Over five weeks in 1986, a couple in a quiet Perth suburb abducted five women. Only one survived to tell police what happened.
David and Catherine Birnie were an Australian couple convicted of murdering four women and attempting to murder a fifth at their home in Willagee, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, in 1986. The case became known as the Moorhouse murders, after the street where they lived.
Who They Were
David Birnie was born in 1951 and grew up in a troubled household marked by neglect. He met Catherine Harrison as a teenager, and the two had an on-and-off relationship for years before reuniting as adults in 1985, after Catherine left her husband and children to move in with David.
The Murders
Between October and November 1986, the Birnies lured, abducted, or offered rides to five women and girls, aged 15 to 31, bringing them to their home on Moorhouse Street, where four were sexually assaulted and killed: Mary Neilson, 22; Susannah Candy, 15; Noelene Patterson, 31; and Denise Brown, 21. Their bodies were buried in bushland outside the city.
The Survivor
On November 9, 1986, the Birnies abducted 17-year-old Kate Moir. Unlike the previous victims, Moir managed to escape the following day after David left for work, jumping from a bedroom window and running to a nearby business for help. Though police initially found her account difficult to believe, her detailed description of the house and its contents led them to the Birnies' address within hours. David subsequently confessed and led police to the location of the buried victims.
Trial and Sentencing
David Birnie pleaded guilty to the four murders and was sentenced in 1987 to life imprisonment, the first sentence of its kind in Western Australia. The sentencing judge specifically praised Kate Moir's composure and quick thinking, saying it had ended the couple's ongoing pattern of assault and murder. Catherine Birnie was tried separately, argued she had acted under coercion, and was convicted regardless, with the judge finding her equally culpable.
What Happened Since
David Birnie died by suicide in prison in October 2005. Catherine Birnie remains incarcerated; in 2009, Western Australia's Attorney-General determined she would never be released, making her one of only a small number of Australian women to receive that designation. Her parole applications have been repeatedly denied.
Kate Moir has continued to publicly advocate for victims and has campaigned against automatic periodic parole reviews for offenders like Catherine Birnie. The case has been the subject of multiple books, documentaries, and podcasts, and is widely believed to have influenced the 2016 Australian film "Hounds of Love."
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people did the Birnies kill?
They were convicted of murdering four women; a fifth intended victim, Kate Moir, escaped and survived.
Is Catherine Birnie still in prison?
Yes. Australian authorities determined in 2009 that she would never be released, and her subsequent parole applications have been denied.
Is David Birnie still alive?
No. He died by suicide in prison in 2005.
What happened to Kate Moir, the survivor?
She has become a public advocate for crime victims and has campaigned for changes to Western Australia's parole review laws.