The brutal rape and murder of Anita Cobby, a 26-year old nurse, shook the nation in 1986. The horrific crime became one of Australia’s most notorious cases, and it still holds a place in the collective memory of Australians nearly 35 years after it occurred. The case was so heinous that it spawned heated debates about capital punishment, a cause for which Cobby’s father actively advocated.
But despite the nation’s fascination with the case, the details of the autopsy report remained shrouded in secrecy for years. Until recently, that is. In 2019, the NSW State Archives and Records released the autopsy report, detailing the full extent of Anita Cobby’s injuries. The release of the report prompts us to revisit the case, examine the evidence and consider the science involved, and ultimately ask ourselves what the findings reveal about the criminal justice system and about ourselves.
The gruesome details of Anita Cobby’s rape and murder are well-known. She was kidnapped on February 2, 1986, after leaving a friend’s house in Blacktown, a suburb in western Sydney. A group of five men — Michael Murdoch, John Travers, Leslie Murphy, Michael Murphy, and Gary Murphy — abducted her and drove her to a secluded paddock where they took turns raping, torturing, and eventually killing her. Cobby’s body was found two days later in a nearby field. She had been brutally beaten, and her throat had been cut.
One of the most harrowing parts of the autopsy report is the description of Cobby’s injuries. The report outlines the extent of the violence inflicted on her. Her face and skull had been so badly beaten that she would have lost consciousness quickly. She had over thirty penetrating stab wounds to her torso, abdomen, and genitalia. Her neck had been cut so deeply that her spinal cord had been severed. The report also noted that her clothing had been cut away with scissors.
In addition to the physical injuries, the report reveals some important details about the timing and circumstances of Cobby’s death. According to the report, it was likely that Cobby was still alive when her throat was cut, as evidenced by the presence of air in her lungs. This means that she would have been conscious and aware of what was happening to her when she was killed. The report also indicates that she had been raped repeatedly, which would have caused severe pain and trauma.
The release of the autopsy report provides important forensic evidence for the case. It allows us to reconstruct the sequence of events and draw conclusions about what happened to Anita Cobby in the hours leading up to her death. But beyond that, it raises important questions about our legal system and the value we place on justice.
The trial of the five men who kidnapped, raped, and murdered Anita Cobby lasted over six months and was one of the most expensive and high-profile cases in Australian history. All five men were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. The case led to calls for the reintroduction of the death penalty, which had been abolished in Australia in 1985. The public outrage over the crime and the severity of the sentence highlights the importance we place on justice and punishment.
Yet, despite the harsh sentence, some argue that justice was not served in Anita Cobby’s case. For one, the crime had a deep and lasting impact on her family, who were left without a daughter, sister, and friend. In addition, some argue that the sentence does not bring true closure or justice to the victim, and that the system doesn’t always work as it should.
Moreover, while it can be comforting to believe that justice is always served in such heinous crimes, the sad reality is that this is not always the case. While the high-profile nature of cases like Anita Cobby’s often result in long sentences, similar crimes committed by the less affluent or less well-connected often result in lighter sentences or plea deals. This highlights the structural inequalities within the justice system that often go unaddressed.
The tragedy of Anita Cobby’s case will always haunt Australia, but the release of the autopsy report provides an important opportunity to reflect on what the crime says about our society and our legal system. As a society, we must ask ourselves what kind of justice we want and what kind of society we want to live in. The truth may set us free, but it is up to us to create the kind of society that upholds justice, equality, and the rule of law.
