppers recently has opened up significant new lines of inquiry — causing police to zero in on the home on Lapage Street.

Police now want to speak to anyone who lived on the street in April 1987 when the attack occurred, particularly those who lived close to the end of the cul-de-sac at the time.

The major development comes just two months after The West Australian revealed details of the attack for the first time, and how the then 20-year-old woman was locked in a room and subjected to days of abuse after being snatched from a city bar by a man and a woman.

While the case has eerie similarities to the crimes of serial killer couple David and Catherine Birnie, the pair have been ruled out as suspects because they were caught and put behind bars five months earlier.

Det-Sgt Higgins said the bombshell call to police was crucial to identifying new lines of inquiry, adding the information detailed was “consistent” with what the victim had told officers.

“And as a result of that, we’ve now identified a possible location of interest to the investigation, which is a house near the cul-de-sac in Lapage Street in Belmont,” he said.

“There’s a lot of features of that house that is consistent with (the victim’s description) which gives me the feeling that we are on the right track — we’ve identified the potential scene of where this has happened.”

Det-Sgt Higgins said police are currently trawling through historic property ownership records to determine who was living at the address at the time.

Police have also spoken to new witnesses.

“We have opened up other lines of inquiry with witnesses to speak to, which has taken place and that information is being corroborated by the victim and her story,” the detective said.

A composite image of the female suspect created with the help of the victim, who has said she remembers the face “like it was yesterday”, has also been updated.

The image now includes the hairstyle the woman is believed to have had at the time.

As earlier revealed, police believe the victim had been at a bar on the corner of Lord Street and Newcastle Street when she met the male and female suspects, who appeared to be in company with each other and were playing pool together.

The victim says the pair offered to buy her a drink, which she accepted, and drank half of, before next remembering waking up in the back seat of a car with the man sitting next to her and the woman behind the wheel.

She has told police that she remembers being driven over a bridge, or possibly two bridges and that the journey took 10-15 minutes from the city.

That description is consistent with the location of the house of interest, Det-Sgt Higgins said.

The woman was then locked in a room in the house for a “number of days” where Det-Sgt Higgins said the woman was “brutally” assaulted by the female, sexually assaulted by the male — and potentially other males as well.

After several days, fearing she would be killed if she did not make an escape, the woman was able to break free from the house through an unlocked window before running, naked, for her life.

Her escape route involved jumping fences and “zigzagging” from the address.

The woman then came across a parked van — and a man she credits with saving her life.

She jumped into the van to hide from her attackers and recalls seeing empty milk crates.

The van driver gave the woman a shirt to cover herself and drove her home to the Leederville area.

“That person is pretty much a hero to the victim. He’s saved her from further abuse and helped her get back to a safe place,” Det-Sgt Higgins said in March.

After the victim was driven home, she told her housemate about the ordeal and attended the Sexual Assault Resource Centre for an examination.

She had injuries “pretty much head to toe, front and back”, including to her genital regions, indicating an assault.

The woman says she reported the case to police at the time, however, there is no record of that report.

That could potentially be attributed to record-keeping practices at the time.

A couple of months after the kidnapping, the victim had a serious car accident and was left dealing with her injuries.

But she courageously came forward last year after finally feeling capable of reliving her trauma.

Det-Sgt Higgins is calling for anyone with information about the case, who lived on Lapage Street in April 1987, or who recognises the woman in the composite image, to call Crime Stoppers immediately.

“They should provide us as much information as they can as to who lived in that street, what did they see, was there anything they identified as criminal offences or anything they were concerned about?” he said.

“And just try to explain to us what houses were identified as constantly having issues at, and that will help us to narrow down the type of people we are looking at.

“If they recognise the image (of the woman suspect) and can tell us who it is, that would be fantastic.”

The woman is described as being 35-40 years old at the time, with a solid build.

She was wearing a white tank top, tight jeans and boots.

Det-Sgt Higgins said the fresh leads had given police renewed hope the case could be solved.

“Solveability has definitely increased ... but the information we have is only intelligence ... solving the case is one thing, but getting enough to charge someone, getting a prima facie case and then proving that beyond a reasonable doubt — we are still a long way away from that,” he said.

“But with the public’s assistance, we can progress that forward and as long as we keep moving forward on this, the solveability increases.”

The detective added: “We want to solve every case and every victim deserves that closure.”

“Just because it’s 36 years old — it doesn’t mean we can’t solve it,” he said.

Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000

lets hope some one recognises her, but I would also like to see an image of the male.

 

[GreyCrow]

lets hope some one recognises her, but I would also like to see an image of the male.

No other info on the male either ie age etc

There was a family cluster on LaPage st in 1980 - towards the end of the street - but looking online the ages can rule a few out but one couple at the deepest end - now both deceased - would have been 45 and 56 for the male.

That looks outside the limits set

I'm not saying police need to release names etc but some info on the male would go a long way to solving this. Unless its the gap between the teeth that was most distinctive