Jonbenet Ramsey and Nicola Lynas, A Mr Cruel case linkage analysis

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ATTACK ON NICOLA LYNAS, 13

Brian Lynas and his wife Rosemary were preparing to move back to England with their daughters Fiona, 15, and Nicola, 13, after a three year stint in Melbourne.

They had arranged to move out of their rented home in Monomeath Ave, Canterbury, into a rented apartment in the city on July 4, 1990, until their planned flight out of Australia on August 4.

Mr Cruel scuppered those plans.
Nicola Lynas was abducted from her Canterbury home on July 3, 1990.

He forced his way into the Lynas family home through the parents’ bedroom wind out window about 11.30pm on Tuesday July 3, 1990 — the night before the family was due to vacate the premises.

Mr Cruel had almost certainly been stalking Nicola and was aware the family was preparing to leave Monomeath Ave — one of the most exclusive streets in Melbourne.

He would also have been aware Mr and Mrs Lynas were attending regular farewell functions with different work and social groups.

On these occasions the two Lynas sisters either heated up food left for them by their parents or ordered take away.

On the night Nicola was abducted, Mr and Mrs Lynas left home at 7.50pm to have dinner with friends. Those friends picked them up from Monomeath Ave so the Lynas family Holden Berlina was left parked in the driveway.

The girls ordered a pizza, which was delivered at 10.05pm.

Normally, the sisters slept in separate bedrooms, but on this night, wanting company as her parents were out, Nicola dragged her mattress into Fiona’s room and slept there.

Fiona went to bed at 10.45pm and Nicola about 11pm.

Mr Cruel woke Nicola up about 11.20pm by tapping her on the head with a knife.

He was wearing a balaclava, gloves and dark clothes and was armed with a handgun and a knife.

He made demands for cash and lead Nicola and Fiona to their parents’ bedroom, telling them he was looking for money.

Once in the main bedroom he rifled through Mr Lynas’ wallet. He didn’t take anything, despite there being $4000 in traveller’s cheques in it.

Both girls were forced to lie on their parent’s bed on their stomachs. Fiona was hogtied with galvanised wire, identical to clothes line wire.

Mr Cruel then took Nicola to the kitchen, where he went through Mrs Lynas’ purse.

He cut the telephone cord and took the car keys to the Lynas family car from their hook in the kitchen.

Mr Cruel then led Nicola to her bedroom.

He went through her cupboards and drawers and took several items of clothing before telling Nicola to get dressed.

She kept her turquoise pyjama bottoms on, put on a white T-shirt with two rugby emblems on each side of the front, one was a rooster and the other a kangaroo, and slipped into her Presbyterian Ladies College school blazer.

While she was dressing, Mr Cruel put the clothes he was stealing into Nicola’s Ken Done bag.

He then led Nicola back to her parents’ bedroom, where Fiona was tied up on the bed.

Mr Cruel asked Nicola and Fiona questions about Mr Lynas’ employment and his employer and told Fiona he was going to kidnap Nicola and that he wanted a ransom of $25,000.

He said he would telephone her father the following morning about his ransom demand. He never followed through with his threatened ransom demand and didn’t make contact with the Lynas family.

As Mr Cruel left the room with Nicola, Fiona looked at the bedside clock and saw it was 11.47pm.

Mr and Mrs Lynas arrived home less than 15 minutes later to find Fiona tied up and discover Nicola was missing.

Mr Cruel took Nicola outside and put her in the front seat of the Lynas family car. He told her to kneel down under the dashboard and keep her head down.

He then pulled her Melbourne football club supporter’s cap down over her eyes.

Mr Cruel drove off in the Lynas family car for a short distance, Nicola thought he drove north out of the driveway and west along Mont Albert Rd.

He then stopped the car and put thick adhesive tape over Nicola’s eyes and then put a balaclava over her head before driving the car to Chaucer Ave, Canterbury, stopping and getting Nicola out.

He walked with Nicola to a nearby location and put her inside another car. She was again instructed to get under the dashboard.

Mr Cruel drove her to an unknown location.

Nicola was led from the car into the premises where Mr Cruel ended up keeping her for the next 50 hours.

Nicola entered four rooms in the premises. A bedroom, a room Mr Cruel referred to as “the kitchen”, a toilet and a separate bathroom.

She was taken straight to the bedroom after entering the premises. A radio was playing in the room.

Mr Cruel took the tape from her eyes and replaced it with surgical-type cotton eye pads.

He then took her to the bathroom and made her clean her teeth and take a bath, telling her it was necessary as he didn’t want to leave any forensic evidence which could identify him.

He called her Nicky during the time he held her captive.

Mr Cruel took Nicola back to the bedroom, assaulted her and then leashed her to the bed with some type of harness around her neck before falling asleep next to her.

Nicola later told police she hadn’t slept that night.

The radio had been turned off and she heard no noises during the evening.

At some time early on the Wednesday morning, she heard the loud sound of between seven and nine jet planes landing.

Mr Cruel woke at 10am and turned the radio back on. The plane noises were heard prior to that.

The still leashed Nicola used the radio to calculate the time, telling police Mr Cruel assaulted her again about 11am and then fell asleep next to her.

He unleashed Nicola between 12.30pm and 2pm, carried her to the bathroom and assaulted her again.

Mr Cruel told Nicola he had followed her home from school and that he had a schoolgirl fantasy.

He took her to the kitchen then made her dress in her school dress and assaulted her.

After the assault in the kitchen, Mr Cruel gave Nicola a glass of water, returned her to the bedroom and re-leashed her to the bed.

He told her he was going to dress her in her tennis skirt the following day and then he went to sleep.

Exhausted, Nicola also fell asleep for a while. She woke early on the Thursday morning to the sound of more planes flying overhead.

She told police Mr Cruel woke at 10am and turned the radio back on. She heard the planes prior to that.

Mr Cruel made Nicola have another bath about noon before taking her to the kitchen, dressing her in her tennis dress and assaulting her again.

He called Nicola “Missy” during the fantasy games he played with her.

Nicola was taken back to the bedroom about 2pm, re-leashed to the bed and told she wasn’t going to be assaulted again.

Her legs were tied together with wire during some of the times she was left alone.

Between then and 4pm he came into the room to check on her and to give her bread and water.

About 5pm he told Nicola that he and a friend had been looking for areas suitable to drop her off. He had a newspaper with him and told her it was the Sun.

Nicola was able to keep track of the time while she was leashed to the bed as Mr Cruel left the radio on.

She told police Mr Cruel checked on her again at 10pm and asked if she wanted any food as he was about to pack it away.

He took Nicola to the bathroom at 11.45pm. She was told to stand on a sheet that was placed on the floor.

Mr Cruel told Nicola the purpose of the sheet was that he didn’t want to leave any evidence. She was made to have a shower.

Mr Cruel said something in front of Nicola to the friend he supposedly had with him.

Nicola later told police there were no other indications that any other person was present during the 50 hours Mr Cruel held her prisoner.

After she showered, Mr Cruel took Nicola back to the bedroom to get dressed. He removed her eye patches and replaced them with adhesive tape.

Nicola told police he then led her through the kitchen and outside to the driveway.

She said Mr Cruel seemed nervous and hurried her along the five to seven steps down the driveway to the car.

Mr Cruel wrapped her in a sheet and put her into the passenger’s side of the car, on the floor under the dashboard.

His nervousness was increased when the car wouldn’t start.

As he was repeatedly trying to start it, he told Nicola the car had been stolen by his friend.

The engine eventually responded and Mr Cruel drove off.

Nicola thinks he stopped for petrol before stopping a second time and getting her out of the car at an unknown location.

She told police Mr Cruel took the sheet off her and walked her for about five minutes on footpaths until they stopped at another location.

Mr Cruel removed Nicola’s eye tape and gave her a change of clothes to put on, telling her he was going to leave her there.

He walked about five metres away, returned and told Nicola the location was no good.

Mr Cruel then took Nicola for a further three minute walk.

As he left her for the final time he told her to count for a while and then find a person and ring police.

Nicola was dumped in bushes in front of an SEC substation in Tennyson St, Kew, about 5km from her home, just before 2am on the Friday morning — which was the day of her 14th birthday.

She knocked on a nearby door and a man inside let her ring her father to give him the news the Lynas family had been praying for — her safe return.

The Lynas family left Australia and returned to live in England six days after Nicola was released.

THINGS MR CRUEL SAID DURING THE LYNAS ATTACK

To Nicola and Fiona: “See this here, this is a really sharp knife.”

And: “This is a real gun. It shoots real bullets.”

And: “ Blow your heads off.”

To Nicola: “If you try to see it will be very dangerous for you.”

And: “Keep your eyes shut if you want to stay alive.”

And: “Crouch down on the floor. Get down low. Get your head right down.”

And: “You’ve got to clean yourself thoroughly.”

And: “Clean your teeth thoroughly.”

And: I’m just going to tie your feet up now.”

And: “Think you’re worth $25,000?”

And: “You will get home. You will be home by late Thursday evening, early Friday morning.” And: “I’ll drop you off at a place and change of clothes and you have to wait for 10 minutes and then you can walk to a police station. I’ll give you directions to the police station.”

And: “When you get back the police will ask you a lot of questions.”

NICOLA AND HER SISTER FIONA BOTH PROVIDED POLICE WITH A DESCRIPTION OF MR CRUEL

They differed in relation to Mr Cruel’s height, with Fiona saying he was about 182cm to 185cm tall whereas Nicola told police he was just under 170cm tall.

Police believe Nicola’s height estimate is probably more accurate as she spent more time with Mr Cruel and also walked alongside him.

Both girls said he was well built, with Nicola saying he had a slightly big stomach, like a beer belly.

Both girls said he had a deep or gruff Australian voice.

Fiona said he used “you’s” at the end of phrases, including telling she and Nicola to “lay down on the bed you’s” and “get the cash you’s”.

Fiona and Nicola both told police they hadn’t seen Mr Cruel’s face because he was wearing a balaclava.

Both said at some times he was wearing a handgun tucked into either his trousers or his belt on his left side and at other times Fiona said he carried the gun in his right hand and a serrated carving knife in his left hand, whereas Nicola said he had the gun in his right hand.

Fiona described the gun as having a dull silver barrel with a brown wooden handle. Nicola described the gun as shiny silver.

Nicola said he didn’t smell of body odour, alcohol or cigarettes; that his hands felt sort of hairy with rough skin and shortish fingernails; that his arms were quite solid and stocky with fine hair; that he had fine hair on his chest and no hair on his back; that he swore a lot, but only at the Lynas house, in the car and about his friend and that he sounded “not really educated”.

Fiona said, based on his speech, actions and build, that she thought he was aged in his 30s.

ITEMS TAKEN BY MR CRUEL DURING THE ATTACK ON NICOLA

A handmade pink and white striped sundress with a drop waist and gathered, which belonged to Fiona.

A Presbyterian Ladies College summer uniform, size 12 or 14, belonging to Fiona.

A pair of blue tracksuit pants of the brand endorsed by PLC, may have had Fiona Lynas label inside or F Lynas written in biro on the inside label.

Three pairs of white Marks and Spencer label girl’s underpants and one or two pairs of blue Dobson brand girl’s underpants.

Four pairs of white cotton Marks and Spencer brand socks.

A Marks and Spencer brand green and white fine horizontally striped T-shirt, size small or 8.

A Melbourne football club hat.

A white tennis skirt, size 8. Pleated with velcro and slip catch on the front. Very fine knife pleats with red and blue ribbon around the bottom.

PLC school jumper, size not known.

A large Ken Done beach bag with green fish design and a string draw opening.

A pair of blue and green knee high stockings, bought in England.

A maroon ladies wallet.

A Victorian driver’s licence in the name of Rosemary Lynas with the address of 16 Margaret St, Canterbury on it.

A Medicare card in the names of Brian, Rosemary, Fiona and Nicola Lynas.

An ANZ visa card in the name of Rosemary Lynas.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VEHICLE MR CRUEL USED TO ABDUCT NICOLA

Nicola told police she thought it was a four door vehicle with bucket seats; that it had a floor gear shift, probably manual; that the radio was tuned to KZFM; there were no odours in the car; that is sounded oldish and had carpet on the floor.

Brian Lynas and his wife Rosemary were preparing to move back to England with their daughters Fiona, 15, and Nicola, 13, after a three year stint in Melbourne.

They had arranged to move out of their rented home in Monomeath Ave, Canterbury, into a rented apartment in the city on July 4, 1990, until their planned flight out of Australia on August 4.

Mr Cruel had almost certainly been stalking Nicola and was aware the family was preparing to leave Monomeath Ave — one of the most exclusive streets in Melbourne.

He would also have been aware Mr and Mrs Lynas were attending regular farewell functions with different work and social groups.

On these occasions the two Lynas sisters either heated up food left for them by their parents or ordered take away.

Mr Cruel scuppered those plans.
Nicola Lynas was abducted from her Canterbury home on July 3, 1990.

He forced his way into the Lynas family home through the parents’ bedroom wind out window about 11.30pm on Tuesday July 3, 1990 — the night before the family was due to vacate the premises

On the night Nicola was abducted, Mr and Mrs Lynas left home at 7.50pm to have dinner with friends. Those friends picked them up from Monomeath Ave so the Lynas family Holden Berlina was left parked in the driveway.

On these occasions the two Lynas sisters either heated up food left for them by their parents or ordered take away.

On the night Nicola was abducted, Mr and Mrs Lynas left home at 7.50pm to have dinner with friends. Those friends picked them up from Monomeath Ave so the Lynas family Holden Berlina was left parked in the driveway.

The girls ordered a pizza, which was delivered at 10.05pm.

Normally, the sisters slept in separate bedrooms, but on this night, wanting company as her parents were out, Nicola dragged her mattress into Fiona’s room and slept there.

Fiona went to bed at 10.45pm and Nicola about 11pm.

Mr Cruel woke Nicola up about 11.20pm by tapping her on the head with a knife.

He was wearing a balaclava, gloves and dark clothes and was armed with a handgun and a knife.

He was wearing a balaclava, gloves and dark clothes and was armed with a handgun and a knife.

He made demands for cash and lead Nicola and Fiona to their parents’ bedroom, telling them he was looking for money.

Once in the main bedroom he rifled through Mr Lynas’ wallet. He didn’t take anything, despite there being $4000 in traveller’s cheques in it.

Mr. Ramsey,

Listen carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We do respect your bussiness [sic] but not the country that it serves. At this time we have your daughter in our posession [sic]. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter.

You will withdraw $118,000.00 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills. Make sure that you bring an adequate size attache to the bank. When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag.

Both girls were forced to lie on their parent’s bed on their stomachs. Fiona was hogtied with galvanised wire, identical to clothes line wire.

Mr Cruel then took Nicola to the kitchen, where he went through Mrs Lynas’ purse

Mr Cruel then led Nicola to her bedroom.

He went through her cupboards and drawers and took several items of clothing before telling Nicola to get dressed.

She kept her turquoise pyjama bottoms on, put on a white T-shirt with two rugby emblems on each side of the front, one was a rooster and the other a kangaroo, and slipped into her Presbyterian Ladies College school blazer.

While she was dressing, Mr Cruel put the clothes he was stealing into Nicola’s Ken Done bag.

Mr Cruel asked Nicola and Fiona questions about Mr Lynas’ employment and his employer and told Fiona he was going to kidnap Nicola and that he wanted a ransom of $25,000.

Mr. Ramsey,

Listen carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We do respect your bussiness [sic] but not the country that it serves. At this time we have your daughter in our posession [sic]. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter.

You will withdraw $118,000.00 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills. Make sure that you bring an adequate size attache to the bank. When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag. I will call you between 8 and 10 am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested. If we monitor you getting the money early, we might call you early to arrange an earlier delivery of the money and hence a [sic] earlier delivery pick-up of your daughter.

When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag. I will call you between 8 and 10 am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested. If we monitor you getting the money early, we might call you early to arrange an earlier delivery of the money and hence a [sic] earlier delivery pick-up of your daughter.

He said he would telephone her father the following morning about his ransom demand. He never followed through with his threatened ransom demand and didn’t make contact with the Lynas family.

As Mr Cruel left the room with Nicola, Fiona looked at the bedside clock and saw it was 11.47pm.

Mr and Mrs Lynas arrived home less than 15 min

She was taken straight to the bedroom after entering the premises. A radio was playing in the room.

Mr Cruel took the tape from her eyes and replaced it with surgical-type cotton eye pads.

He then took her to the bathroom and made her clean her teeth and take a bath, telling her it was necessary as he didn’t want to leave any forensic evidence which could identify him.

He called her Nicky during the time he held her captive.

Mr Cruel took Nicola back to the bedroom, assaulted her

Mr Cruel took Nicola back to the bedroom, assaulted her and then leashed her to the bed with some type of harness around her neck before falling asleep next to her.

Nicola later told police she hadn’t slept that night.

Mr Cruel woke at 10am and turned the radio back on

. I will call you between 8 and 10 am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery.

He unleashed Nicola between 12.30pm and 2pm, carried her to the bathroom and assaulted her again.

Mr Cruel told Nicola he had followed her home from school and that he had a schoolgirl fantasy.

He took her to the kitchen then made her dress in her school dress and assaulted her.

After the assault in the kitchen, Mr Cruel gave Nicola a glass of water, returned her to the bedroom and re-leashed her to the bed.

He told her he was going to dress her in her tennis skirt the following day and then he went to sleep.

Mr Cruel made Nicola have another bath about noon before taking her to the kitchen, dressing her in her tennis dress and assaulting her again.

He called Nicola “Missy” during the fantasy games he played with her.

Nicola was taken back to the bedroom about 2pm, re-leashed to the bed and told she wasn’t going to be assaulted again.

Her legs were tied together with wire during some of the times she was left alone.

Between then and 4pm he came into the room to check on her and to give her bread and water.

She told police Mr Cruel checked on her again at 10pm and asked if she wanted any food as he was about to pack it away.

He took Nicola to the bathroom at 11.45pm. She was told to stand on a sheet that was placed on the floor.

Mr Cruel told Nicola the purpose of the sheet was that he didn’t want to leave any evidence. She was made to have a shower.

Mr Cruel said something in front of Nicola to the friend he supposedly had with him.

Nicola later told police there were no other indications that any other person was present during the 50 hours Mr Cruel held her prisoner.

Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter. You will also be denied her remains for proper burial. The two gentlemen watching over your daughter do not particularly like you so I advise you not to provoke them.

After she showered, Mr Cruel took Nicola back to the bedroom to get dressed. HAfter she showered, Mr Cruel took Nicola back to the bedroom to get dressed. He removed her eye patches and replaced them with adhesive tape.e removed her eye patches and replaced them with adhesive tape.

Mr Cruel wrapped her in a sheet and put her into the passenger’s side of the car, on the floor under the dashboard.

Nicola was dumped in bushes in front of an SEC substation in Tennyson St, Kew, about 5km from her home, just before 2am on the Friday morning  

THINGS MR CRUEL SAID DURING THE LYNAS ATTACK

To Nicola and Fiona: “See this here, this is a really sharp knife.”

And: “This is a real gun. It shoots real bullets.”

And: “ Blow your heads off.”

To Nicola: “If you try to see it will be very dangerous for you.”

And: “Keep your eyes shut if you want to stay alive.”

And: “Crouch down on the floor. Get down low. Get your head right down.”

And: “You’ve got to clean yourself thoroughly.”

And: “Clean your teeth thoroughly.”

And: I’m just going to tie your feet up now.”

And: “Think you’re worth $25,000?”

And: “You will get home. You will be home by late Thursday evening, early Friday morning.” And: “I’ll drop you off at a place and change of clothes and you have to wait for 10 minutes and then you can walk to a police station. I’ll give you directions to the police station.”

And: “When you get back the police will ask you a lot of questions.”

Fiona said he used “you’s” at the end of phrases, including telling she and Nicola to “lay down on the bed you’s” and “get the cash you’s”.

Mr. Ramsey,

Listen carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We do respect your bussiness [sic] but not the country that it serves. At this time we have your daughter in our posession [sic]. She is safe and unharmed and if you want her to see 1997, you must follow our instructions to the letter.

You will withdraw $118,000.00 from your account. $100,000 will be in $100 bills and the remaining $18,000 in $20 bills. Make sure that you bring an adequate size attache to the bank. When you get home you will put the money in a brown paper bag. I will call you between 8 and 10 am tomorrow to instruct you on delivery. The delivery will be exhausting so I advise you to be rested. If we monitor you getting the money early, we might call you early to arrange an earlier delivery of the money and hence a [sic] earlier delivery pick-up of your daughter.

Any deviation of my instructions will result in the immediate execution of your daughter. You will also be denied her remains for proper burial. The two gentlemen watching over your daughter do not particularly like you so I advise you not to provoke them. Speaking to anyone about your situation, such as Police, F.B.I., etc., will result in your daughter being beheaded. If we catch you talking to a stray dog, she dies. If you alert bank authorities, she dies. If the money is in any way marked or tampered with, she dies. You will be scanned for electronic devices and if any are found, she dies. You can try to deceive us but be warned that we are familiar with law enforcement countermeasures and tactics. You stand a 99% chance of killing your daughter if you try to out smart [sic] us. Follow our instructions and you stand a 100% chance of getting her back.

You and your family are under constant scrutiny as well as the authorities. Don't try to grow a brain John. You are not the only fat cat around so don't think that killing will be difficult. Don't underestimate us John. Use that good southern common sense of yours. It is up to you now John!

Victory!

S.B.T.C

ITEMS TAKEN BY MR CRUEL DURING THE ATTACK ON NICOLA

A handmade pink and white striped sundress with a drop waist and gathered, which belonged to Fiona.

A Presbyterian Ladies College summer uniform, size 12 or 14, belonging to Fiona.

A pair of blue tracksuit pants of the brand endorsed by PLC, may have had Fiona Lynas label inside or F Lynas written in biro on the inside label.

Three pairs of white Marks and Spencer label girl’s underpants and one or two pairs of blue Dobson brand girl’s underpants.

Four pairs of white cotton Marks and Spencer brand socks.

A Marks and Spencer brand green and white fine horizontally striped T-shirt, size small or 8.

A Melbourne football club hat.

A white tennis skirt, size 8. Pleated with velcro and slip catch on the front. Very fine knife pleats with red and blue ribbon around the bottom.

PLC school jumper, size not known.

A large Ken Done beach bag with green fish design and a string draw opening.

A pair of blue and green knee high stockings, bought in England.

A maroon ladies wallet.

A Victorian driver’s licence in the name of Rosemary Lynas with the address of 16 Margaret St, Canterbury on it.

A Medicare card in the names of Brian, Rosemary, Fiona and Nicola Lynas.

An ANZ visa card in the name of Rosemary Lynas.