How Did a 10 Year Old Help in the Hunt for Mr. Cruel? #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts #mr.cruel | Forensic Files

A 10-year-old girl may have given police the best clues to catch a serial predator and I have to tell you about
her because she is probably the most aware intelligent 10-year-olds I've ever come across. In 1988, right before
Christmas, a masked man broke into the home of Sharon Wills and her family in Ringwood, a suburb of Melbourne, just
before 5:00 a.m. He unlocked the door by sliding a newspaper under it, knocking a
key that was in the door out and pulling it through under the door to where he was outside, which is just wild. The
intruder ties the mom and dad with copper wire and tells them he just wants money. But when he moves into the next
bedroom where the children are, four girls including Sharon were sleeping there,
it becomes obvious that money is not what he is after at all. After she hears her parents scream,
Sharon pretends to sleep and she continues to pretend to sleep when a dark figure comes into her room.
But then, he calls her by name as though he was targeting Sharon specifically. The intruder blindfolded her, gagged
her, and carried her out of the house to a car he had waiting. But Sharon did something incredible.
While the man drove her away, she took note of the details in the car, the bucket seats and the beige carpet floor.
And then, after driving a bit, they arrived at the man's destination. Wherever it was, Sharon recognized that
it was a quiet neighborhood. It seemed like there was a driveway and it felt like a house.
At one point, Sharon is left alone and she moves her blindfold to see even more. Peach curtains, a peach bed head,
a striped lamp, a tripod. But Sharon doesn't stop there. Sharon tracks her time in the house the
intruder took her to by using the radio he left on and she's even able to identify that she heard planes overhead
during a certain window of time. Now, how do I know all this? Because when the attacker is finally
done with Sharon, he releases her alive. Mr. Cruel wasn't a household name when this happened, so Sharon likely didn't
know that he was who she was dealing with. But that didn't stop her from being aware enough to provide some of
the most vital clues into who Mr. Cruel could be.

In 1988, 10-year-old Sharon Wills was abducted from her home in Ringwood, Australia.

But Sharon did something remarkable. She paid attention.

From the beige carpet in the car… To peach curtains and a striped lamp… To planes flying overhead…

Her observations gave investigators some important clues in the hunt for the predator later known as Mr. Cruel.

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Brief Summary

A 10-year-old girl provides crucial clues to catch serial predator Mr. Cruel after a terrifying home invasion in Melbourne.

Key points

Sharon Wills' Incredible Awareness. A 10-year-old girl provides vital clues to catch a serial predator.
The Intruder's True Intentions. What starts as a robbery quickly reveals darker intentions when children are involved.
Sharon's Escape and Clues. Despite her terrifying ordeal, Sharon's keen observations help in the investigation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

She is probably the most aware intelligent 10-year-olds I've ever come across.

0:06WatchMar 11, 2026

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