The Case Of Australia's Berrima Axe Murderer Online Trivia | People

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1. On February 19, 1841, Hugh Tinney was on his way to Sydney with his team of bullocks. Tinney stopped near the Ironstone Bridge, which is just outside of Berrima. He noticed a dingo scavenging near a pile of brush, and he becamed intrigued. When he chased the dingo away, Tinney discovered the body of a man. What was the name of this man?

Answer: Kearns Landregan

On February 19, 1841, the body of Kearns Landregan was found by Hugh Tinney. When Tinney inspected the body, he noticed that Landregan's head was smashed in, obviously by a heavy blunt instrument. When Tinney fetched the police, they discovered, from evidence found on his body that he was Kearns Landregan.

It seems that Kearns was last seen in the company of a farmer named Dunleavy two nights before his body was found. The police also found out that Landregan worked on a farm owned by John Dunleavy.

It seems that Dunleavy was an alias for John Lynch, who was arrested on February 21, 1841, and charged with Landregan's murder.

2. In 1835, a man travelling with a young Aboriginal boy was murdered. Lynch and this man were friends, but Lynch decided to kill his friend so he could make off with items that they both had stolen. What is the name of the man who was killed?

Answer: Ireland

In 1835, Ireland was travelling with a young Aboriginal boy when he met up with John Lynch. Lynch and Ireland had stolen some items from area residents, but Lynch became greedy. He wanted the items for himself, so he coerced the Aboriginal boy to help him murder Ireland. Then, without warning, he murdered the boy. According to Lynch's own words, both victims dropped like a log of wood.

3. While Lynch was on Razorback Mountain, he became friendly with a father and son. Unbeknownst to them, Lynch was planning on killing them. What was the last name of the father and son?

Answer: Frazer

Lynch became friends with the Frazers, a father and son who were travelling to Berrima. Upon meeting the Frazers, Lynch began to think about killing them and stealing their team. The Frazers and Lynch travelled to Cordeaux Flat, where they spent the night. The next morning, Lynch murdered the father and son. They never knew what hit them.

4. A few days later, Lynch came upon a farm, which was owned by Mrs. Mulligan. Lynch demanded the money that her husband owed him. How many dollars did her husband owe him?

Answer: 30

Lynch demanded $30 from Mrs. Mulligan. Lynch said that the money was owed to him because he risked his life robbing people to get the items that he gave her husband. Thankfully for Mrs. Mulligan, Lynch decided to leave and go to the local hotel to await her husband's return.

5. That same night, Lynch walked to the Black Horse Hotel in Berrima to clear his head. After drinking some rum he wandered back to the Mulligan farm, and came upon Mr. and Mrs. Mulligan. Mr. Mulligan told Lynch to be careful and responsible about the amount of money he was asking for. Lynch walked away and sat down on a log, deep in thought. He then lured the Mulligan's son towards him, and killed him. What was the name of the son?

Answer: Johnny

Lynch lured young Johnny into the woods. He told the boy that they were going to cut some wood for his mother. When Lynch and Johnny entered the woods, Lynch attacked Johnny and killed him. His skull was crushed by a blunt object.

6. When Lynch returned to the Mulligan's farm, he was met by Mr. and Mrs. Mulligan. They wanted to know where their son was, and Lynch said that the boy was still in the woods. Mrs. Mulligan demanded that Lynch shoot his gun to alert anyone within earshot that something was totally wrong. Lynch walked back to the woods with one of the Mulligans, and murdered one of them in the woods. Which one did he kill?

Answer: Mr. Mulligan

Lynch had Mr. Mulligan walk in front of him, and when they got into the woods, he attacked Mr. Mulligan with the axe, killing him. On his return to the farm, Lynch also killed Mrs. Mulligan and their teenage daughter. He then brought all the bodies into the brush and burned them.

7. True or False: Lynch assumed the identity of Mr. Mulligan and tried to sell the farm?

Answer: True

After murdering the Mulligan family and setting the corpses on fire, Lynch assumed the identity of Mr. Mulligan. He placed an ad in the Sydney Gazette stating he was selling the farm because his wife had left him, and that he wasn't going to pay the farm's debt.

Then Lynch made up a new identity, that of John Dunleavy. According to the records, Dunleavy had bought the farm. But in reality it was John Lynch.

8. On February 21, 1841, Lynch was apprehended by the police. What name did he give the police when he was arrested?

Answer: John Dunleavy

Lynch told the police that he was John Dunleavy, not John Lynch. But the police didn't buy that for a moment. Lynch was convicted of murder a few months later.

9. In all, how many people did Lynch kill?

Answer: 9

John Lynch murdered nine unsuspecting people. For every murder, Lynch felt he had God's blessing, and he also felt that this was the reason why it took him so long to be caught.

10. When was Lynch put to death?

Answer: April 22, 1842

John Lynch, Australia's most famous serial killer, was hung on April 22, 1842 at Berrima Jail. All information can be found at www.crimelibrary.com and 'Australia's Serial Killers' by Paul B. Kidd.

Source: Author DakotaNorth

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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The Case Of Australia's Berrima Axe Murderer Quiz

This quiz is about Australia's most prolific individual serial killer, John Lynch. If you know the story or want to learn about this man, please enter.

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