Victoria Police is offering a $1 million reward for information to help solve a 30-year-old double murder at St Andrews, north-east of Melbourne.
WARNING: This story contains graphic details that may be distressing to some readers.
Key points:
- Michael Schievella and Heather McDonald were murdered in their home in September 1990
- Heather McDonald’s two young children were in the house at the time
- Michael Schievella was a well-known criminal identity who was involved in drug trafficking
Well-known criminal identity and drug trafficker Michael Schievella and his partner Heather McDonald were murdered in their home on September 16 1990, while Ms McDonald’s two young children were in the house.
The children discovered the bodies of the murdered pair before raising the alarm.
Police believe people may have witnessed Mr Schievella being involved in an altercation at St Andrews Hotel in the early hours of the day he and Ms McDonald were murdered.
Detective Inspector Tim Day said investigators were hopeful somebody may have information that would help solve the crime.
“This remains a strong avenue of enquiry for our investigation and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have information, particularly regarding who he was with at the hotel that night and what an argument he had was in relation to.”
A ‘brutal and cowardly’ attack
Heather McDonald’s young son told police he woke up at 8:00am on the day of the murders and saw Michael Schievella talking to a man wearing a balaclava.
The man took the boy to his bedroom and left him tied up on the floor with the door closed.
The boy told police he heard a man ask “have you got any money on you?” and “where have you hidden your money?”.
He also heard Michael Schievella say “don’t do that to her” followed by loud thudding noises and the sound of Mr Schievella screaming.
The boy’s sister untied him, and the children then found Heather McDonald’s body beneath blood-stained sheets in the couple’s bedroom.
They later saw Michael Schievella’s body lying in the garden at the back of the house, and ran to a nearby road where they flagged down a neighbour.
Supplied: Victoria Police
)Detective Inspector Day said the murders left the children traumatised.
“No-one deserves to die in the way Heather and Michael did — it was described by investigators at the time as a ‘brutal, callous and cowardly attack’ and our current investigators would completely agree with that,” he said.
“I have no doubt that it’s an incident which has had a significant impact on them and that over 30 years on, they still feel this loss.”
Anyone with information about the murders is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.