Two young girls were sexually assaulted and killed on a beach after going door-to-door in the days leading up to Halloween. Patricia Leedie, 9, and Leanne Oliver, 10, were seeking to earn some money. While Oliver’s parents attended a Sunday barbecue, the girls decided to do some door-knocking.
The girls were accustomed to doing odd jobs for cash, having previously offered to help neighbors in exchange for money. However, on October 29, 1995, they did not return home. Last seen around 3 pm that day, they were reported missing by 7 pm, leading to a large search effort that continued overnight and resumed at dawn.
Alby Oliver, Leanne’s father, discovered the girls’ bodies the next morning, approximately 12 hours after they went missing. Their bodies were found in the sand dunes at Warana Beach, showing signs of sexual assault according to post-mortem examinations conducted by authorities.
A wallet belonging to Paul Stephen Osborne, a 27-year-old laborer with a history of sexual assault, was found near the girls’ bodies. Osborne had been at the same barbecue as Leanne’s parents before heading to the beach. He was interviewed and charged with the murders on the night the girls were found.
Osborne later admitted to the charges and was sentenced to two life terms for the murders and two 18-year terms for the rapes. The community of Warana, north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, continues to grapple with the impact of this heinous crime. Osborne was recently denied parole and remains incarcerated.
Despite being eligible for parole in 2020, Osborne’s request was rejected, with parole not being an option until at least May 22, 2032. The seriousness of his crimes and the danger he poses to society were emphasized by Queensland Parole Board president Michael Byrne. Justice Glen Williams also stated that Osborne should never be released due to the nature of his offenses.