Paul McKinnon murder: Cold case detectives investigate new forensic leads in 1990 unsolved murder

Police hope cutting-edge forensic tests will lead to a breakthrough in the unsolved murder of a former RAAF servicemen more than 30 years ago. Paul McKinnon was stabbed to death in a Perth CBD carpark in November 1990 and his killer has never been found. But The West Australian can reveal cold case detectives are now actively chasing up new leads in the case. Police are carrying out new DNA and other forensic tests linked to the case. It is understood tests are being done on some of the clothing Mr McKinnon wore the day he was murdered. Police have acted after receiving information from the public, although the exact nature of that information is being kept a closely guarded secret by investigators. Detective Superintendent Rohan Ingles, of the special crime squad, confirmed this week his officers were working on the case in the hope it could lead to a long-awaited breakthrough. “The investigation into the death of Paul McKinnon remains a priority,” Det-Supt Ingles said. “We do not give up and will continue to explore cutting-edge forensic techniques with a view to identifying the person or persons responsible for Paul’s death.” A 2016 cold case review prompted a full-scale re-investigation into Mr McKinnon’s murder codenamed Operation Suhail. This led police back to some original witnesses, who in turn provided more detailed information about the case. But while the fresh probe unearthed several new leads — including the fact that Mr McKinnon was last seen speaking to someone wearing a hooded green field jacket — the case remained unsolved. Mr McKinnon, who was just 22 when he died, was originally from Sydney and joined the RAAF as an instrument fitter where he was based in Queensland. In 1988, he suffered an aneurysm and needed surgery. While undergoing the surgery, he had a stroke that resulted in his right arm being paralysed. The surgery also left him with an unsteady gait when he walked. Mr McKinnon was discharged from the RAAF in 1989 and went travelling around Australia. He eventually found his way to Perth where he lived with a couple in Padbury. On the morning of his death — November 14, 1990 — he got a bus into the city. At 1.30pm, he was spotted sitting on a kerb of the 14th level of a Pier Street carpark. He was sitting near another person in a green jacket, who has never been identified. Twelve minutes later, Mr McKinnon was found dead by a security guard. He had suffered multiple stab wounds. At the time of the murder, Detective Sergeant Ron Carey — who headed up the original investigation — said Mr McKinnon’s killer must have been “very angry”. “It is difficult to understand why he would die like this. Someone was very angry,” Det-Sgt Carey said. “We are looking at someone who was affected by drugs, amphetamines in particular, someone who was really hyped up.” In a statement given to The West last year, Mr McKinnon’s uncle, John O’Shannessy, said he often thought about his nephew and who may have been responsible for killing him. “I think of Paul ... and periodically view some photos of him, especially when he was living with us and just after leaving school, when he joined the RAAF,” Mr O’Shannessy said. “Initially, immediately after his death I was angry and wanted to see his perpetrator/s caught and tried accordingly. “But now, after so many years have passed, I’m not that concerned about why they did this, but simply satisfied that they would now be punished for their crime, as they should be.” The 2016 cold case review found that on the day he was murdered, Mr McKinnon acquired a white plastic shopping bag in the Perth CBD, the contents of which are not known. It also confirmed that his Drum tobacco pouch and a tin, which he always carried with him, were missing when his body was discovered. “It was quite a violent attack,” Detective Senior Sergeant Phillip Ward told The West in 2019. “The investigators have been tenacious over all these years and we are not giving up on it. We want to get some closure for his family.” Mr McKinnon’s murder was one of 64 suspected homicides to be allocated a $1 million reward last year, following a joint announcement by the WA Government and WA Police. CRIME STOPPERS 1800 333 000