Click on link to view: Deidre Kennedy Murder - story by Neil Raward _ GCO
On Good Friday night 13 April 1973, Fay Kennedy put 18 month old Deidre in her cot in the same room as her four year old sister in their ground floor flat opposite Limestone Park, Ipswich. Fay and Barry came from Longreach and Barry was RAAF officer at Amberley. Being country people locking the flat was not a priority.
The next morning when Fay checked the children Deidre had vanished. After checking the flat and yard she reported the abduction to the police.
About the same time a person was walking through Limestone Park and noticed what he thought was a doll on the roof above the entrance way to the men's toilet, after climbing to have a closer look to his horror he saw the body of a young girl. The pyjamas pants, pilchers and nappy had been removed and the body was wearing a pair of women's panties and petticoat stolen from the clothes line next to the Kennedy's flat.
I was called to the crime scene which was 300m from the flat, together with Fingerprints and Photographics. A large task force of investigators was also mobilised to solve this horrific crime. After the P M the cause of death was established as strangulation, there was no indication of any sexual interference, of interest was a prominent bite mark on the thigh of the baby.
A forensic odontologist established the bite mark as being caused by a person with prominent teeth (buck teeth). Following many months the investigators were no closer to solving the crime and many years past before the next major development.
In 1983 following a conversation with Amberley RAAF Police and Ipswich detectives regarding the theft of women's underwear from clothes lines at Amberley base it was noted that RAAF officer Raymond John Carroll was the suspect. A mention was made of his very prominent teeth.
On being interviewed it was ascertained that Carroll had graduated from a RAAF training course in S A on 12 April 1973 and travelled to Ipswich after the ceremony. After further questioning Carroll denied knowing anything about the death of the toddler, however he did provide a sample of his bite mark.
Police were unable to establish his movements from S A to determine if he was in Ipswich on 13 April 1973, although he did live close to Limestone Park. Three forensic odontologist established the bite mark belonged to Carroll. Carroll was found guilty of the murder in 1984. In 1985 the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction.
In 1999 Carroll was charged with perjury in that in his earlier trial he denied being involved. Three new odontologist provided evidence of identification and a witness provided evidence that he was in Ipswich on the 13 April 1973.
The jury found him guilty of perjury, a later Court of Appeal healing quashed the conviction. Appeal to the High Court by the Crown was dismissed, finding that the the law in relation to double jeopardy had been breeched.
Following public outcry this law was repealed in Qld after the decision.
No further action was taken in against Carroll and he still lives in Ipswich as does Fay Kennedy
