Homicide

Misfortune strikes the Carter family, and neurotic mother Valerie Carter is suspected of having beaten her daughter Jeanie to death because of a nightmare in which she sees spiders crawling all over the girl.

It is said there is a black sheep in every family - detectives uncover an interesting family situation when there is a murder in the building business.

A compulsive gambler is murdered and robbed in a secluded factory area. Detectives interview the victim's estranged wife and son, his employees and a bookmaker.

The attractive wife of a business executive is reported missing, and her body is discovered some time later. An abandoned car provides vital clues.

A retired elderly gentleman, who likes a game of chess, returns home one night to find his wife has been brutally murdered.

Homicide detectives investigate a murder that leads to a dramatic abduction and an attempted shotgun wedding by the killer.

Two schoolboys studying the stars with a telescope in a park on a dark night become part of one of the Homicide squad's most baffling cases.

A young man runs in panic when his girlfriend's father is murdered, and few people believe he is innocent of the crime.

When a young waitress is found dead in her flat, the Homicide detectives face a most unusual case.

On a deserted beach, an elderly couple discover the body of Mrs. Sandra Martin. This makes for a great deal of work for the Homicide squad, and Sen. Det. Barnes in particular, when they discover that Sandra had many lovers.

A frantic car chase in a suburban street ends in tragedy when a letter bomb intended for Joe Maloney kills his daughter Angie and Det. Sgt. Bob Delaney. Maloney takes his own revenge, and Sen. Det. Barnes risks his life to defuse a live bomb strapped to the chest of a criminal. Notes: Final episode with Mike Preston as Det. Sgt. Bob Delaney.

A well planned bank robbery linked with a double murder in a country farm house provides a gruelling initiation into the Homicide squad for Sen. Det. Phil Redford. Notes: First colour, all-film episode. First episode with Gary Day as Sen. Det. Phil Redford. The scene of Sen. Det. Barnes receiving his police Valour Medal (for defusing a bomb strapped to the chest of a criminal, as occurred in the previous episode) was filmed at an actual police ceremony, the segment being shot at the end of the proceedings.

The discovery of a body leads to the reunion of Insp. Fox with an old friend, Mum Enright, nicknamed 'Mother Superior', a little old woman who has raised a family of ten single handed since the death of her husband. Sadly, they have not all turned out to be law-abiding citizens. She tries to protect her son Ray and daughter Rona, the last of her children still with her, which places a strain on her friendship with Fox and the relationship with her children.

When a criminal feud ends in murder, Homicide detectives are confronted by a wall of silence. They have an unexpected encounter with a determined woman reporter, Hilda Schultz, an inquiring woman who wants to be a professional writer but lacks the talent.

Two prison escapees kill a guard and police are involved in a desperate race to apprehend them before they can kill again.

The death of a beautiful heiress, who had devoted her time, energy and money to the poor and needy, marks the beginning of a case with startling developments. Homicide detectives are led to one Leopold Alexander Hamilton Esquire, and to the accountant of a meat packaging firm which results in Sgt. Mackay and Det. Redford being involved in a hectic chase through stock yards.

When small time criminal Johnny Doyle is stabbed to death, his 'big time' brother Bert takes the law into his own hands. Detectives race against time to save the lives of a mother and her teenage daughter.

Derek Johnston, the owner of a sawmill, bullies his family causing his teenage children to rebel. When the body of their mother is discovered, it appears at first to be a case of suicide, but a very unusual piece of evidence points to murder. Notes: Sigrid Thornton's first television acting role (at 13 years of age).

Mackay is promoted to Inspector and is preparing for a transfer to Ballarat when a threat is made against his life. Carl Warren Lee, who made the threat, is a psychopath who lies in wait with a rifle, but shoots dead Fox by mistake as he and Mackay get out of a car. Notes: Final episode with Leonard Teale as Det. Sgt. David Mackay and Alwyn Kurts as Insp. Colin Fox.

Inspector Lawson is recalled from London to head the Homicide squad. Barnes is promoted to Detective Sergeant and Sen. Det. Pat Kelly joins the squad. The first case for the new team is a killing in a small country town that reveals an unusual motive. Notes: First episode with Charles Tingwell as Insp. Reg Lawson and John Stanton as Sen. Det. Pat Kelly. Segments filmed on location in Kyneton VIC, and overseas in London, England.

The moving story of retired safe cracker Buddy Rand, who, although having gone straight, finds himself breaking the law to help a mate. Notes: Fred 'Cul' Cullen wrote the part of Buddy Rand for John Meillon, but Meillon was not available (having appeared in the previous episode) so Cullen played the part himself. Cullen won two Logie awards for this episode: Best Script and Best Single Acting Performance (both 1973). Bud Tingwell considered this his favourite episode.

When an early morning payroll robbery results in a man's murder, detectives find they have a difficult job on their hands. New light is cast on the case when an enthusiastic cleaner gives police a valuable lead which changes the theme of their investigations.

In Pentridge, Dennis 'Johnno' Johnson, a small time crim who has just served 12 months for his part in a $100,000 opal robbery, has dreamed of his release - the time he can collect his share of the proceeds and settle down with his girlfriend, Carol Finch. She is not all that bright, and has been working as a barmaid and saving for when they can set up somewhere new. But the day of Johnno's release turns his dream into a nightmare. One member of the gang is shot dead after apparently being tortured. Carol has received no money. And then the body of the gang leader is found in the bay. Johnno's time in prison, protecting the identities of the others, seems to have been in vain. Mysterious phone calls lead the Homicide Squad into a desperate race to prevent his death.

The shooting of a man at Spencer Street railway station seems a simple case, but becomes more involved as inquiries continue, and leads to a powerful man who takes a carefully calculated risk - and loses everything.

Following the discovery of a body in a lake, detectives investigate a computerised dating service. Policewoman Helen Murray risks her life by acting as a decoy.

Four ex-national servicemen meet for a birthday reunion which ends in disaster when unpleasant memories of an incident in Vietnam are rekindled.

An irresponsible young man, Vincent Mason, goes for a joyride in his father's car, and causes a lot of trouble for the Homicide detectives. An only child of wealthy parents, Mason has a charm all of his own, has never wanted for anything and finds it difficult to comprehend the hardships experienced by those not so fortunate. His parents want him desperately to get on in life and cannot understand why he does things he knows will upset them.

A burglar discovers a dead body in a house, and investigations lead to a bizarre couple and the solution to several unsolved murders.

A drug company truck driver is murdered on a lonely stretch of road. More lives are at stake as the police follow a trail of double crosses which lead to a boat, the head of a hijack gang, a cache of stolen drugs, and a number of double-crosses, culminating in one double-cross that surprises even the Homicide squad.

June Higgins nags both her husband and her lover to distraction, and is run down and killed. A witness describes the car driver with strange results. The case is a trial for Det. Kelly, who is involved in a long chase, a car crash, and a severe reprimand from Insp. Lawson.

A 21st birthday party with a tragic ending has a profound effect on a number of people - including Det. Sgt. Barnes, who resigns after 'cracking' under pressure. Notes: Final episode with George Mallaby as Det. Sgt. Peter Barnes.

New member of the Homicide squad, Det. Sgt. Harry White, has his hands full when two young boys set off to seek their fortune. Notes: First episode with Don Barker as Det. Sgt. Harry White.

Det. Sgt. Norm Turner is the local CI man at a suburban police station. His wife's death, the strain of work, over-indulgence in alcohol and a rebel daughter has made life very difficult for him. When his daughter Mary is murdered, he refuses to believe some of the facts that the Homicide squad uncover about her. He then conducts his own investigation, bringing him into conflict with the Homicide squad.

George Jackson has just served a 15 year term for murder, a crime he always claimed he did not commit. Unexpected release for him means much more than adjusting to the outside world - he is determined to prove his innocence regardless of the cost, which spells trouble for his family, friends and the Homicide squad.

wo criminals are arrested by Det. Kelly for the murder of a young constable. While being charged in the city watch-house an argument occurs. Kelly, after being up all night, is in no mood for nonsense and following threats from one of the criminals a fight breaks out. Later, one of the criminals, Howard Nelson, murders another inmate, Edward Palmer, and blames Kelly for the death due to injuries received from the previous fight. A resulting inquiry threatens Kelly's career. Notes: John Waters' performance in this episode brought him to the attention of ABC producer Oscar Whitbread who subsequently cast him as Sgt. McKellar in Rush. The set for the watch-house was reputed to be the largest, most complex and most expensive set ever built thus far for a Homicide episode.

Alex Watsford is a myopic, mild-mannered vendor of boot-making machinery whose life has become a safe, regular pattern. Each day for him proceeds with monotonous regularity until, one morning on his way to work, he decides to take a different route. Alex gets more than he bargained for in an 'adventure' when he picks up an attractive hippie hitch-hiker, Chris Green. Chris is nice to him and takes him to her house for a cup of coffee, but subsequent events are a blur for the unfortunate Alex who finds himself, contrary to his nature, running from the police.

etectives investigate the murder of a roustabout at a once prosperous travelling carnival. Notes: Art Director Les Binns was asked to find a circus to be used for location shots in this episode. Discovering that all local circuses were on tour in other parts of the country, Binns set about building a carnival. In three days Homicide had its own 'Big Top', complete with animals, merry-go-round, ferris wheel and side-show alley.

B.J. Bolt, head of a U.S. organisation visiting Australia for a Government deal, is murdered - which has repercussions throughout the business world. A rival firm also interested in the contract uses a bugging device to obtain opposition plans. Investigations take the Homicide squad to a luxurious penthouse suite, where Det. Redford is reunited with Veronica Coates, now Bolt's public relations officer. Redford and Coates previously had a relationship in Vietnam, when he was a second Lieutenant in Saigon.

Homicide detectives have to cope with a group of unruly girls at a mission following an apparently unmotivated bashing.

Pet shop proprietor Jack West is intimidated by a killer after he witnesses a murder. Because he values his life, West refuses to help police. Detectives also find 'Skinny' Jones reluctant to help after an attempt has been made on his life. The killer is 'Drummy' Taylor, a hard case without emotions, but very cunning. He is violent, and kills without a qualm. He evades capture by terrorising those who can incriminate him - but he meets his match in Sen. Det. Kelly. Notes: Originally scheduled in Melbourne for 5/2/74, the timeslot was exchanged with ep. 411, 'A Crime Against Nature', to allow the latter to be brought forward for screening in a special 9:00 PM timeslot.