Murder of Frank Newbery

On 12 March 2007, Frank Newbery was beaten to death inside his convenience store, Frank's Ham & Beef, in the inner-city suburb of Cooks Hill in the Australian city of Newcastle. The murder remains unsolved, and the New South Wales Government is offering a reward of $100,000 for any information leading to an arrest and conviction.^[1] As of March 2018 the case remains unsolved.^[2]

Background

Newbery was a World War II veteran who operated Frank's Ham & Beef at 27 Union Street, Cooks Hill. He was elected as the "Best Grocer in the World" by the Cooks Hill community in 2001 for 50 years of service.^[3] Franks Ham & Beef store had been open daily for 57 years prior to Newbery's death.^[4]

Murder

Newbery is believed to have been attacked in his shop some time between 4:00pm and 4:30pm on 12 March 2007. He was bludgeoned with a "large blunt object" that has not been found, his body discovered concealed under cardboard boxes.^[5][6] Newbery's knuckles were bruised, suggesting that he attempted to fight off his attacker.^[7]

Investigation

NSW Police initially believed the murder was a "robbery gone wrong", because the cash register had been opened and money was missing.^[8] Strike Force Rynan was established to investigate the incident.

However, it was confirmed that authorities found $1,500 in Newbery's pocket after the attack, which led police to consider the possibility that Newbery had been a victim of targeted assault.^[9]

In 2017, Detective Inspector Peter Mahon stated, "We are still not sure of the motive, because if it was a robbery, you would have thought that they would have searched Frank and taken his money out of his wallet."^[10]

In 2012, a coronial inquest was held with Deputy State Coroner Mark Buscombe presiding. The result of the inquest found that Newbery had been "attacked by a person or persons that were unknown." The inquest heard that the suspect wore a hat or beanie, had long hair and wore dark clothing. Two witnesses reported seeing a man of a similar description crouching in the shop shortly after 4:00pm. Police analysed hundreds of other similar robberies, investigated prisoners on parole, and took DNA swabs from every person who visited the shop on the day of the murder. Two samples found at the scene remain unidentified. ^[6]

Police identified several suspects, including a man whose drivers license was found at the store. One suspect was a schizophrenic drug-addict and involuntary patient at a nearby mental health hospital, but had left the grounds twice on the day of the murder. The other was a man from Port Stephens who bragged about killing Newbery. Both suspects were later ruled out by police.

References