How Did Planes Narrow the Hunt? #mr.cruel #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts | Forensic Files

A 10-year-old girl used airplanes to help hunt a serial predator. When Sharon Wills was kidnapped by the man known as
Mr. Cruel, she did something extraordinary. She tracked time by listening to the radio he left on and
noticing that planes were flying overhead. Later, another victim, Nikki Linus, described hearing between seven and nine
planes while she was being held captive. And that detail was huge. Because planes
don't just fly anywhere. Police mapped flight paths around Melbourne and realized those girls were likely hearing
aircraft either taking off or landing at Tullamarine Airport. Now, that airport is about 35 to 45-minute drive from
where Nikki was abducted, which matched her estimate of how long she was in a car.
So, investigators narrowed the search to neighborhoods directly under specific flight paths.
But, here's the thing. Even under those flight paths, the area was massive. How close could police have come to
zeroing in on the right area?

She tracked time by listening to airplanes.

Flight paths from Tullamarine Airport narrowed the search for Mr. Cruel to specific neighborhoods beneath takeoff and landing routes.

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Brief Summary

A 10-year-old girl used airplane sounds to help police track her kidnapper in Melbourne.

Key points

The Extraordinary Tracking Method. Sharon Wills used planes to track time while kidnapped, showcasing her resilience.
Narrowing the Search. Police mapped flight paths to focus their search for the abducted girls.

Episode highlights

Narrowing the SearchPolice mapped flight paths to focus their search for the abducted girls.“Investigators narrowed the search to neighborhoods directly under specific flight paths.”0:43Mar 14, 2026

Episode quotes

She tracked time by listening to the radio he left on.

Sharon Wills' extraordinary method of tracking time during her captivity.

0:08WatchMar 14, 2026

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