Mawson murder - Francis (Frank) Campbell
Media Conference, Winchester Police Centre, Canberra
Detective Acting Superintendent Brett McCann
Monday 9 May 2005
Brett McCann: AFP Forensic crime examiners have concluded a search of Mr Campbell's residents over the weekend and we're now in the laboratory phase where they're examining their findings and the forensic material they seized from the flat. Police have expanded a search beyond the Mawson area to other districts and this is a result of information received and a result of investigations conducted by police. The family has agreed to our requests to release a photo of Mr Campbell in the hope that people who may recognise him will come forward and provide us with information we may not currently be in possession of. We'd also like to talk to a woman who was at the Bradley Street taxi rank (in Phillip) between about 4.30-5pm on Sunday May 1. She's described as being in her 40s with red hair, and at the time she had a shopping trolley with her. I must emphasise at this stage she is not considered a suspect, and that she may provide us with some information which may assist the investigation.
Reporter: Is she someone he might have seen perhaps?
Brett McCann: Yes that's right, she may have seen Frank that afternoon, and may be able to provide us with information in relation to who he may or may not have been in company with, what his actions were, what his demeanour was.
Reporter: Was she any relation to Frank?
Brett McCann: No we don't think so; we don't know who she is and that's why we are appealing for her to come forward.
Reporter: Can police disclose at this stage the cause of death?
Brett McCann: No at this stage we're still not in a position to release the cause of death; as I've said earlier that's very much a matter for the Coroner to release that information, so no we're not in a position to release that at the moment.
Reporter: So no new leads found?
Brett McCann: Not at this stage.
Reporter: With the search being widened, is that looking for something particular?
Brett McCann: Obviously, no it's just normal police methodology in relation to these matters. We don't just lock ourselves into a particular area; we expand beyond that, looking for evidence which may have been discarded by the offender or offenders.
Reporter: In this case are you saying that it's a result of information you've gathered during the investigation
Brett McCann: That's correct, yes.
Reporter: So is there any information that something is out there in particular that you're looking for?
Brett McCann: We believe that there is, yes.
Reporter: Can you say what that something is?
Brett McCann: No. I can't I'm afraid.
Reporter: Is there proof, like clues been found in other areas?
Brett McCann: How do you mean found?
Reporter: You said that he was actually found in his unit.
Brett McCann: Yes that's right yes.
Reporter: Prior to you being able to map out his whereabouts?
Brett McCann: We're satisfied that we've covered his movements on Sunday May 1; we're satisfied that we know what his whereabouts were for that day and the evening. When we expand a search it's just very normal for us to do so and we start at a central point and branch out from there basically, so we're obviously looking for anything that might not necessarily stand out, that there are items that are missing. We might not necessarily know until we go out and actually search for them and see if we can identify things that are relevant to the investigation.
Reporter: Are you able to disclose where he was last seen?
Brett McCann: In Mawson, the suburb of Mawson.
Reporter: Was he shopping…?
Brett McCann: He was out socialising; he had been socialising earlier on that afternoon yes.
Reporter: When you're expanding the search, is that all around the one central point?
Brett McCann: We'll take it out carefully, that's all we can do. There's no point in us just going around randomly; we have particular information which is why we go to particular areas, but it's not just a random or we'll drift off to a particular suburb for no good reason. Obviously we've deployed our resources carefully to meet the outcomes of the investigation.
Reporter: Can you give us an estimated time of death?
Brett McCann: Look I can't, no.
Reporter: What areas will you be looking in?
Brett McCann: We'll be staying on the south side of Canberra for the time being.
Reporter: Inaudible
Brett McCann: Not at this stage no, because it'll move on from day to day, so we're starting off on the south side of Canberra and we'll see where we go from there.
Reporter: Are you satisfied that you've …..
Brett McCann: Yes I am.
Reporter: How many people have you been interviewing?
Brett McCann: Look I haven't got exact numbers in relation to that, but there's been a large number of people, family, friends, associates, workmates, doorknocks we've conducted in the Mawson area, so yeah there's been a large number of people spoken to.
Reporter: Are there any persons of interest?
Brett McCann: No at this stage we've got a number of avenues of inquiries that we consider quite positive and we're following those in a methodical manner.
Reporter: Can you tell us the avenues of inquiries?
Brett McCann: No, no I can't.
Reporter: My geography is not real great; how far's the taxi rank from the flat?
Brett McCann: Three kilometres maybe.
Reporter: ?
Brett McCann: No that's where he had been in that area during the afternoon, but this woman was the woman that we want to speak to; we know for sure she was at that taxi rank.
Reporter: So at what time in that evening ….what his movements were, what's the last time that you know where he was?
Brett McCann: Round about nine o'clock, between nine and ten.
Reporter: Where do you think he was?
Brett McCann: He was in the suburb Mawson, in the area of Mawson.
Reporter: In the apartment or ?
Brett McCann: He ultimately ended up in his apartment yes.
Reporter: Is that at some stage…..
Brett McCann: He was in the area of Mawson between about eight and ten pm, earlier in the afternoon he'd been out in other areas.
Reporter: What sort of things had he been doing?
Brett McCann: Just socialising with friends, watching football, having a beer.
Reporter: Have you figured out what the motive was yet?
Brett McCann: Not at this stage.
Reporter: Can you say yet whether or not he had a flatmate.
Brett McCann: I'm not in a position to release that information.
Reporter: Have you had a lot of community feedback?
Brett McCann: We've had a positive response from members of the community and we're obviously seeking further information; anybody who may have further information and releasing of the photo of Mr Campbell may enlist further information, people might know the face but might not necessarily be able to put a name to the deceased. They can come forward through the Crime Stoppers network. And that's pretty much it.
Reporter: Can you say whether he had a partner of any sort?
Brett McCann: No.
Reporter: No you can't say or no you don't know?
Brett McCann: No he didn't have a partner.
Reporter: Sorry, did he live alone?
Brett McCann: He was primarily a lone resident yes, but he would sometimes have a flatmate.
Reporter: Has the flatmate been spoken to?
Brett McCann: That's one of a number of inquiries that we're doing.
Reporter: Can you say who made the triple 0 call?
Brett McCann: To police?
Reporter: Yes.
Brett McCann: I believe it was the ambulance.
Reporter: Can you say who made the triple 0 call to the ambulance?
Brett McCann: No I can't.
Reporter: Can't say or don't know yet.
Brett McCann: I am satisfied that we know but we're not in a position to pass that information on.
Reporter: And have you talked to that person.
Brett McCann: Yes we have.
Reporter: Male or female?
Brett McCann: That's all I have for you.
Reporter: We know that he was a taxi driver, but what was his occupation?
Brett McCann: Prior to that?
Reporter: At the time of his death.
Brett McCann: I don't know that he had full time employment at the time of death.
Reporter: Have you got any information from the forensics examination yet?
Brett McCann: Not at this stage, very preliminary. The forensics examination only concluded yesterday so we're now back doing the additional hard slog in relation to the analysis of what they've seized.
Reporter: Still confident?
Brett McCann: Yes, yes I am.
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