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NSW Police via Reuters
New South Wales state police officers escort Malcolm Naden after he was captured near Gloucester, about 137 miles north of Sydney. The photo was blurred by police before it was released to the media.
Australia's most-wanted fugitive, Malcolm Naden, has been captured after spending seven years surviving in rugged bushland by killing and eating animals such as kangaroos.
The 38-year-old outlaw, whose evasion of a massive police dragnet has made him a figure of legend, was finally snared in a raid in the early hours of Friday local time, the BBC reported.
The former slaughterhouse worker was wanted for the murder of 24-year-old Kristy Scholes, who was found strangled in his locked bedroom in the New South Wales town of Dubbo in 2005. He also faced two counts of sexual assault against a 15-year-old-girl and the shooting of a police officer who closed in on one of his makeshift camps in December 2011.
Photographs of his capture - near the town of Gloucester in the vast Barrington Tops national park several hours' drive north of Sydney - showed him with a long beard, handcuffed and covered in mud.
He later appeared in a local court with a shaved head, beard and no shoes, where he was refused bail, according to a report in the Newcastle Herald.
The $260,000 (AUS$ 250,000) bounty on Naden's head was reported to be the largest since the hunt for outlawed bushman Ned Kelly in the late 19th century.
Naden broke into isolated homes to gain supplies before returning to almost inaccessible bushland, playing a game of cat and mouse with frustrated police.
NSW Police - AFP - Getty Images
A police file photo showing Malcolm Naden.
He was first spotted on the run in December 2006, when police found evidence he had been living in the animal enclosures in Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, stealing meat and fruit left out for the animals. Police also found carefully butchered kangaroo carcasses, according to a report in the Herald Sun newspaper.
Naden spent so long in the bush that it became difficult for police dogs to pick up his scent.
Fingerprints from house thefts led police to concentrate an area near the 5,000-strong town of Gloucester, but in December he used a stolen semi-automatic weapon to shoot an officer who came close.
New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione described Naden in December 2011 as "a master bushman" and the local conditions "atrocious" with terrain "second to none when it comes to difficulty".
But despite Naden's wildlife skills, it was a police dog named Chuck that eventually brought him down, dragging him to the ground by his leg and biting him in several places.
Simone De Peak / Pool via Getty Images
Chuck the police dog, who assisted in the capture of Malcolm Naden.
"Today Australia's most wanted man was behind bars," Scipione told reporters in Sydney on Friday, according to Reuters.
'Game of patience'
Mick Peet, whose daughter Lateesha Nolan is misssing in a case also linked to Naden, told the Sydney Morning Herald the news of the capture left him in shock.
"I immediately nearly dropped to the floor. I just sort of went all limp," Mr Peet said. "I had so many thoughts in my mind. I didn't know which one to bring out first."
"To get the positive truth about what has happened to my daughter and where she may be, that will relieve a lot of pain that we've got inside us."
He added: "It started getting that way where they started looking at him as a Ned Kelly folk hero ... which made you pretty wild. You just feel for all the families that have been involved in this and I'm just glad that it's come to this day."
"The kids and everyone here [are] jumping around and joyous. It's like we've sort of won lotto or something like that."
Police Assistant Commissioner Carlene York told Australia's ABC News: "This was a game of patience and I am very proud of everyone involved."
The capture also brought relief to local residents who lived in fear of his break-ins.
However, Naden's haunting presence in the region might be missed by some. Gary Daley, a publican at the town's Avon Valley Inn, said the outlaw had "put Gloucester on the map" and beer sales had been increased by up to 20 percent because of police officers in the area and interest in the case.
"We get people in here - from everywhere - coming up to see the town," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson and Reuters contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
First of all the bush seems to be in his face. Secondly, why did they blur the pircture when his name is clearly stated on the news (We know who he is)?
Well ... from the second photo, I think they were trying to spare us an early morning shock.
I'm guessing on this - but I know they blur faces on cop reality shows because cases are still pending. If the case is closed (guilty or innocent), they can show the face.
Australia may have the same type of laws: Pending cases require faces to be blurred out.
no no no , they were trying to hide the nubbs he had to draw back.
Some countries have different laws about showing faces in public before they are convicted, dont know if that is the case here though.
The headline on the home page said "Australia Nabs Fugitive Who Hid in Bush for 7 Years". I couldn't help but think that was a long time to be hiding in a bush! It was only when I came to the main article that I discovered they meant "bushland".
at the time of the photo he was "allegedly" Naden - 2nd photo was after positive ID/Booked into system
By looking at his picture I don't think he ever strayed too far from where he could break in and get what he needs and though he evidently butchered some kangaroos, I'd imagine that he'd still have to cook the meat or be sick so at the same time he must've been, at times, far enough into the bush to have successfully made fires without being seen. Would be somewhat interesting to know how many homes he did break into.... afterall, he's not exactly skinny.
Some people saw America's most wanted as legends because they'd rob the banks that they, along with government, caused the depression and so much else. I don't think that given what this thing has done and continued to do warrants the same classification. It probably survived in the bushland because that's where it really belongs..
Kind of sad that people had made him into some kind of folk hero. He is, after all, most likely a brutal murderer. Good the family has some peace now that he is caught.
I bet he's HOPPING mad now!
Chuck (the dog) better get that $260k reward..or PETA be mad as hell!
If the police over there are any thing like the police in the U.S. they may have blurred his picture to hide the blood.
Nothing more embarrassing than to have kangaroo fur hanging from your teeth! They were sparing him the indignity of it.
living in a zoo enclosure and stealing the food from the animals -you can't make this stuff up. dog deserves some really special treats for catching this evil man.
No wonder the zoo animals are so skinny. The guy obviously doesn't look like he lost any weight since been on the run.
Onejulia, you're absolutely correct. This guys is a murderer and a rapist; not a folk hero material. Nothing for the kids to look up to.
It's disgusting that anyone would revere a rapist and murderer. Folk hero indeed. Shame on them.
Mickey: "the bush" is a perfectly correct term for Australian wilderness. It's also used to describe the terrain in places which are not quite savannah and not completely desert.
Okay folks the first (blurred) picture is of his arrest. The second picture (with the shaved head and nice clothes) is a police file photo taken before he disappeared into the Australian bush.
Berecca,
"Mickey: "the bush" is a perfectly correct term for Australian wilderness"
I guess so, but I thought it sounded kind of funny anyway. Can you imagine hiding for 7 years in a bush? Not much room to move around in there.
I had a neighbor who was constantly lurking in a bush between our yards. Turns out he was peeing and drinking beer and peeing and drinking. Strange guy.
Berecca,
Lol. That's why he was peeing. Drinking beer will do that to you! :)
Mickey, that's what I thought too! As I read it, I thought, "I hope it was at least a big bush."
Um, that's called "hunting."
Good For Chuck the Police Dog! I hope he gave this perp at least one good chomp for each of his victims. Were I down under, I would visit Mr. Gary Daley and have Chuck set up with at least some ale.
The handler should have let the pup eat his fill before dragging this pos away - then again his odor might have been unpalatable.
Another great example of what an asset police canines are to the force. :) Hooray for the furry little officer.
Kudos to Chuck and his human partner. I would have the dog tested for diseases HE might have contracted biting this miscreant.
Glad they caught him. What slime.
Murder of a24 year old and 2 counts of sexual assault of a 15 year old girl? Death sounds like a reasonable punishment!
Maybe, just maybe, we should consider a trial with a conviction before actually putting an accused person to death? ...just sayin.
He shot a policeman and has been in hiding for 7 years. Does that sound like the actions of an innocent man?....just sayin'
Amused is amusing, or just and idiot to say something like that.
Hey amused...would an innocent main hide out in the bushland for 7 years killing and eating wildlife. HUH! WOW...you're comments are "amusing."
Hey guys, easy on Amused.. He's just suggesting due process, which is what a civilized society wants, not the kangaroo court system you favor.
so if someone hides that means they don't have a right to a fair trial? Good thing you guys aren't working in the judicial system. You guys are probably in grade school since you know nothing about the law yet. Regardless of his actions, he is to be assumed innocent until proven guilty.
Give him a fair trial... then hang him!
"kangaroo court" in Australia.,yea that works
Um, sorry to disappoint the blood thirsty, but Australia does not have a death penalty. It was abolished in 1985 with the last execution in 1967.
Give the creep a trial, then lock him up forever with the barest essentials. That is worse than death.
If the kangaroos had to hold court over the murders of their brethren by this person, I'm sure it would be swift.
good doggie.
Hooray for CHUCK, Someone deserves a T-Bone steak and some Beggin Strips for their excellant Police work...............
well I say hang the bastard and hold a trial when its convenient
Again, Australia is a civilzed society and as such does not employ the use of a death penalty.
we've got 8 young ladies who've been killed in our little , little , small , town ; all of these girls knew each other , but for some reason , no one has a clue on who's picked them off, one at a time. it seems we can use these people out here , because of their resolving determination. it's so sad to see those young ladies children growing up alone. no matter how big and tough we get , we all need mom sometimes.
Chuck gets extra milkbones and snausages. I love dogs!!!
so beer sales is more important than a fugitive running loose???
Beer sales are more important than almost anything! Here in the US, despite what alcohol does to the Pine Ridge Indians, 4 small stores just across the border in Nebraska exist for no other reason than to sell beer to the Indians. Alcohol is banned on the reservation, that doesn't stop the nebraskans from making money from the misery.
Beer sales the number one priority?? Maybe thats a clue to what is wrong with this nation...just a thought...
In Australia all the stores close at 5:30pm. Grocery stores 9pm. That's the trade law. But bars and casinos stay open late into the night (2am to 3am-ish). Hmmm.... So you can't shop past 5pm but you can get drunk and gamble the night away.
@Clearlynot - while some pubs and clubs have licences to open as late as 5 am, in most small towns, like the ones Naden lived near, most shut at around midnight, if not much earlier. Furthermore, most shops can stay open quite late. We have several 24 hour grocery stores, and plenty of convenience and specialty stores that stay open quite late. It's customary, especially in small towns, for stores to close early, as Australians tend to value leisure and family time. Furthermore, it's simply not cost effective as most Australians don't shop late at night. Unlike you yanks it seems, we have much better things to do.
They looked for him for 7 years? He must have been hopping from place to place :>)
Not only is kangaroo meat good, and good for you, but you can store leftovers in that handy pouch.
I once tried eating kangaroo . She kicked my front teeth out!
Lol .... so why isn't your handle Sirlispalot?
Now, that's funny guys!
He certainly is one ugly sack of dingo dung.
Yourmomraisedasimpleton.
you guys forgetting biggest crime he committed those poor kangoroos he ate they so cute and he probaly tortured them, raped them since he was alone and then eat them. I hope he gets life for what he did to the kangerroos
Kangaroo meat is sold commercially due to extreme overpopulation. It is exported all over the world. I also heard it is quite tasty, like white tail deer...
Just making an observation about the reference in the story of him eating kangaroo like it in itself was a horrible crime. It is actually encouraged and promoted. Kangaroo's are a huge detriment to the farming industries. And when conditions are favorable, their numbers can swell tremendously.
Where did the Kangaroo rapey scenario come from??? Damn, don't leave KrazyD alone in the bushland with Kangaroo's because he has some weird ass fantasies. I totally forgot about the Nader story, now I think we should do an intervention with KrazyD! No more Kangaroo rape fantasies
Sold everywhere except California, that is. The wise lawgivers there obviously know kangaroo management better than those backwards Australian convict laborers, so no kangaroo products may be sold in, or shipped to California.
Their leather is also used for certian shoes that Adidas makes, too. :) Good stuff.
we've got 8 young ladies who've been killed in our little , little , small , town ; all of these girls knew each other , but for some reason , no one has a clue on who's picked them off, one at a time. it seems we can use these people out here , because of their resolving determination. it's so sad to see those young ladies children growing up alone. no matter how big and tough we get , we all need mom sometimes.
we've got 8 young ladies who've been killed in our little , little , small , town ; all of these girls knew each other , but for some reason , no one has a clue on who's picked them off, one at a time. it seems we can use these people out here , because of their resolving determination. it's so sad to see those young ladies children growing up alone. no matter how big and tough we get , we all need mom sometimes.
Tell us more, please. Town pop. time span ect.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGABLE FEED BACK , AND HEART FELT CONCERN ; I wish there were more smart people with words of knowledge to share on this vine.
why don't you mention the name of your small town? - we would like to read the stories about the case.
republicans or - and tell us what if anything your local law enforcement has done to try to locate these women.
I hope you catch this individual who is preying on young women. What a horrible story. Is any other municipality helping you solve this case? You are dealing with a seriel killer here. Has anyone considered contacting the nearest FBI field office? It is possible he is local but, he may not be and already wanted in another jurisdiction. This creep needs to be caught and stopped NOW.
Is Kangaroo tasty?
tastes like chicken !!
needs garlic....
Unlike other wild game, it doesn't give you the runs. It gives you the jumps. And, it goes well with a beer made from fine hops.
i'm so hoppy... to hear that...
Kangaroo is actually REALLY good. It's not gamey at all. I had it on my honeymoon in Tahiti a few times.
The only side affect is an irresistible urge to hop around.
My kids ordered a pizza with kangaroo meat on it when we were in Sydney a few years back. I nibbled a corner of one piece as I'm not a big fan of exotic meats.....it was ok. Very low fat content and a bit chewy, a bit like moist jerky....someone mentioned deer meat and that's about right. I probably wouldn't order it again but I wouldn't turn it down if I was starving either.
Kangaroo .... the other white meat. Coming soon to IHOP.
Maybe uhop not I.
So if any of you visit California, make sure to go to some of the Chinese restaurants and try the pigeon.
People feed it to their pets mostly. Hardly anyone eats it. Unless you're desperate like this guy.
I thought the part where he was living in the zoo and eating the animals food was the most interesting. I wonder for how long he got away with that one? He deserves the death penalty, he chose to take a life.
You can run but you can't hide forever.
Kudos to law enforcement's relentless pursuit and to Chuck for the final takedown.
Sounds like the kind of animal that needs to be in a cage in the zoo, eating raw meat scraps. But putting him down would probably be the best thing.
NO death penalty in Australia!
To Steve Martin: Yes beer sales are important! even is the US look up Whiteclay,Neb just off the Pine Ridge Rez. but I digress, Sioux trackers coulda had him in a month! if not days! I for one. Just good they got him.
There are some pretty good Aboriginal trackers in Australia - some of them are probably Police or work for them as contractors. I wonder if the Aussies have a helicopter with FLIR surveillance equipment. That would be a good tool to search rough terrain, once they find a camp or a burglary site. It sounds like they have been close, when the officer was shot - story does not give the outcome of that. Did the officer recover? Was it fatal?
He looks Aborigine to me.
Nothing like Roo on a wood fire barbie mate .......all seriousness its good they finally got the dirt bag .
Good doggie!
No really...why the blurred photo? In order to give the impression its the person photographed below?
They had better lock him down very well there would be no way he could get out because he knows how to survive.
The sad thing it took so long to find this horrible person and he is finally out of the woods so he can't sneak out and harm more people.
GOOD another SLUG of SCUM Caught and going to JUSTICE.
They should of kept the CRUMB surrounded like the FRENCH did for HOURS at Toulouse so it is LIKE TORTURE to these SCUMBAGS then they end their own life so we all feel that REAL JUSTICE HAS BEEN handed down by the KILLER THEMSELVES. They will soon crack under real preasure.
I think this is a great TACTIC that we should all learn from the FRENCH. It saves the taxpayer, Justice , Victims Family grief. And it is SELF INFLICTED JUSTICE ( THEIR own GUILT).
I admit it. I had to look up the definition of an abattoir. That made the story even more creepy.
good. let's hope his last 7 years was one of a constant struggle for survival full of pain misery and regret.
and now let's hope his next 30 years are the same.