Kerryn Tate murder mystery: DNA of unknown male discovered after 43 year
DNA Breakthrough in 43-Year-Old Murder Mystery Locals Thought Linked to ‘Witchcraft’ After 22-Year-Old Woman’s Body Was Found Dumped on a Burning Funeral Pyre
- Breakthrough in cold case murder of Kerryn Tate
- She died in Perth, aged 22, on December 29, 1979
- The locals believed the death was related to witchcraft
A major breakthrough has been made in a four-decade-old murder mystery where DNA from an unidentified man has been found at the site where a woman’s body was burned on a funeral pyre.
Kerryn Tate, 22, was last seen on December 29, 1979, a day after a North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving celebration in Perth.
She originally lived in NSW, but had been living in Perth for a year before disappearing.
Mrs. Tate left her home in Mount Lawley around 11:00 am the day after the dance and went to a house in Karragullen to babysit the house for a day.
But at 6pm, a forestry worker reported a fire in bushland and police discovered her burning body.
She had been beaten to death and dumped at the stake, leading many locals to believe it was part of an occult ceremony, drawing parallels to witches being burned at the stake.
Kerryn Tate, 22, was last seen on December 29, 1979, a day after a North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving celebration in Perth
Mrs. Tate left her home in Mount Lawley around 11:00 am the day after the dance and went to a house in Karragullen to babysit the house for a day. But at 6pm, a forestry worker reported a fire in bushland and police discovered her burning body
The confrontational case has baffled police for 43 years, but now newly discovered DNA from historical evidence may finally shed light on who her killer was
The WA Police special crime team is now desperately trying to find a match and has even contacted Ancestry.com to access their databases.
A $1 million reward was also announced in May for anyone who may have information leading to a conviction.
“Frankly, someone in our community knows what happened to Kerryn. So we’re asking people, if they suspect anyone who may have had something to do with what happened to Kerryn, let us know,” said Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Potter.
The seven-hour period between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. remains the focus of the study.
Detectives were quick to rule out the possibility of a witchcraft-related ritual murder in the early stages, but friends of Ms Tate have said she took an interest in the subject and even attended some “white coven” lectures.
Police at the crime scene found a blood-stained yellow sheet, a small piece of orange nylon rope, some of Ms. Tate’s melted jewelery and her watch in the rubble.
A major breakthrough has been made in a four-decade-old murder mystery where DNA from an unknown man has been found at the site where a woman’s body was burned on a funeral pyre (scene where her body was found is depicted
Throughout the investigation, the police relied on tips from the public, but took little notice, apart from the fact that Mrs. Tate was a known hitchhiker.
On the day of her death, a passerby said she had seen Mrs Tate on the back of an unknown man’s motorcycle.
“While many years have passed since Kerryn’s murder, hearing her name or seeing her face still brings us to our knees and breaks our hearts once again,” Ms Tate’s family said in a statement.
“Please stand up and give us the answers we’ve been waiting all our lives for, so we can at least understand what happened.”