Retrospect: The Newcastle beach murders// Alex Rees and Ray Hill

On a warm summer's night in January 1970, two lovers were brutally killed as they parked at a beach in Newcastle, Australia. At the time police came up with two motives for the murders. Was this crime committed by a sexual deviant, prowling the beach that night for a likely victim? Or was it personal, and a crime born of jealousy and resentment? The case remains unsolved and in the years that followed, there were no similar crimes that pointed to a serial killer. The murders of Alex Rees and Raymond Hill are however reminiscent of an American murderer who had been wreaking havoc in California, in the 2 years prior to 1970. Could Australia have potentially had its own copycat Zodiac killer?