A deal with the devil to catch a killer | 60 Minutes Australia

it's late afternoon and after years of intensive searching Sydney's Royal National Park finally gives up its tragic secret police have uncovered the bush grave of 20 year old Matthew Leverson missing for almost a decade [Applause] for the longest time mark and fail Everson have wanted nothing more than to find this son's body but this discovery also brings an irrevocable 'ti they've long dreaded considering that for all these years you wanted to find your son and there he was can you describe that emotion in that moment it's just like a finality it was like I can't describe it was bittersweet I was happy that we kept that promise to him there on the same token it was real it was very very real Matt was found on the 31st of May this year but only because this man Michael Adkins finally admitted to burying him here for nearly 10 years Atkins has done nothing but lie repeatedly denying any knowledge of his boyfriend's disappearance in 2007 are you in any way connected with the disappearance of that Leverson no is there anything else that you wish to say about man in his disappearance no do you know him anything yeah the truth is Atkins knew all along that Matt was dead and buried in a lonely unmarked grave did he give you details on how long he was here how long it took he described it as taking between half an hour to an hour to dig the grave he described it as 2 meters long and metre wide and about 800 millimeters deep and he dug it with the mattock that he purchased from the bunnies he could have ended this it's not meant for us only ten years ago any chose not to he played the gamble he didn't think we're going to keep going wrong mate wrong wrong family you took something so dear so precious so priceless we are what we weren't going to give up we were going to bring our son home mark and Fey have always believed Michael Atkins murdered their son and despite being acquitted of the crime in the court of public opinion he's always been guilty but this way for the first time the coroner's court has heard Michael Atkins side of the story what he says really happened the night Matt died Detective Chief Inspector Garry deublin has led the investigation for the last three years Atkins account is the tire he believed that Dunn met had died of a drug overdose when he woke up in the morning he had slept in the lounge that met or was deceased in the bedroom with Matt dead in their apartment Atkins next move is impossible to comprehend he did nothing he didn't call an ambulance certainly not the police nor Matt's parents instead he did everything to cover up Matt's death why well he claims because he panicked he proffered the the reason for that was that he was ashamed of the fact that Matt was significantly younger than him and that he was possibly responsible for looking after him and that he died whilst he was living with him in in his care care so to speak and his family wasn't aware of the lifestyle he was living in here and he recently came out as a homosexual so what do you make of his account I don't believe it I don't believe it yet not know how he used to to formulate a better version eventually that he can I think this was done is it feasible that your son did die of a drug overdose nothing's impossible nothing but why don't this cover Michael who was 43 and Matt just 19 when they started their relationship in 2006 they would often go to Sydney's arc nightclub together and on Sunday the 23rd of September 2007 this is where they came to party to drink and take drugs just after 2 a.m. CCTV captures first Matt and then Michael leaving the club in his final text messages to another friend Matt is unhappy upset Michael is making them leave early 3:30 Sunday morning is the last time anyone hears from Matt when did you become aware that Matt was missing not until Tuesday Matt's work rang her home on the Tuesday morning because Matt was late what do you do what who do you call and what are you told I rang Atkins left messages for him it didn't ring back he finally rang back to say Matt he hasn't come home right from the start Atkins chose to lie in the days after he and Matt left the nightclub Atkins told this story to family and police that the couple spent the Sunday together at home before Matt inexplicably disappeared we selected said you know lazy Sunday afternoon really sleep well and you're not watching so Davian a little while later and it wasn't home so I said I'm a Texan I said you know where are you in ago but Atkins story started to unravel and Matt's fate became tragically clearer when the young man's abandoned car was discovered by police once we heard that it was confirming confirming all of their bill your thoughts and your worst fears Automation he's dead my son's being murdered I knew that's what you felt at the time it wasn't coming is there anything you can say about that mmm don't think so Syrians any thing that comes to mind when we tell you we've located his car at work are over not really but in the boot of Matt's car police had found a discarded receipt from Bunnings it led them to this damning CCTV footage of Atkins buying a mattock and Gaffa tape at the very time he claims he was asleep at home what is it like for you to see that signal see the camera doesn't lie but Atkins did still denying to police he ever went to Bunnings see I believe that you went to Bunnings Warehouse and you little person who purchased that peak and they're careful tape is there anything you wish to say about that don't think it was me who do you think it could be I don't know the police asked us early on I said would you he'd help out if he needs anything I said well of course whatever you need just ask where to disposal police asked mark and Faye to meet with Atkins pretending to offer him sympathy and friendship mark was wired up with a listening device to record the conversation we went and saw it comes to these these have happened and sat with him Hof a go at the bastard hugging the kiss all right a shake his hand they did their job so well that for the first time Atkins admitted he'd bought the mattock but claimed it was to dig a vegetable garden a garden that has never existed this is a man that you've suspected has something to do with the disappearance of your son oh it's physically sick I had to sit there and look at him and watch him scratch and sweat and lie boy oh boy was he nervous he was nervous absolutely what about you I was trying to think of what to ask that will help the investigation and we did have him admit for the very first time that he had automatically on the 5th of August 2008 police charge Atkins with murder - almost all it seems case closed but without a confession and without a body the evidence is circumstantial after a six-week trial and five-day deliberation the jury acquits Michael Atkins of murder and manslaughter when you heard not guilty at the trial Wow sickening for him to just walk and not be able to say what really happened tell us what was just devastating absolutely devastating coming up the agony of searching for their son and you just crying where do you start trading than justice called the truth there was a big gamble we'd do it again in a heartbeat and how Michael actions finally came unstuck Lou said Oh gotcha moment was it yes now we might have a breakthrough that's next on 60 minutes [Music] how did you know where to start well it wasn't easy that I guess as a starting point we started from where Matt's car was found the marks on the map indicate lost hope there the many places mark and Faye have searched in the last decade looking for their son's body they've searched the length of this road right to the end looking for places where you can park a car get out into the bush and no matter how impenetrable or daunting the landscape the Levison's were determined to find Matt one way or another in the early days it and it still is heart-wrenching heartbreaking but in the early days you go out there and you cry you'd look and you just cry anything where do you start where do you start and it's just looking for a needle in a haystack we always thought a chance of funny made ourselves was less than one in a minute but workers get one it happens so it wasn't zero so of course we kept going even though Michael Atkins had now been cleared of the murder or manslaughter of Matt the Levison's didn't believe him and were now on a personal crusade for most they wanted their boy back but they also hoped binding their son's body would force the case to be reopened where did you search and how did you decide on where to look may I still think like a killer tried to think I think we get ourselves at about 2:00 in the morning and then if we thought place was suitable we'd come back of a day time and search properly as the Leverson spent years combing through Sydney's national parks Michael Adkins was living it up in Brisbane was just sickening to think that another human has disposed of another human and no feeling about it can live such a carefree life like nothing had happened but in 2014 five years after Atkins walked free police got a new tip off again implicating Atkins and Detective Chief Inspector Gary tubulin from the cold-case unit reopened the investigation why was the case we investigated you have a man who's been charged with murder he's acquitted case closed yeah the reason it was reopened is that we received information that led us to believe they could possibly be some fresh and compelling evidence and we followed up that line of inquiry throughout 2014 was there any no unfortunately you're led to led to nowhere during that line of inquiry during that time was Michael Atkins always your main suspect and we look at all possibilities but all the evidence led back to one person being involved in the disappearance and having knowledge of the matter and that was Michael Atkins crushed but not defeated the Levison's with the support of Gary tubulin pushed for the State Coroner to review the case the chances of an inquest were low given Atkins had already been tried and acquitted of murder but incredibly in December 2015 the Levison's got their way did you guys know that you were such fighters that you were so dogged no it's it's we think what any parent would do we yeah we've now learned that we want to take no for an answer and no he's in the response to satisfactory so well we just just keep chasing and chasing he was my son he was my baby and nobody takes my baby away from me I remember a conversation I had with Mark and Faye and their two sons about what they hope to achieve with the inquest and that was they want the person responsible for the Matt's death to be prosecuted and they want to get Matt's body back I then broke the conversation down and said if you had a choice of one what would you what would you go for and they said we want Matt's body back and I certainly understand that what happened next at the cranial inquest has never been tried in Australia before in return for being compelled to testify Michael Atkins gets to walk free immune from any prosecution except perjury if it's proven he lied what makes this unprecedented is that such a deal has never before been offered to the prime suspect in a potential murder case could be said that it was a risk we're putting someone in the witness box that potentially could make admissions in relation to a murder and that we couldn't use that information against them it was a double-edged sword in effect because we might find out what happened to Matt but we could never use that evidence against Michael Atkins so it was a significant decision that wasn't a decision taken lightly and no family has been confronted with such a choice the Levison's were asked if they could accept giving up all chance of prosecuting Michael Atkins no matter what he'd done I put them in this box I said Your Honor we understand what this means but our goal that one goal is to bring that home and and find information we want to know why that was killed we all know how he was killed well know where he was killed where he remains our now it was clear only Michael Atkins had those answers but on the stand Atkins was a reluctant witness who also proved to be heartless when asked to face the Levison's he wouldn't look at he wouldn't look assumed he said along lines I'm paraphrasing oh I'm sorry I suppose and when asked what are you sorry for he said Oh for their loss well he didn't just say for their loss but he said for their loss if he's gone if Maddie's gone well at that point that he said that if he's if he's gone he knew that he was dead he knew that he'd taken him and dumped him especially cautiously but the non and RPS he's just been living a lie he could have ended this this nightmare for us only ten years ago when he's before the family he's pretending that Matt may still be alive yes I remember that well that was a very I've seen a lot of courtroom situations and that and that was a very emotional situation of the family standing before him him lined to the family saying he he doesn't know what's what's happened yeah on the stand during the inquest I felt that he was locking more and more into the version that he had stuck to for such a long time and it was quite a simplistic almost childlike defense that he had or version that he had of events senior forensic psychologist with New South Wales Police dr. Sarah you'll profiled Atkins she observed a man so bound by his lies she warned even immunity may not be enough to get to the truth if you think of it as the carrot or the stick approach I felt very much that they needed to be the carrot and the sticking the carrot was immunity the stick was the threat of ten years in jail if he lied to the inquest even then Atkins continued to maintain he knew nothing about Matt's disappearance and then about the Wednesday and that's when table started to turn at that point then he was dying to be challenged on his answers in terms of that well you've said this today but on Monday you said that you told the truth today under the heat of cross-examination Atkins had little choice but to admit to his contradictions so you've lured the play saying oh I suppose so and you're like that is in question yeah well yeah Michel Atkins concedes at the inquest that he has lied if he could be candid was that a gotcha moment was it yes now we might have a breakthrough well if I could be candid that excited me I'm sitting in there and I saw that and I saw okay he's an opportunity the opportunity was to scare Atkins into action Atkins was now offered a second deal but this time he had to deliver or he would go to jail so what was the bargain basically to give Michael Atkins indemnity from prosecution for the perjury and in return for what in return for him telling us exactly what's happened so this was the deal we've caught you lying you tell us where Matt's body is and we won't prosecute you for perjury yeah if you don't you're going to jail for what 10 years potentially yes that's right and the deal was very important that yours not on if it was on result so well uncle saying oh I think he's here whether this is five or thirty years if not if there's no body recovered a now remains recovered no deal it was gamble it was a big gamble and Fay often says it's a deal with the devil we do it again in a heartbeat that's a deal with the devil because while it's giving you the ultimate gift just what you wanted most in the world your son back it's also denied you justice yep but I had Mary back over justice any day coming up Michael Atkins reveals his terrible secret he found the location to bury Matt's body he then dug the grave and the ultimate twist that could change everything he might be cold and callous but does that necessarily make him a murderer next on 60 minutes [Music] was about I guess narrowing down every area that we could think of to try and find that one spot or or limit the areas that it possibly could be detective Senior Constable Scott Craddock has driven this isolated Road too many times sent on a search Odyssey by the confessions of Michael Atkins did you feel that he was forthcoming that he was trying to pinpoint yeah on the night he was he was quite animated and it's hard this road changes at night as well it's quite different from day to night in the wee hours of the morning last November Michael Adkins retraced this dreadful drive for police using his own mud map to try to remember exactly where in this bushland he buried his young boyfriend Matt Leverson so what did Michael Atkins tell you about how he brought Matt down where Matt was he placed map in the boot and if you can see him the boot it was in fact a stereo system in the back of the car and he he'd removed that so he had enough room to put Matt's body in the boot he had wrapped met in a blanket or a sheet it was a dark and tragic secret Atkins had kept for a decade it was only when threatened with jail for lying to the coroner's court that he finally admitted he disposed of the young man's body so Gary this is actually Matt's car yes that's correct Detective Chief Inspector Gary deublin had Atkins relived the night many times even getting out cans to drive Matt's car as he did on the night he dumped him to have this man at that time potential murderer retracing his steps in such a ghoulish kind of way what was that like it was ghoulish it's probably a good good way of describing it because it's a something a tragic set of events that have occurred and here we are trying to recreate it and get him back into the mindset so he could accurately recreate it police even used hypnosis and on the advice of forensic psychologist dr. Sarah you'll a mannequin to replicate Matt's body to help trigger Atkins memory we had discussions about keeping the atmosphere reasonably relaxed and non intimidating and also about the importance of making it as close to the reality of that event as it could be not only you know was that daylight was at nighttime the visual sensations but also the physical sensations and having to move the body that can assist in achieving additional information how that traditional well-accepted were your methods in this investigation there was nothing traditional about this case to me it looked like it was a person who was trying to help us locate the body he appeared to be genuine in that regards so we created the environment in which he felt comfortable and relaxed to try and recall recall what had happened in November last year Adkins said this was the spot where he buried Matt's body which launched an extensive police search that came up with nothing the mark and Faye it was just further torment so did you think at that point that my Clapton's might be going to jail for perjury did you expect him to come up with another search sighs yes I was hoping that that state that heap yeah what it looked like he might get a job and was likely killed in jail that's what you want was that what you want yes you want him did yes slowly painfully but in my hand but it comes out that's his job yes as another search was launched at another site police tried to find an even greater truth how did Matt die Atkins tells police he thinks it could have been an accidental drug overdose and for the first time admits to what he did next he provided a version of events that he was at the nightclub with Matt there was a bit of arguing on on the way home Matt didn't want to want to go home and then when they've got home they still weren't talking and Atkins account is that when he woke up in the morning he had slept in the lounge that Matt was deceased in the bedroom he then provided us an account of what took place that day he went to a Bunnings hardware store and purchase a mattock and duct tape with the express purpose of using that equipment to dispose of Matt's body he then stayed in the apartment the rest of the afternoon into the evening until it got quite late at night he then used Matt's car he found the location that he thought that was suitable to vary Matt's body he then dug the grave and put Matt's body in the grave before he buried Matt as he waited for dark it's believed Atkins was online already looking for new sexual partners what does that tell you about this person it confirms all we think this is a an individual that we consider as a psychopath has no guilt in their remorse no motions he'll use motions to get his own way but fake emotions that he's he's controlling domineering and that's the way he is knowing he would go to jail if he didn't deliver Matt's body Atkins was adamant the grave was in the first place he'd selected even though it had been searched once before Gary jubilant agreed to try again this time Mitch loam was behind the controls how did you feel about doing the job oh the boss just said to me parents need closure so whatever you do find him did you believe that you could well we were hoping we could make as long as he was here we were we were gonna find him having spent many off-duty hours here already detective Senior Constable Scott Craddock was now overseeing this last effort it was the final hour in the final day of searching and Scott made the fateful decision to get Mitch to knock over a small palm in that occasion I looked down and I got a closer look and I look back at Mitch and I sort of just said I think we found him there's a look about Scott on this particular point in time where I thought this is serious and then he took me to the site and what I could see what was obvious to me that was human remains and I'm getting the chills just talking about it now I certainly got the chill at the time and I sort of looked at Scott and he looked at me and we said well we'd better go tell them the walk over to them felt like a lifetime to say I think we found Matt and and to see their reaction yeah it was hard to in that moment to know what to do to see the emotion on Fae and you're telling us only base long fall but that money is something that's a horrible end as well so full of grief yeah exactly yeah they found your boy hmm and Scott and Mitch my heroes the most humble people that they found marry for me the tenacity of the police during this part of the case how would you describe that amazing inmate you could not get a more dedicated professional team that we have at the moment they're just amazing and they wouldn't take no for an answer either they're like you guys yes yeah they said that was fair the one they spurred us on so as which was mutual it seems inconceivable that having led police to Matt's body Atkins can now simply walk away his deals mean he can't be prosecuted the coroner is yet to give her findings on the manner and cause of Matt's death but in an incredible twist police say it's not just the deals that protect Michael Atkins their new opinion is that his account that he did not murder Matt cannot be dismissed he's account of it was that he believed that Matt had died of a drug overdose having cross-examined him do you believe his account we present the evidence to a coroner and that it's more appropriate that the coroner talks about whether whether he was truthful what I can say is that on the information he provided is consistent with the facts that we know and it also led to the recovery of Matt's body if the truth is that Matthew Leverson died of an accidental drug overdose that makes Michel Atkins many things but it does not make him a murderer it's a truth mark and faith will never accept he might be cold and callous completely heartless unable to grieve for your son but does that necessarily make him a murderer no it doesn't but the circumstances do circumstances don't prove that he's an idiot who made the wrong decision we don't think so why would we accept somebody who's lied for nine and a half years that all of a sudden he's gonna tell the truth perhaps one of the reasons is because the police you trust and seem to admire so much seem to believe it that doesn't mean that's right police tend to have blinkers on they get set in their ways and that and it's a nice neat package isn't it as a lawman how difficult is it to see the man who caused all that pain and did nothing to just solve this terrible mystery walk away I think punishment comes in in a lot of ways and yeah let's break it down this was the person he claimed he loved he just dumped in the bush in an unmarked grave and let his family go through these sufferings so he can deal with that the family believes that he did more the family believes that he's responsible for the death of Matt is there any way that he's lied again that somehow he's convinced you his lies the truth yeah look it's a it's a matter for the coroner to determine on whether the truthfulness of his account but I'm not naive I've yeah we interviewed this person and we interviewed him with the view of catching him out with inconsistencies and the information that he has provided isn't contradicted by any facts that we have available but Chief Inspector jugglin also says there is no evidence to corroborate Atkins version and says it's up to the coroner to make the final judgment [Music] strange digging a hole against mark and Faye now tend the palm tree that marked the grave of their sons he's a doctor for nine years and eight months - salvaged from the National Park and now growing in their backyard and then we've got two kids it's their mission to nurture it just like they do when it comes to all memories of Matt the Leveson legacy may be of unimaginable loss but it's also one of great strength born out of immeasurable love whatever Michel Atkins involvement in your son's death a certain disposal of your son's body how do you cope knowing he will never face charges on that now those days I have a thoughts evil thought towards him I'm not gonna act on those but I still enjoy my evil thought towards him as to how I came I mean you you do I think always hope this happens to him hope that happens to him but as a fantasy and we're not gonna come to his level no we're not like him we've got hearts we care about people don't care about him we've got our son back we know at whose hand but we've got our sunday.and that's all that matters hello I'm Tara brown thanks for watching to keep up with the latest from 60 minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our Channel you can also download the 9 now app for full episodes and other exclusive 60 minutes content

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

Views: 533,476

Rating: 4.6300001 out of 5

Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Charles Wooley, Tara Brown, Liam Bartlett, Allison Langdon, Tom Steinfort, Ellen Fanning, Ray Martin, Peter Stefanovic, Jana Wendt, Jeff McMullen, Jennifer Byrne, Richard Carleton, Tracey Curro, Paul Barry, Peter Harvey, George Negus, Ian Leslie, Gerald Stone, Sarah Abo, Mark Leveson, Faye Leveson, Matthew Leveson, Leveson murder, murder mystery

Id: BdH2Y77QsjE

Length: 33min 0sec (1980 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 24 2019