The Tragic Investigation into Lucille Butterworth's Murder | Australian Crime Stories | TCC

In 1969, 20-year-old Lucille Butterworth disappeared from a bus stop in Tasmania. At first police thought the Miss Tasmania aspirant had run away to the mainland, and it would be weeks before they officially started a murder investigation. Seven years later, Geoffrey Charles Hunt was arrested and questioned over the rape and murder of a 24-year-old woman from Hobart, a crime he would ultimately serve 22 years in prison for.
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[@flej01]

I can't understand how anyone can do this, how can you want sex enough to kill someone for it? That cop was an absolute a-hole, wtf? His arrogance in wanting someone else to be guilty so he could be right. People like him should never be in uniform. How horrific for Lucille's family. R.I.P Lucille.

[@mariafarrugia1192]

I LOVE YOU COMMENT AND IM SURE LUCILLE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT...THANKYOU

[@KristinaUSA-x5n]

Balfour Beatty

[@Tumbleweed4545]

Interrogations are brutal for a reason! In the end they didn't get him to confess cuz he didn't do it so quit worrying about it.

[@delilahhart4398]

Hunt confessed to the murder in plain English, but Aub Canning was so fixated on Lonergan that he disregarded it. If it weren't for Canning, there would have been justice for Lucille Butterworth and her family.

[@elizabethmountain525]

I hope this Canning creature can sleep at night.

[@delilahhart4398]

@@elizabethmountain525 I'm pretty sure he's dead now, since he was quite old when the events took place.

[@karllarsen8797]

If Lucille's body was dumped by her killer in the Derwent river, is it too late now for police divers to search for her skeleton in the Derwent river?

[@delilahhart4398]

@@karllarsen8797 I don't know. If he weighed the body down, and the weight hasn't been displaced somehow, maybe at least some bone fragments would remain.

[@williamelliott]

Just think. If the police had done their job and took his confession seriously the lady he killed after her would still be alive. The police are responsible for 2 murders in my opinion.

[@countdowntorevolution9986]

Mystifies me how Hunt could be released after the first crime he committed.

[@suzannehudgins4016]

One might consider that Canning and Hunt’s father were friends. It was stated that Mr. Hunt had friends in high places. Perhaps he had some information on Canning that made it possible to get him to exclude his son. Either way, it is disgusting that the Butterworth family and poor Lucille will never get any justice.

[@AbolitionistSocietyofTampa]

That is most likely what was going on with Canning. He made a backdoor deal with Hunt's father.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Pure ego on behalf of the original inspector.

[@delilahhart4398]

During the interview, Hunt makes his denials and always looks down as he's doing it.

[@AxxinTheSupernova]

I just noticed that. The same thing. He looks down, then doesn't look up until the last words of the sentence. Cannot maintain eye contact at all through the whole lie.

[@gingerstoudt6978]

The police chief Kenny unfortunately caused so many of the problems with this case being unresolved. It's tragic for Lucille's parents and brothers. Geoffrey Hunt feels like a victim, so he wants others to be victims too.

[@helengormlie966]

It’s wasn’t the stupidity of the police. It was one man’s ego involved.

[@crow_poem6369]

A terrible case of police incompetence.

[@bonniephelps9481]

When a case is spoiled early on (as this one was) and many years are allowed to pass it’s almost impossible to get a conviction. I think that Lucille’s brothers have made an extraordinary effort to have this man prosecuted. However at this point I think they have to be satisfied that they did their best by their sister and try to pretend that the 26 years he spent in prison for murdering the other girl will stand for Lucille too. He will live a miserable tortured existence until he too passes away and God will sort out the punishment.

[@pattykelly6621]

Didn't do anything about the murders but he'll sort out the punishment? Great. We expect more from mere mortals

[@dianet2702]

Right ! His time to pay will come,no doubt. In the end ,human justice is most of the times a joke.

[@drcandor]

Older brother is right when he said something to the affect, he lost faith in the justice system _ The system gave this murderer a 24 year sentence for a murder he confessed to doing when his sentence needed to be for the rest of his life behind bars, imo. . . :>/

[@AnimeShinigami13]

Sadly the cops' tunnel vision has tainted the investigation, possibly beyond fixing. Cops listen to me, you need to be CAREFUL when you investigate. Question everything means question yourself as well. Your actions have consequences far downstream of your career. Make sure you do your job in a way that you have no regrets when you go.

[@cathimummery6873]

Very sad for her parents and brother

[@cotswoldcuckoo]

Not the main point, but has any civil action ever been launched against the Tasmanian police over this? What a tragedy. Poor lady and poor family.

[@donnabritt747]

It sure is sad that he is walking around free. These poor people need justice. It's not rocket science that this guy killed Lucille. I don't think I've ever seen so many people that have confessed to placing a suspect at the scene. We will all be judged by what we do here on earth. That's enough to scare me.

[@funtyes1970]

they really don't have anything on him to put him in prison. and no body never was found.

[@farmor1023]

Shame on the judiciary system 😢

[@missnellaful]

UNIVERSAL JUSTICE WILL STEP IN AND FIX THIS ENTIRE MESS IN UNDER TWO YEARS. It never fails. Great documentary, have faith in nature!

[@janiegreene9708]

This guy already murder one girl the same way and idk y he didn’t get life for that one caus it was brutal and he confessed both times … this is really messed up

[@wendygillard2133]

Absolutely appalling miscarriage of justice by the Police.

[@marksmith7054]

if that had of been my family, I would have had Justice LONG LONG ago.

[@thanos7110]

Yeah, yeah, we know tough guy.😂😂

[@marksmith7054]

@@thanos7110 you don't know SHIT dumb guy

[@funtyes1970]

yeah sure buddy. I love internet tough guys.

[@ronaldparker8326]

Thank god for persistence

[@Ltc92-14]

*GOD

[@paulk1702]

Another excellent upload. Easy to see how Adam could become so emotionally invested: Lucille's family members are/were clearly good, decent, dignified people who deserve justice. Really curious about what the main suspect thinks now after watching this episode [which he no doubt will have done].

[@djf750]

Why was that monster EVER let out of prison after what he did?

[@leeannmansfield5254]

Brilliant story...Gone in seconds....very sad. My parents told me never to go in any car unless I knew them very well...Best advice ever ....

[@powerplay8355]

She did know him

[@gyrex]

Incredible, heart-wrenching story - thank you so much for bringing it to life. I dearly hope justice is served for this young woman and her family.

[@Opticaldelusionist]

Her little mama made me ugly cry. RIP Lucille

[@Rataja77]

Was canning that fixated on Lonergan or protecting hunt . The question has to be asked especially after going in numerous times after the confession. It was said earlier in the episode the hunts knew people in high places. My bet is one of those people was canning or a politician who put pressure on canning

[@annpeerkat2020]

the bizzare bit is that 5 other officers let him do that....ALONE.

[@k.jlmfharrington3437]

I'm a grieving mother of two children myself 8 😇😢💔 19 😇😢💔 I can't even begin to put into words the pain of losing children 😢😢😢😢😢😢 He's a monster 👺 Lucille was just stunning R. I. P 😇💔

[@traceylowe1576]

This is so sad for everyone 😢

[@AudreyLMcFarland]

To have an officer/police dept to be so focused on one person, to originally consider Lucille a runaway, to ignore the family please - wow, there are so many wrong turns in this case, that Justice will most likely will not happen... at least not in this life.

[@blackie75]

I have nothing against the detectives who most recently interviewed Hunt, as they did the best they could with the methods they learned, but knowing what we know now far more advanced techniques may have been used to trick the man into giving up information. I pray that someone gets the chance to do this at some stage or that further evidence comes to light so the family might get some comfort before they die.

[@beachrose88]

poor little mother

[@carolflynn7933]

Heart breaking 💔 😢

[@delilahhart4398]

Since he talked about cutting a body open and weighing it down in water with a brick, have they considered sending divers to the river?

[@knightrider6473]

I lived in the same street as hunt and his family, not when he was there though, I drove past everyday on the way home to where they were digging and they did have divers. They were there for weeks looking.

[@CK8smallville]

In watching true crime stories, one thing is clear. Australia has the most lenient justice system of the English speaking countries.

[@amyezell4950]

Our justice system is messed up

[@shannongirard4014]

Every country's justice system is a mess in England you have to be real bad to get life sentences alot of murders there get off with a few year sentences now that's disgusting

[@lilid3125]

Yeah, Aus has such light sentences for murderers, rapist, child molesters. Child abusers get a few years here, then let out early.

[@teresasnow-angel5494]

Not messed up===non existent for the victims!!

[@Ltc92-14]

The one’s making these decisions in the “justice” system have the same mindset as the killer.

[@meredithisme3752]

Australian legal system is a joke the judiciary are rotten to the core. Citizen justice for me

[@clifffowler2581]

I understand why the DPP couldn't charge J. Hunt without a signed confession, if only they had a tape recording of the first interview.

[@knightrider6473]

Yet they charged susan neil Fraser, without a body, without a motive, without a murder weapon, and a confession from someone that said they seen who did it, a known criminal in Tasmania from a well known criminal family. And that person's DNA at the crime scene. Tasmania police and the dpp are hopeless.

[@annpeerkat2020]

interesting... so there are never convictions without a signed confession?

[@78twood]

If it was THAT prosecutor’s daughter he would have prosecuted 😡 killers better think about where they are going after they die!!

[@dolinaj1]

Gross misconduct by one cop condemned this case to never being solved, nor justice served.

[@buck9739]

Mrs butterworth was also killed. Her bottle tells the story

[@Mary.Quantum426]

Seems the downunder police (NZ and Australia) back in the day, had tunnel vision --- focus on one person, then try to build the case around them --- don't bother looking for anyone else.

[@delilahhart4398]

Unfortunately, it's not just the cops down there who have been affected by tunnel vision. Google the murder of Heather Bogle, which happened in Ohio.

[@katrinamoore3520]

Let’s face it, less work if you are plain lazy, incompetent and want a quick result. Police who work this way should be locked up for 20 years.

[@lauren9004]

What a tragic case and what an injustice

[@cathybassett6432]

Absurd ridiculous incompetence by the cops. How awful for Lucille's family the cops let a murderer go free.

[@johnrandolph6121]

How could a 20 year old be a runaway? Or does that term mean something different in Australia?

[@katewest]

I'm mad on justice system! She was so beautiful, rest in peace beautiful soul😞

[@chemikalaraja1971]

Fantastic documentary. Great tribute to the great Lucille soul. Now everyone know who killed her, but cannot prove it. One time police got chance but it was wasted just because of a police officer's ego. This video should be a lesson for all police training in all countries. What the inmates of a jail told about Hunt is perfectly correct, my instinct clearly telling it. My request to Hunt is Mr Hunt where ever you are, please go to the police and confess it. Otherwise God will not pardon you. My salutes to the brothers of Lucille for their great concern still after so many years. This is what we need right now in this world of artificial intelligence.

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous Australian lass. Very very sad. This man sincerely hopes Justice will come....

[@katherinecollins4685]

Very sad

[@helengormlie966]

Why didn’t John Fitzgerald drive her backwards and forward from her home ?? What sort of bloke was he??

[@frahn1702]

Good point

[@annpeerkat2020]

"A bloke" living in the world in the 1960s?

[@rosyjacob5038]

She was so beautiful!

[@tonypurkiss6022]

Hi Adam, this is the second case of gross miscarriage of justice that I know of which involves the Tasmanian police and DPP. The other one is the Sue Neil Fraser case where she was wrongly convicted of murder in 2009 for killing her husband Bob. After 13 years in jail she was released on parole in October 2022 and still maintains her innocence. She still has 10 years before her sentence is complete. Her full case is revealed on the podcast called who killed Bob along with mini TV shows that all prove that she could not have murdered her husband on board their yacht. Once again the Tasmanian police and the DPP all focused on her as the person who killed her husband and would not look into other suspects even though the DNA showed there was others. What is it with the Tasmanian authorities that get fixated on one line of inquiry and will not pursue other options when the facts prove it to be the case. These two cases cry out for an independent inquiry into the Tasmanian authorities and their gross miscarriage of justice in both cases. I hope you look into it and maybe do a Docco on it. Cheers from Newcastle Australia.

[@RedheadLondon]

Dad told her not to drive! Joke! If she was in her car she might still be alive. He must have had to live with this terrible thought all this life.

[@germaineboatwala-sidhva1079]

Why don't they use a psychic to help find the remains? They're very good in such cases.

[@annpeerkat2020]

Your great body of evidence would include....which cases?

[@crystaldawn2736]

🥺🥺🥺🥺

[@Angela410R]

What a miscarriage of Justice Detective Inspector Canning I can only hope he never received one penny any type of pension after all he's failed to do his job on so many levels. This one family served many years of Injustice, as a mother I cannot imagine what his mother and father went through day-to-day year-to-year not knowing where this daughter was it is despicable anyone could do this to a family let alone a mother and father and brother. One can only assume this is not the only case or family the he failed miserably to do his job. It appears that he had a one-track mind I don't believe I would be too far off and thinking that this would be the only case this happens with. My heart truly bleeds for this MOTHER and FATHER not just for the Lost Years but the tears the moments without her the nights that they could not sleep...such a miscarriage of Justice. This detective was supposed to do his job and did the opposite turning his face the other direction one can only wonder if he had children of his own. What action would he have taken had it been his own child? My heart breaks for this family!

[@beachrose88]

tooo many evil evil men in the world

[@bradleyscott49]

R.I.P Lucile

[@thatomofolo452]

😱🙀

[@beachrose88]

bless DNA TESTS NOW

[@beachrose88]

why. DO. COPS FAIL US SO BAD .ALLLL THE TIME. THEY SCREWUP, SCREW UP CRIME SCENES AND FAIL

[@TheTexasmick]

Gorgeous woman.

[@mariafarrugia1192]

Don't worry justice will be served...AND THOSE WHO COVERUP TRUTH ON CRIMINALS WILL BE JUDGED...

[@beachrose88]

psychopaths are calm

[@mrliberty8468]

Mrs. Butterworth....?

[@Tumbleweed4545]

DNA??

[@melvinnclarissamartin3866]

So they're gonna trust 3 different prisoners that could have made up the story just because they were in jail with the guy just so they could get out of prison on good terms. There's guys that confess to certain murders all the time and yet they're perfectly innocent they're are been known to be false confessions and yet they've ended up in jail for many years because they gave up and gave in to the cops interrogation after many hours of being stuck and yelled at. I'm not saying that hes not guilty but I'm not saying that he is either especially when they don't have enough evidence to prove that he actually did anything wrong. How do they know that he didn't lend his car to a friend or to Maybe one of his family members the night that she disappeared. And how do they know that there wasn't more than one of those cars at that time with the same color they don't know that for a fact that somebody else didn't have the same exact car in the area or could have been traveling through the area with the same exact car. There just is not enough evidence to put this guy behind bars in all honesty it's all complete hearsay.

[@annpeerkat2020]

It sounds like you're threshing about to find reasons why Hunt is innocent. I understand that it's beyond doubt that hunt worked for the fiancee's family in the shop. It appears that hunt strenuously denied owning or driving the vehicle discussed in the video.... so the question how did we know he didn't lend the car to someone fall pretty flat!. Hunt isn't suggesting that he lent the car to someone. To flatly deny things that are clearly true creates great doubt about someone's credibility. Proof of a crime requires beyond reasonable doubt. How many trails of fact do you reckon should be ignored, to create reasonable doubt? "In all honesty it's all complete hearsay" is bullshit... perhaps you know that, perhaps you don't. When a person is prepared to testify in court about things they directly know from their own experience.... that's called a witness giving evidence.... not hearsay. It's not hearsay that hunt drove the car around that time, that he knew the victim, that he told prisoners about killing the victim, that he made a confession, that a car matching the description picked up the victim from the bus stop.... and on and on and on. In summary melvinn... you're either not very smart, or playing smart talking crap. If it's the first, you shouldn't be talking crap about something like this. If it's the second... you are a despicable person who hopefully will sink to the bottom of the pond of life soon.

[@reginamcaulay1038]

Another failure

[@gushutchinson8758]

A stunning looking young woman... Not saying its alright to kill uglies.

[@jasminejones9937]

It's not "right" to kill anyone.. period ! 🤒

[@schrisdellopoulos9244]

That cop is overly dramatic isn't he? Seems he enjoys the fame this case gave him. Cops are peculiar.

[@julieannewalters4600]

Assumptions, you have no clue what it’s like for police who deal with these situations and it it’s imprinted on they’re souls for ever

[@rahowherox1177]

Indeed. Most serial killers try to join the police or military... Some succeed... Power trippers seek jobs with perceived power.

[@nicoletheunissen7077]

🤍of men are cold in the last days🖤,turn NOW.Jesus Do Come back⚠️,wake up‼.for what is the deal if you gane the whole world but still lose your own soul⁉️

[@littlemoneyful]

Stop clasping your hands in front aussies , and hunching back… 😊

[@shannondominguez9725]

What does that have to do with anything?? This story about a woman who had her life horribly ripped away from her not about posture or how someone is clasping their hands that’s just silly 🙈

[@Little_Aussie_20]

@@shannondominguez9725 so people are just morons.. Pick up on the way. People are standing, not a comment about a murder victim who should be the focus.. Silly cow must think we all stand like that ✌️💖

[@annpeerkat2020]

You are a sad example of intelligence from......what country?

[@thegrandcanyonisegypt2489]

this is all kinds of f**d up, why was she out late at night catching busses to see a man not her husband in 1969, & why was a former rappy cop driving women in taxi cabs, this is #1 reason i stopped riding in them, the criminals r never even on media radar. The guy should have picked her up

[@charlesabernathy2252]

The inmates are lying. No man is going to tell another inmate about his murdering a woman. Inmate "snitch" to get less time or out of prison.

[@vovEmanations]

Um, several cases had been solved because the criminal has bragged to his inmates abhor his crimes and they've alerted the authorities. Especially crimes against children. It's very common the want to brag so they seem more tough to their inmates.

[@charlesabernathy2252]

@@vovEmanations Wonder they did kill him in jail. In some prisons in the United States, inmates murder pedophiles and warn you against talking about your mother. All men love mothers, they told me in one at seventeen years old. I spent over a decade in prison. I never heard an inmate bragging about murdering a woman. That's obnoxious and disgusting. I don't see how they stood for it.

[@manda.watching.YouTube]

@@charlesabernathy2252 how they stood for it is probably because not everyone in prison or jail is a murder. Plenty of people talk about that stuff without fear of being killed. Not even all pedophiles are killed.

[@thanos7110]

You'd be surprised how much ppl talk behind bars. I've heard many guys tell their crimes without being convicted when talking about it. Shits absolutely crazy but they do it.

[@k.jlmfharrington3437]

Strongly Disagree !!

[@IamaproudChristian22]

Jesus is coming back. Have faith in Him and His death, confess your a sinner and repent to be saved.

[@ericephemetherson3964]

Evil Lucille died.

[@mountainman4859]

Why was she evil?

[@ericephemetherson3964]

@@mountainman4859 All women are evil. Didn't you know that?

[@mountainman4859]

@@ericephemetherson3964 …Of course I do. But not at that age. It’s usually after marriage brings it out.

[@ericephemetherson3964]

@@mountainman4859 They are evil from birth throughout their lives till death.

[@mountainman4859]

@@ericephemetherson3964 ….nah. They all start out innocent and pure. It’s learned behavior. Truth be told, most men are pretty evil too. Humanity has never been a 50s musical.

[@kefelonia1]

Sad, so very very,sad.