In the suspected gay hate crime from 1993 involving Crispin Dye, former manager of the Australian rock band AC/DC, a new person of interest has emerged. Dye, aged 41, was discovered in a Darlinghurst street with significant head injuries, succumbing to them two days later on Christmas Day. The incident transpired after a night out with friends on Oxford Street.
Regrettably, Dye’s clothes, stained with blood, remained unexamined forensically until 2023. Directed by the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes, recent testing connected DNA on Dye’s jeans to DNA from another crime scene. This DNA was linked to a man implicated in a 2002 burglary in Glenwood, Sydney. Identified as “NP252” by the inquiry, the individual had a comprehensive criminal history, which included arrests for assaults in 1993 and 1994.
Unfortunately, this lead reached a dead-end as NP252 had died in 2002. Counsel assisting, Meg O’Brien, highlighted the regrettable delay in forensic testing, noting potential leads lost due to time.
Further forensic examination of Dye’s attire found multiple hairs and two concealed pieces of paper. While a partial DNA profile was derived from one hair, it did not match any in the national database. Moreover, the two papers—one a Post-it note bearing the name “Garry Hook” and the other showing a blood stain—were shockingly overlooked in previous examinations by officers and investigation teams. The papers’ potential value as a DNA or fingerprint source was emphasized by Ms. O’Brien.
Mr. Hook, mentioned on the Post-it, testified about his association with Dye earlier in March. Surprisingly, he had been unaware of the note until contacted by the inquiry and had never been approached by the police.
Although robbery was considered the main motive, primarily because Dye’s wallet was absent at the scene, O’Brien postulates that this crime may also have been motivated by hate. The belief in the exclusive robbery motive might have limited comprehensive investigations, a concerning observation voiced by O’Brien.
