Victoria (Melbourne) The strange case of elderly Melbourne Couple, Margaret Wales-King and husband Paul King. Page One of Two
Media coverage from April 10th to date.
Margaret Wales-King, 68, and her second husband, Paul King, 70, have not been seen since they left a family dinner last Thursday night about 9.45pm (AEST). They were due to drive just five minutes from Mrs Wales-King's son's home in Glen Iris to their house in affluent Armadale, in Melbourne's east. But the normally organised and fastidious couple have since missed numerous appointments with family, friends, doctors, gardeners and builders. Their silver Mercedes is missing, their mobile telephone is diverting to their home and their bank accounts have remained untouched. The lights inside the house have been left on since Thursday and dishes have not been washed since the couple had drinks with friends on the day they were last seen. The retired couple's family said the disappearance was completely out of character and as each day passed they feared for their safety. "Everything looks suspicious because she (Mrs Wales-King) is very regimented," said her daughter, Emma Connell, 38. "As far as we're concerned, Thursday was the last time she was at the house." Mrs Connell's sister, Prudence Reed, 36, said the family was "desperate" to at least find the couple's car, as it could offer some clue to their disappearance. Their brother, 42-year-old Damian Wales, said it was unlike his mother to go away on an impulse, particularly without calling anyone. "We hope something like that has happened, but it would be a complete 360 (degree change) on my mother's character," he said. "She's very well-organised wherever she goes." Mr Wales said everyone who had been in contact with the couple in the days before their disappearance had found them in good spirits. The family said Mr King recently suffered a stroke and while he was physically fit, he was mentally confused and needed regular medical care. The Homicide Squad has been called in to investigate the disappearance. Detective Inspector Brian Rix said while they were investigating several possibilities, they were trying to keep an open mind. He said there was no indication the couple was a victim of a robbery and their finances were still in order. "It's a baffling mystery," he said. Police appealed for anyone who may have seen the couple or their car to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000. Source: AAP; The Herald Sun, News Interactive, Daily Telegraph, 10-11th April 2002. Wednesday, 10 April 2002 - Mystery of missing couple THE disappearance of an elderly Melbourne couple has left their family and police baffled. Margaret Wales-King, 68, and her second husband, Paul King, 70, have not been seen since they left a family dinner last Thursday night about 9.45pm (AEST). Source: The Australian 10 April 2002. Thursday, 11 April 2002 - Missing couple's car found A car belonging to an elderly Melbourne couple, who have been missing since last Thursday, has been found in the southern Melbourne suburb of Middle Park. Source: ABC News Thursday, 11 April 2002: The King's car -- a silver Mercedes --was found. It was reported as legally parked, and locked in Middle Park in Melbourne.-- but reported on Channel Seven as "Albert Park" The couple remain Missing. The couple's family is appealing for information. Source: TODAY Show, TCN Channel Nine, 7.15am, 11th April 2001. Tuesday, 14 April Missing couple seen in supermarket By TANYA GILES, MARK BUTTLER and PAUL ANDERSON A SUPERMARKET sighting three days ago has thrown another bizarre twist into the mystery disappearance of a millionaire Armadale couple. Grave fears were held for the welfare of Mrs Margaret Wales-King, 68, and her invalid husband Paul King, 70. But the couple were seen alive and well as late as Tuesday grocery shopping only 100m from where their $127,000 Mercedes-Benz was found in Middle Park on Wednesday night. The retired investors have not contacted their five distraught children and have not been to their $1.5 million townhouse in Armadale since April 4. An employee of the Middle Park IGA supermarket said he saw Mrs Wales-King and her husband, who is suffering the effects of several strokes, on Tuesday afternoon buying dips. "The gentleman was very upset and confused. He wanted to know where certain items were," said Jeff, who did not want to give his surname. "She was fine. She was comforting him and caring for him." Jeff said they appeared well-groomed and were wearing clean clothes. "She was very neat and smart. She had her hair done up. They had obviously been staying somewhere," he said. "It is very strange, a real mystery." Builders working at a site where the couple's car was found said they had seen the Mercedes parked in the same spot on previous occasions. Steve Larner said he saw the car parked there during the Grand Prix weekend and saw Mrs Wales-King about a week before the disappearance. "She was very groomed and neat. She locked the car and looked up at me. It wasn't a passing glance, it was a searching stare. In hindsight, it was a bit weird," he said. "Her husband wasn't with her. She was alone. She then walked down towards the shops." Mr Larner said he took particular notice of Mrs Wales-King's silver Mercedes-Benz. "There are mostly tradie (tradesmen) cars around here. It was a richie car and looked out of sorts," he said. Another worker, Ewan McClue, said he noticed the car parked outside the construction site on Friday. The Middle Park man who first found the car said it had been there for about four days. Details emerged yesterday of the luxury lifestyle of Mrs Wales-King and Mr King. A real estate source said their Mercer Rd property was "A-grade Armadale" and would fetch up to $1.5 million. The stylish townhouse opposite prestigious Lauriston Girls' School has a security alarm, an intercom at the steel gate and is surrounded by a 2.5m wall. Mrs Wales-King is said to have spent many hours inside the house indulging her passion for painting. She attended weekly art classes. She also enjoyed playing cards, particularly bridge, and was a fastidious woman who took pride in her house and her appearance. Friends who spent time with Mr King every Tuesday morning at a local community care group said they were shocked to hear of his disappearance. One worker said he was "the nicest man you would ever meet". "The men come in from their homes and we entertain them. We pick them up in a bus and give their wives a little break," the care worker said. "Paul had come in four or five times but didn't come in last Tuesday." The worker described Mr King as a gentleman, always wanting to help the staff. One day I was in the kitchen washing the dishes and he came in and helped me. I thought, 'How lovely'. He was very charming," she said. "We're all praying that Paul and his wife are found safe and well." Another friend from the group said: "He was a pretty cheerful bloke." A socialite said Mrs Wales-King often attended social gatherings but was not a typical "party person". She said she believed Mrs Wales-King was told she had cancer about two years ago. A neighbour said the first odd signs came days ago when the highly-organised Mrs Wales-King failed to keep two appointments. One appointment was with a person who arrived to show the couple a miniature schnauzer to replace their beloved dog which had died. The other was with an electrician. The neighbour said Mrs Wales-King was a security-conscious person who would not court trouble. The family of Mrs Wales-King said she was a loving mother to her five children and doted on her 11 grandchildren. She had kept in daily contact with her family and had a strong network of friends. Mr King, who needs medication for his condition, was physically well but needed support mentally, the family said. Police yesterday continued hunting for the couple who have not used their bank accounts. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Source: The Herald Sun Tuesday, 14 April Couple's disappearance becomes murder investigation - The disappearance of a Melbourne couple is now being treated as a murder investigation. Detectives say all clues point to foul play. While not completely ruling out other explanations for the couple's disappearance, police maintain all the evidence leads them to believe Margaret Wales-King, 68 and her invalid husband Paul King, 70, have been murdered. The pair disappeared 10 days ago after attending a family dinner. Their car was located in Middle Park several days later. Reported sightings of the couple have been discounted and police say the perception they may still be alive is hampering investigations. A lack of a motive is also causing frustration. Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Waddell says public help is vital. "We need members of the public to assist us with this mystery," he said. Anyone who can offer assistance should call Crimestoppers. Source: ABC News Sunday 14th April 2002 Wednesday, 15 April Police seek motive for likely murder of missing couple Homicide detectives have still not found a motive for the suspected murder of a couple from Armadale in Melbourne's south-east. Margaret Wales-King and her husband Paul King have not been seen since attending a family dinner on the April 4, but their car was found in Middle Park six days later. Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Waddell says reported sightings of the couple last week have been discounted and the perception that they may be alive is hampering investigations. Detective Waddell says investigations so far have thrown up no significant leads. "There's nothing on their background, what we can find that can give us some insight as to why this may have occurred to them," he said. Source: ABC News Monday 15th April 2002 Wednesday, 1 May 2002: Bodies found. Wednesday, 1 May Bodies of missing couple in shallow grave By PAUL ANDERSON, PHILIP CULLEN and MARK BUTTLER in Melbourne. 
TWO bodies found buried on top of each other in a shallow grave outside Marysville, north-east of Melbourne, are those of missing millionaire couple Margaret Wales-King and Paul King. Autopsies were under way late last night to establish how the husband and wife were killed. Their grave, dug to just knee deep and ringed by bush about 10m off a gravel track, was discovered by chance by two park rangers who thought it was a lyrebird's nest. They dug into the mound of dirt and were shocked to find a decomposed body. Expensive jewellery is believed to have been found on the clothed bodies. Police today are expected to publicly confirm the bodies are those of Mrs Wales-King, 68, and her husband Paul, 70. Police believe the missing Armadale husband and wife had been buried for up to three weeks. The couple was reported missing about 9.45pm on April 4 after leaving a family dinner. The shallow grave, which police believe took hours to dig because of the hard soil, was in the Yarra Ranges National Park, about 130km northeast of Melbourne city centre. The missing couple's family was told soon after the grisly find, made by two Parks Victoria rangers about noon on Monday. In other developments: There is speculation the bodies may have been bound and gagged. Police recently made a routine search in the back yard of the Glen Iris home occupied by the couple's son. Marysville man Rod Greenaway reported seeing the couple in town nearly three weeks ago. Mrs Wales-King was due to start a new bridge class in South Yarra last night. The double grave was found near a bush track used by logging trucks and day-trippers 25km south east of Marysville. Police say those who buried the bodies may not have had great knowledge of the area. "Given the popularity of the area, you would think that if a person is aware of the area they would have made a lot more effort to get further into the bush or certainly get away from the track," homicide squad Det Sen-Sgt Charlie Bezzina said. The rangers found the bodies in a small clearing under a canopy of stringybark and mountain gums. Police were called and the bodies were dug up and then taken to the Coroner's Court in South Melbourne. Source: The Advertiser 1st May 2002 Wednesday, 1 May Couple murdered after dinner By Barbara Adam A missing millionaire couple found in a shallow bushland grave this week were murdered within hours of sharing a meal with their family, police said today. Almost four weeks after Margaret Wales-King, 68, and her invalid husband Paul King, 70, disappeared, park rangers discovered their partially decomposed bodies near Marysville, east of Melbourne. The distraught family of the missing couple, who had made a series of public appeals for clues, were informed late yesterday the bodies were those of Mr and Mrs King. At a news conference today, chief of the homicide squad Detective Inspector Brian Rix revealed that preliminary autopsy results showed Mr and Mrs King died from asphyxiation within 24 hours of leaving a family dinner on April 4. Their bodies were found in the clothes, including the jewellery, they were wearing when they went missing. They were bound but not gagged. Mrs Wales-King's brown Louis Vuitton handbag, her car keys and her mobile phone were not found, despite an extensive search of the area around the grave site. The couple's silver Mercedes-Benz car had been found parked and locked in bayside Middle Park six days after they went missing. Despite the discovery of the car and the bodies, Det Insp Rix said police had not yet identified a suspect or a motive for their murder. But he told reporters a breakthrough could occur at any time. "We've got several lines of inquiry in relation to this," he said. "Anything could break tomorrow, tonight to solve this case. But then again it could take months." Det Insp Rix said the preliminary autopsy results did not reveal whether the couple had struggled with their attackers and he refused to reveal further details, including whether the couple were conscious or unconscious when they were killed. He did, however, confirm police had questioned Mrs Wales-King's children and searched the backyard of one of her son's homes. A number of reported sightings of the couple in the area where their car was discovered and in Marysville were discounted. "There have been 1821 calls to CrimeStoppers in the period that these people have been missing," Det Insp Rix said. "Most of them relate to instances of sightings. "We can categorically say that the Kings were deceased at the time of those sightings." Det-Insp Rix also thanked the "curious" park rangers who discovered the shallow grave on Monday. He said rangers had previously uncovered other human remains in the region. Source: News Interactive & AAP 1st May 2002. Thursday, 2 May Missing couple killed early Barbara Adam A MISSING millionaire couple found in a shallow bushland grave on Tuesday were murdered within hours of sharing a meal with their family, police said yesterday. Almost four weeks after Margaret Wales-King, 68, and her invalid husband Paul King, 70, disappeared, park rangers discovered their partially decomposed bodies near Marysville, east of Melbourne. At a news conference yesterday, chief of the homicide squad Detective Inspector Brian Rix revealed that preliminary autopsy results showed the couple died from asphyxiation within 24 hours of leaving a family dinner on April 4. Their bodies were found in the clothes, including jewellery, they were wearing when they went missing. They were bound but not gagged. Mrs Wales-King's brown Louis Vuitton handbag, her car keys and her mobile phone were not found, despite an extensive search of the area around the grave site. The couple's silver Mercedes-Benz car had been found parked and locked in bayside Middle Park six days after they went missing. Despite the discovery of the car and the bodies, Det Insp Rix said police had not yet identified a suspect or a motive for their murder. But he told reporters a breakthrough could occur at any time. "We've got several lines of inquiry in relation to this," he said. "Anything could break tomorrow, tonight to solve this case. But then again it could take months." Det Insp Rix said the preliminary autopsy results did not reveal whether the couple had struggled with their attackers and he refused to reveal further details, including whether the couple were conscious or unconscious when they were killed. He did, however, confirm police had questioned Mrs Wales-King's children and searched the backyard of one of her son's homes. A number of reported sightings of the couple in the area where their car was discovered and in Marysville were discounted. "There have been 1821 calls to CrimeStoppers in the period that these people have been missing," Det Insp Rix said. "Most of them relate to instances of sightings. "We can categorically say that the Kings were deceased at the time of those sightings." Det Insp Rix also thanked the "curious" park rangers who discovered the shallow grave on Monday. He said rangers had previously uncovered other human remains in the region. Source: The Courier-Mail 2nd May 2002. Thursday, 2 May Quilt may yield clues to murder By John Silvester, Ian Munro, Padraic Murphy Homicide squad detectives believe a quilt found with the bodies of Armadale couple Paul King and Margaret Wales-King could reveal who murdered them. Forensic scientists say DNA testing, which could take two to three weeks, will be used to check for any traces left on the fabric by the killer or killers. Detectives say that the discovery of the quilt is potentially the greatest breakthrough since the couple disappeared on April 4. The bodies of Mr King, 70, and Mrs Wales-King, 68, were found in a shallow bush grave near Marysville by two park rangers on Monday. The pair were bound together and both died of asphyxiation, an autopsy has revealed. One theory police are considering is that the couple were sedated before being killed, but toxicology tests to reveal traces of drugs may take two months. Despite the quilt being at the site almost four weeks, scientists believe they will be able to check for human traces such as sweat, hair or microscopic skin flakes that may have been left behind by the killer or killers. Police have discounted robbery as a motive after finding jewellery worth about $100,000 with the bodies, including a $90,000 diamond ring worn by Mrs Wales-King. Her brown Louis Vuitton handbag, mobile phone and car keys have not yet been found. Based on post-mortem examinations and movements of the pair's car, police have narrowed the time of death to within hours of when they were last seen alive at a family dinner. Detective Inspector Rix said police were still analysing material from the car, which was found abandoned in Middle Park. "It will be a long, slow process," he said. He said Crime Stoppers had received more than 1800 calls in the case but reported sightings of the couple had been discounted. He specifically ruled out the widely reported claims of a Marysville resident who said he saw the couple alive less than three weeks ago. "We can categorically say that the Wales-Kings were deceased at the time of that sighting," Detective Inspector Rix said. Responding to complaints that police had failed to pursue leads from the public, he said calls had to be graded and assessed, but police did not have the resources to look at each one continually. Detective Inspector Rix said police had searched "more than one" of the homes and back yards of the couple's immediate family, which he said was a "normal, standard investigative technique". It is understood checks were also made at the dead couple's home, and at the homes of relatives, to see if any quilts or coverings were missing. Police are also checking for any connections between the area where the bodies were found and potential suspects. Inspector Rix called for witnesses. "We are appealing to . . . any person who may have been up in the vicinity of Marysville and Woods Creek Point Road on the evening of Thursday the 4th of April or the early hours of Friday the 5th of April," he said. The couple disappeared after leaving the Glen Iris home of Mrs Wales-King's son Matthew about 9.45pm on April 4. Their late-model Mercedes Benz was discovered six days later, parked and locked in Middle Park. Yesterday, Marysville locals were coming to terms with what was the latest in a recent series of grisly discoveries in the area. In March, a man's body was found in a shallow grave less than five kilometres from where the Armadale couple were found. And a fortnight ago, a woman was found dead with severe head injuries lying next to same stretch of isolated road. "Don't know why we seem to attract this kind of thing," said guesthouse operator Lou Thomas. "I guess it's because it's a reasonable drive from Melbourne and we've got some fair dinkum bush up here. People think there's a lot of space to hide things. Source: The Age 2nd May 2002. Thursday, 2 May How the Kings died By PETER MICKELBUROUGH, chief police reporter MILLIONAIRE couple Margaret Wales-King and Paul King were smothered before being bound and dumped in a shallow bushland grave. There were no obvious wounds on the bodies or signs to suggest the pair had struggled with their killer. Police are convinced the devoted couple were murdered within hours of leaving a family dinner at their son's home at 9.45 pm on April 4. Their bodies were found dressed in the clothes and jewellery they were wearing that night. But a brown leather Louis Vuitton handbag, Ericsson mobile phone and car keys in Mrs Wales-King's possession at the time of her murder have not been found. Their decomposing bodies were found by chance, stacked in a knee-deep grave in the Yarra Ranges National Park, about 95km northeast of Melbourne, on Monday afternoon. Results of toxicology tests that would reveal if the Armadale husband and wife were drugged may take several weeks. Damian Wales, one of Mrs Wales-King's five children, said his mother's murder was devastating. "We've been through a hell of a lot over the last month," he said last night. "We are feeling a lot of pressure. We still don't know what's happened. We're in the hands of the police." Police said yesterday the bodies of the Armadale husband and wife were bound when recovered. Homicide squad chief Det-Insp Brian Rix said bindings had been used to "contain the bodies" but they were not gagged. Det-Insp Rix said police had questioned Mrs Wales-King's children and searched a number of their backyards, including that of son Matthew Wales' Glen Iris home, where the couple were last seen. "That's a normal, standard investigative technique to go and talk to people, particularly the people who last saw them," he said. "Yes, we've spoken to the family, we continue to speak to the family, we continue to ask them to provide details that might indicate something that might break the case open for us. "Yes we did search houses and yards and will probably continue to do so." A routine forensic test was also carried out on Matthew Wales' car but nothing suspicious was found. Det-Insp Rix would not be drawn on whether they had identified a suspect or motive for the killings. "We've got several lines of inquiry in relation to this and anything could break tomorrow, tonight . . . that could solve this case. Then again it could take months," he said. "Finding the bodies is extremely important to us. It opens up whole new avenues of inquiry for us. "It gives us many, many leads. Hence we spent quite a bit of time at the crime scene." The bodies of Mr King, 70, and Mrs Wales-King, 68, were found by park rangers about 10m from a gravel track in the national park, about 21km east of Marysville. Det-Insp Rix praised the rangers for noticing "something out of the ordinary". "It's not the first time they've assisted us up that way," he said. "They have recovered other remains up that way." A search by SES volunteers around the grave site failed to find the missing handbag, mobile phone or keys. The keys were for the couple's silver Mercedes-Benz car, found parked and locked in bayside Middle Park six days after they went missing. "They may well have been discarded further afield than that so obviously we're appealing to the public who might be able to assist us in that regard," Det-Insp Rix said. "We are appealing to people to go through their minds to any issues that might trigger their memories about a handbag laying around or a mobile phone or in particular a Mercedes car key." Det-Insp Rix said there was nothing to indicate the couple's car had been driven to Marysville and said there was no known connection between the couple or their family and the Marysville area. He appealed to anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the Woods Point Rd area on the evening of Thursday, April 4, or the early hours of Friday, April 5, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Det-Insp Rix said many possible sightings of the couple since their disappearance had been discounted because police were convinced they had been killed and buried less than 24 hours after they left their son's home. "There have been 1821 calls to CrimeStoppers," he said. "Most of them relate to instances of sightings. We can categorically say that the Wales-Kings were deceased at the time of those sightings." Source: The Herald Sun, 2nd May 2002. Thursday,2 May Plot to sink bodies By PETER MICKELBUROUGH and PHILIP CULLEN 
The killer of murdered millionaires Margaret Wales-King and Paul King may have planned to dump the bodies of his victims in a dam. The Herald Sun has learnt items found at the shallow bush grave where the bodies were discovered could have been intended as weights to sink the bodies and stop them from floating to the surface. The devoted Armadale couple were smothered, possibly in plastic material in which their bodies were wrapped. Other metal items found at the site could have been used to attach weights to the bodies. Tools used to dig the grave were also recovered. Details of the new evidence, which could help lead police to the killers, was suppressed late yesterday by Deputy State Coroner Iain Treloar West at the request of homicide squad chief Det-Insp Brian Rix. This step was taken a day after the Herald Sun approached police with details of items found when the bodies were discovered by two park rangers on Monday. The ruling prevents the Herald Sun from saying exactly what was found at the scene. One theory being considered by police is that the killer had planned to use the weights to sink the bodies in a nearby dam. It is believed a locked access gate to the dam may have forced the killer to bury his victims instead. The bodies of Mrs Wales-King, 68, and Mr King, 70, were found in a narrow knee-deep ditch covered with a small mound of earth. The killer may have buried the bodies as a temporary measure, planning to return later to place the bodies in the dam. Homicide detectives are now trying to find where the items found came from and hope forensic tests, including checks for DNA from any sweat, hair or skin traces, may help identify the killer. The results of those tests will also be checked against other evidence gathered, including from the couple's car, which was found abandoned in Middle Park six days after they disappeared. The couple were last seen about 9.45pm on April 4 as they left son Matthew Wales' Glen Iris home after a family dinner. The couple were killed and buried in the bush about 95km northeast of Melbourne by early the next morning. The decomposing bodies were found by chance on Monday by two park rangers who at first thought the mound may have been a lyrebird's nest. The couple were dressed in the same clothes they were wearing when they left their son's home and there were no obvious wounds to suggest they had struggled with their killer. A $90,000 diamond and other jewellery worth about $10,000 were found on Mrs Wales-King's body, leading police to discount robbery as a motive. A brown, leather Louis Vuitton handbag, Ericsson mobile phone and keys for the abandoned Mercedes, which were in Mrs Wales-King's possession on the night she was murdered, have not been recovered. Police are still awaiting toxicology results that will reveal whether the couple had been drugged before being killed. Police have also searched the home and backyard of Matthew Wales' and other family members. Mrs Wales-King's five children have also been questioned as a routine part of the investigation. The family were believed to be organising funeral arrangements yesterday. Source: The Herald Sun Thursday 2nd May 2002. Thursday,2 May Media restricted to report aspects of Melbourne double murder case The Coroner's Court has restricted the reporting of certain aspects of the double murder of Melbourne society couple, Paul King and Margaret Wales-King. Missing for four weeks, the millionaire couple was found asphyxiated and buried in a single shallow grave near Marysville earlier this week. Police believe they were killed within 24 hours of leaving a family dinner in Glen Iris in early April. The man leading the police investigation, Detective Inspector Brian Rix has successfully applied to the Coroner's Court to stop the media reporting some information about the couple's death. Police have questioned Mrs Wales-King's children and searched one of their backyards. Mrs Wales-King's Louis Vuitton handbag, mobile phone and car key are still missing. Source: ABC News Thu, 2 May 2002 23:58 AEST Thursday, 2 May Legal curtain drawn on murder The Victorian homicide squad has clamped down on reporting on the double murder of wealthy Melbourne business couple, Paul King and his wife Margaret Wales-King. Mr King, 70, and his 68-year-old wife disappeared after setting out for their Armadale home after a family dinner on April 4. Park rangers discovered a grave containing their bodies in bush near Marysville, northeast of Melbourne on Monday. Homicide squad head, Detective Inspector Brian Rix, says an autopsy shows both died from asphyxiation within 24 hours of leaving the family dinner. Robbery has been ruled out as a motive for their murder after jewellery reported to be worth $100,000 was found with the bodies. Det Insp Rix confirms that police have questioned Mrs Wales-King's children and searched the backyard of one of her sons' homes. But today Det Insp Rix drew a legal curtain around the squad's investigation by obtaining a suppression order from the Coroner's Court over the reporting of the case. Coroner Iain West has barred the media from mentioning certain items related to the couple's death. Source: The Herald Sun 2nd May 2002 NEXT PAGE -> |
|
 |
