When 17-year-old Kate Moir went to a police station in 1986 saying she’d been kidnapped and assaulted, 22-year-old Constable Laura Hancock was sent to interview her. She’d never even taken a statement before.
But what some officers initially dismissed as a hysterical teen turned out to be the only survivor of the horrific murder spree of David and Catherine Birnie: the Moorhouse Murderers.
And it was Constable Hancock who convinced the police to listen.
A day earlier, Kate accepted a ride from the Birnies before being abducted at knifepoint. She was taken to their property, the infamous Moorhouse Street address, and repeatedly assaulted. She believed they were going to kill her.
The next morning, when David had gone to work, Catherine forgot to restrain Kate to the bed and left the room. Sensing an opportunity, Kate broke the lock on a window and jumped out, narrowly escaping an attack from David’s dog.
In the interview with Constable Hancock, Kate immediately provided essential details to arresting the Birnies. She remembered that there was a VCR of Rocky and a Dire Straits cassette in the room, and she’d also hidden a drawing she’d made.
But Kate had a more important piece of information: the Birnies’ names. They’d given her aliases, but she saw David’s full name on a medicine bottle.
It was at the mention of David Birnie – who had a significant criminal record already – that the Major Crimes unit took an interest.
Before long both David and Catherine were apprehended, and the full extent of the Moorhouse Murderers’ crimes was revealed when David finally confessed.
Kate and Constable Hancock reunited 30 years later, bonded by their shared experience.
“It was just two young girls saving the world,” Kate said.
To find out more about the Moorhouse Murders, check out this episode of True Crime all the Time.
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