He Told Her to Count to 100… #mr.cruel #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts | Forensic Files

He told her to count to 100 before she moved. In 1987, a masked man broke into a Melbourne home while a family slept.
The dad told police he was woken up at 4:00 a.m. by a man in a balaclava with a knife and a gun standing over him and
his wife in bed. Now, the two of them, they get restrained and they get locked in a
closet, but they are not the only ones in the house. There is also a 7-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, and the
intruder tied the little boy to a bed, and then he took the girl with him, but actually like staying in the house.
Now, he covered her eyes and her mouth with tape, and then he took her into the bathroom,
and he turned on the radio really loud to drown out the noise of him assaulting her.
And afterwards, he had the girl brush her teeth and take a bath before dragging her to the kitchen so he could
eat a snack. And then he assaulted her again. After this second attack, he moved the
girl to another room, binds her feet with nylon rope, and then he told her that the attack was over and he was
going to leave, but that she needed to count to 100 before she untied herself and then went to free her family.
So, she began to count. And she had no idea that the man who attacked her would go on to earn the
name Mr. Cruel.

In 1987, a masked intruder broke into a Melbourne home at 4 a.m.

He restrained the parents, tied up a young boy, and took a 12-year-old girl.

He told her to count to 100 before she moved.

That was the beginning of a case that would terrify Australia for decades — the unidentified predator known as Mr. Cruel.

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Brief Summary

A chilling recount of the 1987 Melbourne home invasion by Mr. Cruel, focusing on the assault of a young girl and its aftermath.

Key points

The Intruder's Terror. In 1987, a masked man invaded a Melbourne home, terrorizing a family while they slept.
The Girl's Ordeal. The intruder assaults a young girl and instructs her to count to 100 before escaping.

Episode highlights

The Girl's OrdealThe intruder assaults a young girl and instructs her to count to 100 before escaping.“Count to 100 before she unties herself.”0:59Mar 10, 2026

Episode quotes

Count to 100 before you move.

A chilling instruction from the intruder.

WatchMar 10, 2026

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