How could an Ouija board influence a murder trial | Forensic Files

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during the winter of 1993 the Melbourne suburb of Frankston was terrorized by a vicious serial killer named Paul Daniel
three decades later Danielle has applied for parole to coincide with Daniel's bid for parole
casefile presents is launching a long-form series about the case as a reminder that Danya must never be
released researched written and hosted by award-winning crime writer Vicky betrayedus the Frankston murders podcast
uncovers new material and new victims stalked by Danya in the lead-up to the killings
all 11 episodes of the Frankston murders are available to listen to right now be
sure to follow the Frankston murders wherever you get your podcasts stay tuned until the end of today's
episode to hear the trailer and be sure to follow the Frankston murders wherever
you get your podcasts [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for
confidential support please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on
our website foreign on the morning of Wednesday February 10 1993 A call came through to the United
Kingdom's emergency service helpline 999. when the operator answered they were met
with squeals followed by muffled talking it was a child playing a joke or calling
by mistake the operator asked is Mummy there they could hear someone walking around a
room on the other line while seemingly opening and closing drawers and cupboards
this continued for six minutes the operator then noted in their system child on the line and ended the call
although protocol dictated that these types of calls be put through to the police nothing further was done
[Music] foreign [Music] foreign on the morning of Wednesday February 10 1993 Barbara Johnson picked up the phone
and dialed the familiar number of her daughter's home line she listened with growing frustration as
she was once again met with the engaged signal Barbara waited a few minutes before
trying again it was still engaged Barbara was starting to get worried she was incredibly close with her
daughter 27 year old Nicola Fuller and the two spoke almost to daily but Barbara hadn't heard from Nicola
since Sunday she'd been trying to reach her since 8 45 am but almost half an hour had passed
and she still couldn't get through at 9 15 Barbara tried Nicola at work instead Nicola was employed part-time as a sales
assistant at a shopping center not far from her home in the British Market town of wadhurst in East Sussex
but Barbara was informed that Nicola hadn't come in Barbara tried not to worry but she
instinctively knew that something was wrong it simply wasn't like Nicola to go three
days without getting in touch with her parents Nicola's home phone remained engaged all
day by the afternoon her parents decided to stop by her home to see what was going
on Nicola lived with her husband Harry on woodhurst's High Street the newlyweds had recently rented a
black men's Cottage a semi-detached three-story home nestled on a retail strip among a row of centuries-old
buildings it was a Charming old residence painted stark white with a black roof and small front garden the front windows
overlooked the historic Main Street and surrounding shops guests were welcomed with a plaque
adorned with two owls it was a quintessential English cottage in a quintessential English village with
a population of only a few thousand people at the rear of Blackman's Cottage was a
large car park that serviced the shops and adjacent High School both Nikola and Harry's cars were there
Barbara Johnson and her husband Michael peered through the back door of the cottage
their daughter's bag and car keys were sitting on a nearby table they knocked but there was no answer
concern washed over the Johnsons they called the police and requested someone conduct a welfare check
officers arrived at just before 6 pm Nicola's parents followed police to the front of the home
everything appeared eerily quiet the curtains were drawn and the front door was locked
[Music] police had no choice but to break it down [Music] inside everything appeared to be in
place there were no signs of a break-in or a struggle but as officers made their way from the
front Lounge room to the kitchen they noticed something sticking out from the doorway of an adjoining utility room
a pair of legs in the utility room 45 year old Harry Fuller was sprawled on the floor in a
pool of blood his body had been propped up against the washing machine his face covered by a
leather coat he'd been fatally shot in the back a single bullet puncturing his heart
police made their way upstairs on the first floor Landing a trail of blood LED them past the Fallen coffee
cup and ashtray into Harry into Nicola's bedroom a blood-soaked quilt lay on the floor
underneath was the body of Nicola Fuller she'd been shot four times once in the shoulder and three times in the face
Nicola's parents were quickly ushered outside they couldn't believe what was happening
it all felt completely surreal as though they were watching a film Nicola and Harry had only been married
for five months they'd met in June the previous year and immediately hit it off it was an unusual pairing Harry was 18
years older than Nicola and the polar opposite of her personality while Nicola was extremely reserved and
quiet Harry was boisterous and charismatic she preferred to fly under the radar while Harry enjoyed flaunting the Finer
Things in life he worked as a car dealer and loved showing off his expensive Rolls-Royce
and Range Rover but the pair brought out the best in one another and quickly fell in love
within two months of being introduced they were engaged their wedding was a modest affair
they tied the knot at a local registry office in the town of Tunbridge Wells before having their Union blessed by a
reverend at Saint Mark's Church Nicola's family were concerned about how quickly things progressed but Nicola was
adamant Not only was she ready to settle down she was incredibly happy with Harry
his zest for life was contagious and he'd helped bring Nicola out of her shell Nicola's parents saw the positive
influence Harry had on their daughter he traded her well and was very protective of her
they ultimately welcomed Harry into their family with open arms Blackman's Cottage was cordoned off as
investigators tried to piece together the tragic events that had taken place inside
it was quickly established that the murders had occurred earlier that morning the previous evening of Tuesday February
9 Nicola had gone out to dinner with friends Harry had picked her up at around 11 P.M
none of Nicola's friends had noticed anything unusual about the couple's Behavior
both Nicola and Harry had been in good spirits they'd spoken excitedly about a holiday
in the Canary Islands they had planned for the following week located a few doors down from Blackman's
Cottage was a tobacconist and news agency on the morning of the murders the clerk
recalled that Harry Fuller came in just after 8 30 to purchase cigarettes and a newspaper
Nicola's mother Barbara had first tried calling the Fuller's home at around 8 45
am only to find the line engaged the owners of the tea shop next door to the cottage recalled hearing three or
four louder bangs around 9am but they just thought it was the Fullers banging on the wall to tell them to turn their
radio down investigators therefore deduced that the shootings had taken place sometime
between 8 35 and 9 am Harry had been shot in the kitchen his body then dragged to the nearby utility
room given that he'd been shot in the back and there were no signs of a struggle it
was likely that he'd been targeted first a strange white powder had been sprinkled over his torso
next to Harry was a small plastic baggie containing the same substance Nicola was on the first floor Landing
having a coffee and cigarette when the killer struck she was still in her dressing gown and
holding a towel possibly on her way to the shower based on the forensics investigators
deduced that Nicola was first shot in the shoulder from behind she then turned around to face the
perpetrator only to be shot in the forehead and left cheek these two bullets shuddered her eye and
splintered her skull under jaw still clinging to life Nicola managed to crawl to her bedroom
the killer likely heard movements indicating that Nicola was still alive and returned to the room
they threw a quilt over her head and administered the final fatal gunshot a blood-soaked telephone handset lay
next to Nicola's body indicating that she may have tried to call for help given that no cause had been registered
by Emergency Services it appeared the shooter had killed her before she had the chance
both Harry and Nicola had been shot at close range [Music] a hurtenberger brand cartridge case was
found outside the utility room a ballistic expert determined it had been fired from a 32 Caliber Walther PPK
self-loading pistol other than that the killer Left Behind very few Clues as thou research of the Fuller's home
failed to uncover anything significant nothing had been ransacked or appeared to have been stolen leaving one
investigator to conclude quote whoever killed them did so In Cold Blood hurst's High Street was a busy
thoroughfare that connected the counties of East Sussex and Kent had housed a handful of restaurants two
Banks a butcher and several other retail stores and businesses a high school with over a thousand
students was also tucked to just off the main strip just behind Blackman's Cottage and pupils often milled around
before classes started in the morning yet during The crucial time window between 8 35 and 9 am nobody had
witnessed anything particularly suspicious police established a command center on
High Street and set up a tip line appealing for any witnesses to come forward an investigator told the media
someone out there must have seen these people coming out of this house if we get any inkling of a description that is
really going to help us [Music] based on various witness reports a timeline of events was established
at around 6 30 a.m on the morning of the murders a postal worker had been driving
down High Street when he passed the Blackman's Cottage as usual the road was quiet before the
morning bustle commenced the postman was therefore taken by surprise when a car pulled out in front
of him from behind the Fuller's house it was a blue Ford Escort behind the wheel was a well-built nail
driver aged between 35 and 40 years old the escort continued North up the Main Street until disappearing out of sight
and just over half an hour later at 705 a passerby on High Street saw two tall smartly dressed men get out of a
cream-colored Ford Sierra they walked up The Path towards Blackman's Cottage but no one saw them
leave a woman was passing the rear of the cottage just before 8 AM when she saw a
black vehicle pull into the car park it had a long Bonnet similar to a jaguar a man wearing a long black coat got out
but she didn't see where he went Lloyd's Bank was located on the opposite side of High Street with a security
camera facing towards the Tobacconist the footage confirmed that Harry Fuller entered the tobacconist alone at 8 34 am
leaving just minutes later he didn't appear to have been followed and nothing else suspicious was captured
on the tape however a Jaguar xjs was confirmed to be in the area a schoolgirl walked past the black men's
Cottage at around 9am police that she heard a door slam and someone then bumped into her
when she looked up she saw another man standing by the cottage door based on this and the report of the two
men seen getting out of the Ford Sierra police considered the possibility that there were two killers
however the schoolgirl had been accompanied by a friend who had a different recollection
Shea said these events had occurred on different days rather than simultaneously
[Music] news of the murders shocked the community Not only was wadhurst considered to be a
quiet safe Village locals couldn't believe that a seemingly normal couple could be the targets of such a heinous
crime [Music] although Harry and Nicola were relatively new to the area and mostly
kept to themselves there was nothing about them that raised any red flags that was until police started digging
into Harry's background and another picture emerged entirely Harry Fuller hadn't done very well at
school he was dyslexic which meant he struggled with reading and writing but Harry thrived in other areas
he had the gift of the gab was good with his hands and always recognized a good deal
using these skills to his Advantage he worked in the building and Roofing trade before moving into car dealing
he attended auctions and networked buying used cars he could allowed herself for a profit
the business served him well the only problem was Finding somewhere to store the vehicles
when Blackman's Cottage became available Harry was elated it meant he'd have access to the large
car park at the rear of the property but he seemed to be wary about the move neighbors noticed that he wouldn't open
the front door without looking out the window first and he only opened the door for people he knew
it was possible that he was just being overly cautious most of Harry's business transactions
were done in cash and he wasn't shy about showing it off friends and Associates said Harry didn't
even bother to carry a wallet instead carrying briefcases and bankrolls full of cash
and given the white powder that was scattered over Harry's body the obvious theory was that the murders could have
been drug related investigators considered the possibility that Harry's car dealings were just a
front for an illegal cocaine operation some of his business associates had checkered pasts and one was rumored to
have served prison time for manslaughter even Harry himself had previous run-ins
with the law with prior convictions for dishonesty and burglary some who knew Harry described him as a
con man he was a big talker who liked to exaggerate things particularly when it came to his wealth
former neighbors accused Harry of having conned them out of money by conducting seemingly free repairs to their homes
which he then charged them exorbitantly for Harry had voiced concerns about his past
to a business associate he was worried that there were certain individuals who might feel compelled to
track him down it quickly became clear that Harry was paranoid about something the Fullers had only been living in
black men's cottage for five months but police discovered that Harry had already
changed their phone number three times in that period the most recent just a week before the
murders given there were no signs of a break-in police were convinced that Harry likely
knew his killer and had willingly let them inside the white powder found on Harry's body
was taken for testing it wasn't cocaine at all but sugar with no other evidence to support the
drug Theory it was quickly ruled out but the sugar did provide a clue it meant that whoever had killed the
Fullers had likely premeditated the crime sprinkling the sugar over Harry's body as a red herring
not long before the murders Harry had bought a BMW from another car dealer which he intended to sell
however he discovered that the engine and the license plates had been changed telltale signs that the car was stolen
Harry was indignant he reported the theft to the police which ultimately LED them to uncover a
car ringing operation as a result of the bust some of Harry's business associates lost money
they were not happy the decision to report the theft came back to haunt Harry just five days before he was killed
Harry told an officer that one of his embittered associates Roger Lee suspected that Harry was the snitch and
had started giving him trouble Roger Lee was a car dealer and reputed gangster with a proclivity for violence
and cocaine he was known to carry around a shotgun which he wasn't afraid to threaten
people with he also drove a Jaguar xjs similar to that captured in the Lloyd's Bank
security footage investigators considered the possibility that Roger Lee had gone to the Fuller's
house to seek revenge on Harry they tracked him down to a caravan roughly 20 miles from Whitehurst
Lee was uncooperative and refused to answer any questions he quickly became the number one person
of interest but with no evidence to tie him to the crimes police had no grounds to make an arrest
posters appealing for information were plastered at the car auction sites that Harry frequented but within days of the
murders investigators were considering another angle altogether by all accounts Harry and Nicola had
been happily married but if history was anything to go by some reported that infidelity could be at Play
this wasn't Harry's first marriage he'd only recently gotten divorced and had a three-year-old daughter with his ex-wife
there were also one confirmed reports of a third failed marriage Harry was widely known to be a ladies
man with his head of dark hair traditional good looks and roguish ways many women
found him to be very Charming one friend told today that Harry quote had a finger in every pie going
police couldn't find any evidence that Harry was unfaithful to Nicola on the contrary people noted that he was
incredibly protective of his new wife he took great care of her and put her on a pedestal
he was always buying her gifts and sending her flowers prior to their wedding the couple had
met with a priest Harry told him that he was looking forward to a fresh start with Nicola
[Music] Nicola's family loved Harry but as the skeletons emerged from his closet they
found it difficult not to blame him for what happened to their beloved Nikki they had no doubt that Nicola was
completely unaware of Harry's business dealings and shady past Nicola's Father Michael described his
daughter as an English Rose saying she would never do anything to hurt someone she would have been totally
devastated by all of this police considered whether Harry and Nicola could have been the victims of a
contract killing had a vengeful business associate hired someone to take Harry out and Nicola was
unfortunate enough to be collateral damage or had a scorned a lover sought the ultimate revenge on an Unfaithful
partner the lead investigator told the media the nature of the killings means the
possibility that we are looking at a professional murder cannot be ruled out the killer was certainly ruthless in the
way he executed his crime Harry's family shied away from the media but on February 15 five days after the
murders Nicola's parents Michael and Barbara Johnson appeared at a press conference appealing for anyone with
information to come forward Barbara sobbed quietly as Michael struggled to get out the words
his voice shaking he said whoever killed Harry Nicola was an innocent Witness both families are totally devastated
please come forward and Trust the police I can see no reason why there should be
anything to fear meanwhile police obtained Roger Lee's mobile phone records from the morning of
Wednesday February 10 1993. Dada confirmed he was nowhere near woodhurst at the time
what initially seemed like a promising lead was yet another in a long line of red herrings
Blackman's Cottage became a makeshift Memorial as grieving loved ones and shocked members of the community visited
to place flowers on the doorstep inside the search for Clues continued police were especially interested in
finding where Harry stashed his money Harry had recently gone into business with one of his neighbors
the woman told police that just 10 days before the murders she gave Harry 13 000
pounds in cash a majority of which was in 20 pound notes the plan was simple Harry would use the
money to buy cars which he'd sell the two would then split the prophets down the middle
in the days following this Handover Harry hadn't made any large Bank deposits or significant purchases
it therefore made sense to assume that at least some of the money would be in his house
but police couldn't find any sign of it despite Harry's reputation for flashing briefcases full of money all they found
was a grand total of 210 pounds however the surge did uncover something else of Interest
under a couch in the lounge room police found an old gmark brand answering machine
under another couch was a boots brand answering machine pressing play on the tapes it became
apparent that the Fullers had been recording all of their recent phone calls although no one close to the couple had
any explanation as to why they might be doing this the content of the tapes provided some fascinating insights
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you support casefile to continue to deliver quality content foreign machine contained several conversations
and messages most of which were run-of-the-mill exchanges between friends family and business associates
except one Harry it's Colin the final undated message said I'm going to come around tomorrow and
we're going to have a serious talk about what you did to me tonight I'm pretty pissed off with you and
you're going to pay for it the caller was identified as Colin Gabriel a former car dealing business
partner of Harry Fuller's police tracked Colin down and asked him about the threatening message
Colin explained that roughly three months earlier around November of 1992 he and Harry had a falling out
he said he'd left the message around that time and the two had nothing to do with one another since
although there was nothing to verify when Colin had left the message police didn't find anything else to link him to
the crime and he was deemed an unlikely suspect they hoped a conversation recorded on
the other GMAC answering machine would prove more fruitful the 49 minutes of audio recordings on
this device had all been captured within two days of Harry and Nicola's deaths one conversation had been recorded the
night before while Nikola had been out dining with friends in it Harry sent a jovial and
good-natured as the male caller asked him how he was doing very well indeed Harry responded
couldn't be better the man told Harry that he'd popped over to see him the previous evening at
around seven o'clock the lights were on so he knocked but there was no answer Harry said he'd been at the gym
the two then arranged a meeting for eight o'clock the following morning the man agreed to come to the Fuller's
home Harry responded warmly you're a gentleman don't let me down see you in the morning my darling
the caller was equally cheerful ending the conversation by saying ciao for now although it was a casual seemingly
light-hearted conversation between friends it raised some red flags Harry Fuller wasn't known to be a
morning person so why was he agreeing to such an early morning meeting furthermore if the caller had indeed
visited the Fuller's home at 8am as the pair planned it put him at the scene of the crime within the key time period of
the murders while this didn't necessarily mean the caller was involved it meant they could
be a vital Witness all investigators had to go by was the caller's first name Steve
he was the only caller on the GMAC answering machine who they couldn't identify they began compiling a list of all the
Steves known to Harry Fuller or anyone with that name who may have come into contact with Harry in recent times
given that the Fullers had only changed their phone number the week before the murders it meant only a select few had
been given their latest number but with such a large network of friends acquaintances and Associates the list of
potential Steves soon grew to dozens of individuals police attempted to track down into
question H1 while keeping their knowledge of the recorded phone call was Secret each one denied having any knowledge of
Harry or Nicola's death a ten thousand pound reward for information was announced but still the
mysterious Steve remained silent [Music] the reality was that no matter how beloved Harry Fuller was he also had an
abundance of enemies the various lines of inquiry made it difficult to ascertain which was the
right path while police had no shortage of leads three weeks passed with no major
breakthroughs they sent a letter to every household in wadhurst providing an update on the case
and continuing their appeal for information then one investigating officer had an
idea he picked up the telephone handset that had been found beside Nicola Fuller's
body and pressed the redial button perhaps it would lead them to Steve or to another key person Harry or Nicola
might have spoken to prior to the crime the answer on the other end of the line surprised him
emergency which service there hadn't been any record of an emergency 999 call being placed from
Blackman's Cottage neither police nor paramedics had been summoned to the property on the morning
that Harry and Nicola were killed investigators now realized that Nicola might have succeeded in calling for help
after all they obtained a recording of the calls that had come through to 999 on
Wednesday February 10 1993. at 8 34 am a Corps was placed from Blackman's Cottage
the caller didn't speak and only made squealing sounds down the receiver the answering Emergency Services
operator interpreted these sounds to be that of a child playing around and to disconnected the call
police realized the muffled cries had actually been Nicola Fuller The Gunshot to her head that had
shattered her jaw had also severed her tongue she was trying to ask the operator for
help but was unable to speak clearly it was while she had the operator on the line that the killer placed a quilt over
Nicola's head and administered the final fatal gunshot unaware the call had gone through the
killer continued walking around to the house opening and closing drawers when Nicola's family found out about
this they were shattered the woodhurst police station was roughly 200 yards from Blackman's Cottage
if Nicholas Cole had been patched through they believed she could have been saved or at the very least the
killer could have been caught in the act Nicola's parents met with British Telecom the company responsible for
handling the calls demanding an explanation and public apology the request was denied
by April 1993 two months had passed since the double homicide and police were no closer to making an arrest
they decided it was time to reveal their full hand a segment about the case was aired on
crime watch a popular BBC television program that created reconstructions of major unsolved crimes
in it police released an edited audio clip of Harry Fuller talking to the elusive Steve with Steve's name cut out
[Music] a detective who worked on the case told viewers it's absolutely crucial that we find
this man we haven't found him and he hasn't come forward there may be some reason for that but we
really need to find him and I'd ask anybody that's listening tonight who either recognizes his voice or thinks
they recognize his voice to please make contact with us alternatively if the man concerned is
listening and he himself wants to contact us to eliminate him then please do contact us
a woman named Sheila was watching the segment at home she thought she recognized that the
voice as her brother-in-law Steve Young but she couldn't be sure Sheila decided to sleep on it
the next day she called Steve Young and asked if he had spoken to Harry Fuller on the night before the murders
Steve said no Sheila was baffled The Voice had sounded so much like him she urged her brother-in-law to contact
the police anyway just to eliminate himself from the investigation Steve Young was Harry's insurance broker
the two had known each other since the early 80s but had lost touch over the years they'd only recently run into each
other again and started a business relationship about two weeks into the Fuller murder
inquiry police had questioned Steve Young as part of the routine probe into Harry's business dealings
Steve said their relationship was purely professional they didn't have a friendship outside of work
they'd last spoken about five days before the murders when Harry called Steve to discuss a cover note that was
about to expire Steve claimed he was in his office on the morning of Wednesday February 10
1993 and that his secretary could verify his whereabouts there was nothing about him that aroused
police suspicions so he wasn't looked into any further but Sheila wasn't the only one who
recognized The Voice around at the same time an anonymous male called the police tip line stating
the voice is Steve Young [Music] two days after the crime watch episode aired two officers were dispatched to
interview Steve Young at his office before they had the chance they were called back
young had just walked into the Sussex police station and identified himself as the caller on the tape
he'd also handed police a two-page statement in which he admitted that he'd initially lied to the interviewing
officers young explained that one of his clients had a Porsche they wanted to sell
he told Harry Fuller about it and he was interested in checking it out on the evening of Tuesday February 9
young called Harry to arrange an inspection for 8 am the following day as young made his way towardhurst the
next morning he was unexpectedly held up by Road works by the time he arrived at Blackman's
Cottage it was around 20 past eight the curtains were drawn so he assumed the Fullers were still asleep
young said he knocked on the door but there was no answer he walked down High Street to waste some
time before returning to Blackman's Cottage at around 8 40 AM the curtains were still drawn and again
his knocks went unanswered Steve Young was adamant he hadn't seen or heard anything suspicious at the
property when he found out that Harry and Nicola had been murdered he was shocked
he claimed to have contacted the police to see if they wanted to question him but his core was never returned so he
just assumed his statement wasn't of any interest by the time police visited him as part
of their routine questioning he'd heard about Harry's Shady business dealings young claimed he lied about his
whereabouts on the day of the murders because he was afraid for his own safety for investigators there was nothing
about Steve Young that raised any red flags aged in his mid-30s the married father
of two was a well-educated law-abiding citizen with no criminal record by all accounts he was a doting husband
and supportive parent a pillar of the community he helped to run his sons under 11 football team and
was enthusiastically involved in the local drama club just a few months earlier he'd stole on
the show with his comedic acting skills during The Village's Christmas pantomime
he was respected by the community and clients alike still it was hard to comprehend why he
had an approach to the police straight away the officer who questioned young early
on in the investigation had denoted him as relaxed and normal with nothing in his demeanor arousing any suspicion
they couldn't help but wonder if he had something to hide Steve Young agreed to be formally
interviewed he admitted that he probably wouldn't have come forward if the recording of
his call with Harry hadn't been aired on crime watch given that he hadn't seen anything that
could help with the investigation he simply didn't want to be involved in any way
when asked whether he had access to any Firearms young said he was the treasurer
of a local Rifle Club he owned several guns Each of which were legally licensed a shotgun a revolver
and three pistols none of them were 32 caliber pistols the type used in the Fuller murders
even though they had no evidence to link him to the crime police suspected Steve
Young knew more than he was letting on they placed him under arrest while further investigation was conducted
treading carefully with young in a bid to keep him talking police looked into Steve Young's
movements on Wednesday February 10. after leaving Blackman's Cottage it was a typical working day for the insurance
broker he had some meetings spoke with some business associates and chatted on the
phone with his wife in the evening he attended a meeting at the Freemasons Lodge where he was a
member he'd been his normal self nobody had noticed anything strange about his behavior
a warrant was obtained to search Young's Home and Office while he'd already admitted to being a
gun enthusiast who was legally Licensed To Own multiple weapons police were shocked at what they found
in addition to the Firearms young had already disclosed they found deactivated grenade launches bayonets replica
submachine guns combat gear masks and even fake number plates one of the illegal guns a loaded nine
millimeter automatic pistol had been stashed underneath the bed of one of Young's children
the search also uncovered thousands of rounds of ammunition when the collection of Arsenal was laid
out it filled the size of a squash cord while this was deeply troubling one weapon was notably absent a 32 caliber
pistol [Music] young had already told police that he topped up his ammunition supplier by
reloading this is a common practice used by gun enthusiasts to save money instead of purchasing mass-produced
ammunition one can collect empty cases and to then assemble the individual components including gunpowder primers
and bullet heads police found Young's reloading machine the markings on his reloaded ammunition
was compared to the ammunition recovered from Blackman's Cottage they looked remarkably similar
when the police asked young what car he drove to Blackman's Cottage he was oddly
cagey he yummed and awed before saying it was probably his white Volkswagen Golf
the police looked for the car at Young's Home and Office it wasn't there they asked him where it was and he said
he'd recently taken it to a mechanic to have some work done [Music] police tracked the golf down only to
discover that young had only taken it in the day after the segment about the fullest murders had aired on crime watch
a mobile telephone inside the vehicle was confirmed to have made a call to the Fuller's home at 8 10 on the morning of
the murders although the Volkswagen Golf was a popular model Young's vehicle was unique
looking with distinct modifications including alloy wheels this made it easy for investigators to
differentiate it from other white cars when reviewing the security footage taken from Lloyd's Bank
they focused on the times that Steve Young claimed to have arrived and departed from the area 8 20 and 8 40 AM
but there was no sign of the Gulf they viewed the footage captured earlier and later than the times young had given
sure enough they found the car he'd been caught in yet another lie [Music] with the circumstantial evidence
mounting against Steve Young the biggest question was why would he want to kill Harry and Nicola Fuller
he had no known grudges with either of them nor was there anything to suggest any kind of romantic involvement
in fact he barely knew them police asked young about his financial situation he responded it was pretty tight
this soon proved to be a major understatement Steve Young was deep in debt he'd inherited his home from his father
but had since taken out several mortgages which had overdue payments his insurance brokerage was trading
insolvently and hadn't turned a profit in eight years instead of using his clients money to
pay their insurance premiums young was using it to pay off his own debts with no funds left over to pay the
insurance companies his brokerage was under threat of being shut down his financial situation was deemed
critical all up young owed over one hundred thousand pounds to multiple friends family members and businesses
the provincial insurance company was one such business young owed them thirteen and a half
thousand pounds in backdated premiums police discovered that just two days before Harry and Nicola were killed a
representative from provincial had called Young he said he'd be coming to Young's office
on Wednesday February 10 to collect the outstanding debt if he didn't pay up they'd no longer do
business with him the appointment went ahead as planned young handed over a check for six
thousand pounds which cleared with no problems police discovered that young kept a
detailed record of all the people he borrowed money from there was no record of him having
borrowed a large sum of money before this meeting this raised the obvious question
where did he get his money from a check of Steve Young's bank records confirmed that he deposited 6 000 pounds
into his business account on the morning of Wednesday February 10. just after Harry and Nicola were killed
the deposit was made in 20 pound notes just like the unaccounted for payment that Harry Fuller had received from his
neighbor young had also paid off an outstanding phone bill of 360 pounds the police asked young where he got this
cash from he explained that a friend had elected to him two years ago and he'd been
hanging on to it in case of an emergency meanwhile an officer searching Young's office found a single 32 Caliber
hurtenberger Bullard a ballistics expert examined it and determined it had been shot from a
Walther PPK self-loading pistol the same as the gun used to kill Harry and Nicola Fuller
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when pressed young maintained his innocence he explained that he'd once reloaded
some 32 caliber ammunition for another member of his gun club but had never owned such a weapon himself
it was no use he'd been caught in too many lies Steve Young was formally charged with
the double murder of Harry and Nicola Fuller police dubbed him the Iceman for the way
he was able to go about his life immediately after the crimes as though nothing had happened
Harry and Nicholas families were stunned young lived just down the road from Harry's brother Tom and they sometimes
ran into each other at the local pub he couldn't believe that such an apparently
normal person could commit such a heinous crime to Nicola's family young was a complete
stranger her sister Michelle told crime watch I found it hard to believe that their
insurance broker would have access to guns let alone that he would commit such a crime
it didn't seem to fit the character or the sort of person you assume an assurance broker to be
but then what is a murderer like what job do they do in the first week of May three months
after they were killed Harry and Nicola were laid to rest in separate ceremonies
their funerals suited their personalities Harry's a large event and Nicola's modest and private
Nicola's funeral took place the day after Harry's at the same church where the pair's marriage had been blessed to
just eight months prior the presiding Reverend told the Canton Sussex Courier you cannot make sense of a nonsense like
this it is hard to do anything other than stand together in sorrow and sadness Steve Young's trial for the double
murder commenced in late February 1994 in just over a year after Harry and Nicola were killed
the prosecution's case was relatively straightforward while the evidence against young was
circumstantial they said his dire financial situation gave him motivation to Target Harry Fuller who was known to
carry large sums of cash by setting up a meeting with Harry about his client's Porsche he established an
explanation for his presence at Blackman's Cottage he's access to Firearms gave him the
means to carry out the crime while the discovery of similar bullets to those used in the murders proved a link
he's changing stories and the lies he told to police were further proof of his guilt
Nicola Fuller was a victim of collateral damage young had shot her purely to avoid her
identifying him as her husband's killer the defense disputed this entirely if Young's sole motive was financial
gain there were plenty of other people who could have targeted Harry Fuller for this same reason
what about his other enemies and scorned business associates and if all young wanted was a quick cash
grab why not break in and Rob Blackman's Cottage when nobody was home if Nicola wasn't a Target why didn't he
organize to meet Harry at a different location or when he was alone the courtroom was tense as Steve Young
took the stand in his own defense in an unexpected twist he provided a brand new account of the events that
unfolded on the morning of February 10. for the first time young gave an explanation for the 8 10 AM phone call
between himself and Harry Fuller he claimed that he called Harry upon his arrival to black man's Cottage because
the curtains were all drawn and there was no response when he knocked on the door
the call apparently woke Harry up Harry told young to give him some time so young waited in his car
a short while later he noticed that a curtain had been opened he knocked again but still there was no response
he walked to the rear of the property in case Harry had decided to wait for him in the car park
when he got there he saw that the back door was slightly open young looked inside and saw Harry lying
on the ground he rushed inside and felt for a pulse but there wasn't one at first he assumed Harry had a heart
attack but he then noticed blood was coming from Harry's head a cartridge case was lying nearby
from his experience with guns young said he recognized it as being from a 32 caliber bullet
for the first time young admitted that he had once owned a replica 32 Walther PPK pistol
he said he'd purchased it from a Chinese mail order five years prior but had since sold it to someone else
Harry Fuller young claimed that in the months before Harry was killed he and another man
approached a young at his office asking if he could help Harry purchase a gun for protection
young sold him the Walther PPK along with some of his reloaded ammunition young said that upon realizing Harry was
dead he panicked he immediately fled outside looking back at the house he saw an
unfamiliar face of a boarding male in the upstairs window young dialed 999 but then paused
Harry Fuller had been killed by the very weapon that young had sold him illegally
fearing that he'd be incorrectly linked to the crime or that his life would be in danger for being a witness he made
the difficult decision to keep what he saw to himself in the week's following young said that
an anonymous male called his office multiple times making threats against him and his family
his fear was so immense that he was compelled to lie and put on a facade of calm when questioned by the police
the defense presented the possibility that another of Harry's enemies had entered Blackman's Cottage that morning
perhaps Harry had drawn his gun on the assailant who managed to take hold of the weapon themselves and then used it
to kill the couple the prosecution disputed this had someone gone to the Fuller's home
with the intention to kill Common Sense dictated that they would have brought their own weapon
also Harry had been shot from behind at close range it was unlikely he would have turned his
back while a gun was being aimed at him Young's story about selling Harry his Walther PPK along with some of his
reloaded ammunition also seemed suspiciously convenient he'd only mentioned this after becoming
aware of the fact that 32 caliber ammo had been uncovered in his office after four weeks of testimony the jury
deliberated overnight before delivering its verdict for the murders of Harry and Nicola
Fuller Steve Young was founded guilty and given two life sentences a motion in the courtroom was mixed
some of the victim's loved ones cheered while Young's wife broke down in tears although Nicholas family were relieved
her father told reporters the verdict doesn't change things for us at all we can't bring Nikki back but this does
take an evil person off the streets Harry into Nicola's loved ones could finally begin the healing process
but for one member of the jury the nightmare was just beginning for weeks after the trial 24 year old
Jura Adrian lay awake at night plagued with a secret something had happened during the trial
that didn't sit well with him he was torn did he Cape it to himself or did others
have the right to know the truth Adrian deliberated internally before eventually seeking legal advice
most solicitors didn't want to get involved likely because it was illegal to repeat anything that jurors told them
but as the weeks went by Adrian could no longer live with the knowledge of what had happened behind closed doors
the night before Steve Young's verdict was delivered the 12-member jury had been sequestered to a hotel to
deliberate this is standard practice in many countries it ensures that jurors have
minimal access to the outside world thus preventing exposure to external influences or information while they
reach a decision it had been a long four weeks for the jurors not only were they conflicted as to
whether or not Steve Young was telling the truth they'd also had to sit through the six minute recording of Nicola
Fuller's thwarted attempt to call for help it took an emotional toll once the jurors were in the hotel they
sat down over dinner and had a few drinks to try and unwind the atmosphere quickly became more
relaxed people joked around and engaged in casual conversation lifting the mood considerably
an entertaining conversation arose about seances and who among them had participated in one before
as Seance is a meeting in which people attempt to communicate with the spirit world
the concept of contacting the dad has been around for centuries it wasn't until the late 1800s that the very first
device was sold to facilitate communication between the living and the deceased known as a Ouija board the device
consists of a flat board displaying all the letters of the alphabet the numbers zero through nine and the words yes no
and goodbye at the bottom is a small heart-shaped plank known as the planchette to use a Ouija board two or more people
gather round the board gently placing their hands on the planchette they then ask questions and watch as the
planchette moves around the board spelling out messages from the other side the Ouija board is a controversial
device some view it as a valuable means to communicate with the spirit world While
others believe it's a satanic tool that can open menacing portals into the unknown
scientists believe the so-called messages received on a Ouija board are simply the result of the user's
subconscious to Skeptics the planchette isn't moved across the board by a spiritual being
but by the users themselves whatever the truth most people tend to agree on one thing
Ouija boards are not to be messed with the group of jurors laughed and shared stories about their experience with
seances before retiring to their rooms for the 11pm curfew Adrian was feeling quite Tipsy and went
straight to bed but a small group one man and three women weren't ready to call it a night
intrigued by the conversation about seances they gathered in one of their hotel rooms and decided to hold one of
their own they fashioned their very own Ouija board out of paper using a wine glass as
the planchette the foursome then sat around to the board each of them placing their fingers
on the base of the glass they asked if there were any Spirits present the answer was yes
the group asked the spirit to identify themselves the planchette moved across the board
from letter to letter finally spelling out the name Harry Fuller the group grew tense
the designated leader asked who killed you they watched in silence as the wine glass slid across the board eventually
spelling out the words Steven young did it the later asked what they should do the response
though to guilty tomorrow for some of the women it became too much they started to cry thinking they'd
taken things way too far the Seance ended and the group retreated to their respective rooms tormented by
what they'd done the next morning Adrian heard them discussing it over breakfast
he couldn't believe they'd actually gone through with it at first he thought it was funny
but when Steve Young was declared guilty later that day Adrian wondered whether a
miscarriage of Justice had been served four weeks after the trial Adrian couldn't live with the knowledge anymore
he wrote an anonymous letter to the Crown Court detailing the Antics at the hotel and requesting that Steve Young's
conviction be quashed shortly after he approached the news of the world tabloid and gave them the full
exclusive story saying this is someone's life we're dealing with I was astonished that these grown-up
people had played at this child's game [Music] News of the World published the story
under the headline Boo's dirty jokes and the Ouija board it quickly became a media sensation
a jury is expected to reach a verdict based on the facts presented at trial not on potentially unreliable external
information being swayed by external influence or attempting to acquire further Evidence
was potentially a criminal offense Adrian's allegations were therefore treated with utmost seriousness
a full investigation was launched to determine whether those who held the Seance had attempted to pervert the
course of Justice the four jury members insisted that the decision to use the Ouija board had been
nothing more than a poor decision fueled by alcohol despite some of their emotional
reactions they each viewed the whole thing as a joke and were adamant that the answers given by the so-called
Spirit had nothing to do with their decision to convict Steve Young it took six months of questioning and
deliberations before the court declared that while the jury had misbehaved nothing criminal had occurred
Steve Young's legal team appealed his conviction based in part on the jury's misbehavior and to the court agreed
a ray trial was ordered the Court's opinion provoked some fascinating discussions for the legal
community law professor Gary slapper discussed the issue in the Times newspaper saying
supposed the jurors in the hotel had sought advice from their God through prayer would such a course of action
invalidate their decision they would after all be Consulting something non-corporeal and something
other than the evidence in the case the Divine and superstitious oracles both rely on the faith of the juror
will the court of appeal be able to argue that Consulting a God for guidance is permissible but that Consulting any
other non-corporeal entity is not allowed Harry and Nicola's families were eager
to put the trauma of the trial behind them and move on with their lives when they heard that Young's conviction
was overturned they were guarded Harry's family couldn't believe that a man proven guilty in court could get a
retrial on what they viewed as such a quote silly silly thing Nicola's family didn't think they could
get through it a second time around they were Furious that the media had latched on to The Sensational Ouija
board story saying that the jurors had made a complete mockery of their daughter's death
the retrial of Steve Young for the murders of Harry and Nicola Fuller went ahead eight months later in front of a
brand new jury for three weeks Harry and Nicola's loved ones had to endure the harrowing
evidence for a second time but once again the jury unanimously found Steve Young guilty for both
murders the judge called him a cold-blooded killer who had committed the crimes for
his own personal gain before serving him with two life sentences when asked if you had anything to say
young simply stated I'm innocent my Lord outside Court Harry's brother Tom told reporters
Steven young is an animal who should be put down I would like to see hanging brought back for people like him
you can hardly explain what it has been like for both families to go through this ordeal
it's like someone having their hand in your guts and slowly pulling them out some struggle to comprehend that an
upstanding family man like Steve Young could be compelled to commit such a callous crime no matter his motivation
theories remained that he wasn't the only one at the Fuller's house on February 10 1993.
there was still the matter of the witnesses who had reported seeing two mysterious men approaching Blackman's
Cottage on the morning of the murders although these sightings were never confirmed it fueled ongoing speculation
that Steve Young could have been working with one of Harry Fuller's enemies either by force or out of financial
desperation given Young's access to Firearms he's clean criminal record and his rapport
with Harry Young arguably made a desirable partner for someone who wanted to cause more harm to Harry than simply
taking his money it was even theorized that young could have agreed to help set up the meeting
not knowing what was about to transpire [Music] but no evidence was ever uncovered to
support this and no one else was ever charged in relation to the crime the trial of Steve Young has made
history as one of the high profile examples of Juror misbehavior decades later the behavior of the jurors
is still questioned Harry Fuller's brother Tom felt the original jurors should be punished for
what they did saying we all went through months more Agony because of them detective Graham Hill who worked on the
Fuller murder investigation told the ABC this is making an absolute mockery and it's the most serious type of trial you
can ever have there is no element of humor in it at all there's no frivolity in it at all
and yet those four members of the jury made it into a laughing stock [Music] University of Melbourne law professor
Jeremy Gans wrote a book centered around the case titled the Ouija board jurors mystery mischief and misery in the jury
system in it he explores other cases of jury misconduct concluding that there was
nothing exceptional about the Ouija board jurors other than the Tabloid media attention
against disputes the general perception that the jurors were making a mockery of
the Fuller case and treating the hotel sequestering as a party instead he points out that they had to
sit through disturbing evidence including the failed 999 call from Nicola which would have been incredibly
traumatic Professor Gans told the ABC whatever was going on in that hotel room probably wasn't good times for the jury
but perhaps something else coping with what they were hearing gan's book also provided a revelation
in 2004 Young's new defense team hired a forensic audiologist to analyze the six-minute recording of the 999 Corps
placed by Nicola Fuller they determined that after Nicola was killed footsteps of two different people
could be heard rummaging around a black man's Cottage whispering to one another while The Whispers were unintelligible
one word was clear here the stress of Nicola's death and the ongoing litigation took an enormous toll
on the health of her parents Barbara and Michael who were both aged in their mid-50s
within a two-year period of the legal proceedings Barbara suffered from a heart attack and Michael from a serious
stroke they missed Nikola remently Small Things served as daily reminders from her favorite songs to the way she
always burst in any patch of sun she could find Barbara told crime watch when I sit out there in my garden in the
sunshine I think I can see her there in the lounger Nicola's sister Michelle looked after
her parents while also trying to manage her own grief [Music] she was haunted by nightmares of her
sister's final moments telling crimewatch that the thought of Nicola crawling to the phone for help that
never came kept her awake night after night Michelle said at least 100 times a day I want to pick
up the phone to Nikki or I think I must tell Nikki that but I don't accept that she's not there
I have to accept that one day I'll see her I get through each day on the strength
that one day I'll be able to ask her how she is [Music] [Music] [Music] in June 1993 Elizabeth Stevens 18 was
murdered on her way home from the bus stop her death began a seven-week reign of terror for the people of Frankston I
remember thinking like how can it happen to someone that's fought so hard to get
away and have a good life a serial killer was on the loose no one was safe not young mother Debbie frame 22 taken
on a trip to the shops nor Natalie Russell 17 murdered on her way home from school then two detectives came in and
they just said to Brian and myself can we go somewhere pride and we went into the bedroom and I said I'm sorry to tell
you it's Natalie the serial killer Paul Daniel was captured and sentenced to life in prison on appeal he was granted
a 30-year minimum sentence and I guess I saw her in his face that yeah I'm smiling you sort of thing he was praying
of what he had done fast forward 30 years and adenya has applied for parole award-winning crime writer Vicky
petratus was on patrol with police the night the final murder took place as a true crime author I found myself right
in the heart of Frankston doing ride-alongs with the local police when the murders were happening she wrote the
best-selling book The Frankston murders which has never been out of print Vicky has Revisited the case in a long-form
podcast to remind the world why Daniel must never be released Dania isn't just dangerous where young women are
concerned he is dangerous to all women babies school girls friends strangers older women everyone the Frankston
murders podcast uncovers new material and new victims stalked by Dania in the lead up to the killings the woman
policeman turned to me and said you should take a ticket in tax as much as to say I was the luckiest person around
Vicki interviews prison guards police officers family members and people caught in the periphery of a serial
killer he has not learned his lesson he has not changed he has not become remorseful he has not repented or even
apologized a scale of one to ten I'd easily put him as a 20. it's that far off the scale
the Frankston murders is the latest podcast from casefile presents available now wherever you get your podcasts
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Case 241: Harry & Nicola Fuller On February 10 1993, East Sussex police were summoned to conduct a welfare check at the Wadhurst cottage of newlyweds, Harry and Nicola Fuller. What they found inside left the tight-knit community in shock.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

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Brief Summary

The episode details the 1993 double murder of Harry and Nicola Fuller and the subsequent trial of Steve Young, who was convicted twice.

Key points

The Frankston Murders Podcast. A long-form series about the Frankston murders, reminding us Danya must never be released.
Murder of Nicola and Harry Fuller. A quiet village is shaken by the brutal murders of newlyweds Nicola and Harry Fuller.
The Innocent Witness. Michael Johnson describes his daughter Nicola as an innocent witness to the crime.
Emergency Call Gone Wrong. A muffled emergency call reveals Nicola's desperate attempt to seek help before her death.
The Search for Steve. Police appeal for information about a mysterious caller named Steve, linked to the case.
Steve Young's Confession. Steve Young admits to lying about his whereabouts on the day of the murders.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It all felt completely surreal as though they were watching a film.

8:18WatchApr 4, 2023

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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