True crime: The suspicious death of a police informant | Under Investigation with Liz Hayes

a star witness in a massive drugs case is Snitch found dead in his safe house they knew that he was in Queensland and they knew his new name is this a case of cover up and Corruption it was all over for Andre very early in the pie Sitting Duck tonight he said Mom get your ass here and that was the last he said where was the police protection for Andrew patris what do you think he was trying to say to you come and get me save me our investigation Starts [Music] [Music] Now good evening I'm Liz Hayes and this is under inves [Music] tigation his friends thought his name was Andrew Parker a trainee pilot originally from Perth but this 25-year-old held a dark secret his real name was Andrew petris he was supposed to be in witness protection and was due to give give crucial evidence in a major drug case but he died before he could make it to court his naked body found in the Lou of his Queensland Hideway that says Foul Play to me joining me to investigate the short life and strange death of Andrew petris Judith forom Perth criminal lawyer and forensics expert he was Central he was crucial and he died Damian loon a veteran of the New South Wales homicide Squad there was a massive failure of a JY of care this kid was doomed the moment he left Western Australia Dr Philip cowc former head of the federal witness protection program your suspicion indexes through the roof on this I'd be saying you're not going to coin land and Alan Thompson a former West Australian Detective who was assigned to protect Andrew petrillis I spoke to him every day for 108 days less no doubt whatsoever he was murdered he said look Mom if you find me dead I did not do it to myself he said it'll be a gun or a needle beside my body also tonight and seeking our help are Andrew's West Australian parents Nick and Leslie petris they did everything they could to keep keep their son alive now the family is asking us for one last chance at finding out what happened to Andrew this is about the truth you want the truth I want the truth why who where and when and why is it so important for them to cover it up this Story begins in 1993 with a massive third 13 ton $40 million cannabis importation into Western Australia police alleged the masterminds were two Perth identities John kizen and Michael rippingale and that they had seconded Andrew patris then a part-time heroin user to help store the drugs at the time p had no idea his alleged Associates were the targets not only for wa police but also the National Crime Authority and the Australian federal police these targets were known nationally and were important very important targets and we're talking importation we're not talking selling something on the straet corner and we're talking tons we're not talking GRS 25-year-old Andrew petris a relative Clean Skin with no criminal convictions was the perfect frontman to store a drugs shipment he's hired a storage unit to secrete the 40 tons of cannabis that's been imported on a ship young and completely out of his depth his drug storage unit was swiftly discovered by police who then gave Andrew Tris a stark Choice become a snitch and give evidence in the trial against those alleged to be his criminal Associates or face years in jail he was recruited by two detectives to roll over on the two national targets um he agreed to give evidence he was given immunity Dam a good person to try and turn if you like oh absolutely and we try to turn everyone we can find turn him into a snitch absolutely what we call now a human Source absolutely Andrew Petrus was an absolute star in the sense that they needed him and his evidence and he was close enough that he could give firsthand information about actually witnessing things was there a day he came and said I'm I'm in Strife no never did that in as many words Andrew's fate was now in police hands but he kept the truth from his parents a mother's instinct though knew something was terribly wrong and I said to him why don't you tell me who is worrying you or what is your problem and he said I can't do that Mom and I said why can't you tell me I said I'm your mother you tell me I'll fix it and he said no I can't I said why he said because if I tell you and they know they'll come and get you what did you make of that then well I thought who the hell is they by agreeing to become a police witness Andrew would have every reason to fear for his life so not only did he need immunity from prosecution he needed protection witness protection and that's what he and his family believed w police were offering there should have been a risk assessment done he should have been interviewed at length to assess his suitability for inclusion in the program and there's there's quite a lengthy checklist that that assessment takes into account as former head of the federal witness protection program Dr Philip cck knows how it should be done there should have been a whole process of planning an advanced team going finding a suitable location for him getting things set up Damian what would you think Andrew would expect well it the program should have been explained to him quite easily so he understand it also the guarantee that he would be protected this is what it's all about it's called the witness protection for that reason but as our investigation deepens we can reveal the extraordinary contract Andre patrollers had to sign with wa police in order to be given Witness Protection unbelievably in the document a memorandum of understanding police absolved themselves of any responsibility for his death injury or financial loss you were led to believe that your son was walking into a life where he would be protected Absol of course absolutely I couldn't imagine it to be anything else but that he's changed his identity he's changing his location and he's going to be protected yes Andrew's parents might have thought their son was entering an established program but they were wrong what they didn't know was that Western Australia was still to pass witness protection legislation so and somewhat unbelievably police told Nick and Leslie petris they'd have to pay for Andrew's protection something they did without hesitation and with complete Trust we thought we'd done all we could giving him to witness protection he was going with the police they were looking after him and and we were paying the bill and that was the end of it so to speak the petris family spent $53,000 on Android's protection $53,000 Phillip have you ever heard of this before this is the the first time I've ever heard uh of family being charged the dollar value of providing the protection it's never never to my knowledge happened before um it's not something that I can fathom how how the parents would have had to have paid for every element of this young man's protection it it just to be clear you've never heard of anybody being asked to pay for witness protection never in 35 years I served as a cop never coming up I said for God's sake I will take him to court when he has to me there just leave him with me police protection for Andrew petris he can't has been sprung his address has been sprung his new identity is been sprung goes from bad there 44 illegal accesses to a place BF frame to worse is this a serious attempt at protecting this Blood no no this is an absolute joke that's next on under [Music] investigation we're investigating the case of Andrew petrillis a young man from a good family who made one very bad mistake he knew he was in trouble M I've been an idiot I've absolutely kep my life and I'm sorry it landed him in what he understood to be witness protection as an Informer against two men police had charged and were out on bail over a massive importation of drugs they needed him and his evidence but as we've already revealed the protection police offered Andrew petris required his parents to foot the [Music] bill just to be clear you've never heard of anybody being asked to pay for witness protection never in 35 years I served as a cult never we thought that you know this is a something that happens every day you know in the police force he was going with the police they were looking after him and and we were paying the bill but Andrew petris having signed his life away to police would soon realize a bad situation was about to get a whole lot worse I never had a briefing about Andrew at all Alan Thompson a detective with the witness protection program at the time was assigned to man manage the petrous case we had other protected witnesses that were living with police officers they had 24-hour protection this is in Perth they were not at the same risk level as what Andrew was as our investigation continues Alan Thompson's evidence will reveal what he believes were shameful decisions made by Western Australian police in their plan to protect their critical witness if you to be blunted about it he almost didn't stand a chance he didn't right from the side it was all over for Andrew very early in the pie to ensure protection a witness needs to disappear with a new identity a new location and an untraceable Trail for those who would hunt them so Andre Petrus became Andrew Parker and preparations began to relocate him to Queensland but in their first extraordinary misstep Western Australian police allowed petris to keep his vehicle an instantly recognizable former police car and I said when I had to change the plates on his car you can't send his car over there his car was an ex police P car crazy that in itself is bizarre that he is actually driving a former police pursuit car recognizable as such why would you allow him to take this former police car with him the car should have been taken from him sold off from the proceeds used to to purchase another vehicle was not linked to to uh the Western Australian police Daman you're listening to this um is this a serious attempt at protecting this PL no no this is an absolute joke absolute joke ominously while Andrew was still in Perth his car was vandalized by unknown persons while parked at the Petrus Family Home and there were also unexplained death threats against the family even to Andrew's mother Leslie most though were directed at her son he said look Mom if I tell you they're going to come looking for you or they're going to get me first he said and they will if you find me dead I did not do it to myself he said it'll be a gun or a needle beside my body and I passed out at [Music] that blind Freddy could see that this was set up to fail his car had been identified his car had been trashed there's been death threats but even without those threats even if he hadn't been threatened you would expect his life to be in danger it didn't end there other police too seemed interested Ed in Andrew petris and were found to be seeking details about his new identity secret information before patris left Perth for Queensland there were 44 breaches of the police computers by officers unconnected with his case so what is the information in the computer that they could access about him at that point his motor vehicle details his um driver's license number his address including his name that was actually in the computer yes it was I would be furious if I found out there was 44 illegal accesses to a police Mainframe to find the identity of my witness my protected witness and I would shout from the highest mountain and make sure that there would be an investigation on this two policemen were named for having breached the computer system on some of those occasions sergeant maray shedar and Constable Kevin Davy both of whom would later leave the force for unrel Ed reasons I was saying to my boss you can't send him over here he's at risk and it's confirmed the threats have been made his car's been sprung his address has been sprung his new identity's been sprung least he shouldn't have gone but Allan Thompson's warnings were not heeded he was told to relocate Andrew to Queensland his parents Nick and Leslie now also feared that this would be the beginning of the end for their son I can remember being in the garage with uh Alan Thompson uh and Andrew who was packing his car Nick and I and I was like hysterical at the time this is when he was about to leave yeah um and I said to Alan I said for God's sake leave him with me and I will take him to court when he has to me there just leave him with me you didn't feel comfortable about him no going into witness protection no I didn't trust any anything and that was the last I saw him coming up every day I was pleading with my bosses you have to bring him home the scene is set for tragedy this kid was doomed the moment he left Western Australia and headed to Queensland as police abandoned their Chief witness I knew was going to happen I didn't know when but I knew it was going to happen that's next on under [Music] investigation danger Liv danger it's May the 28th 1995 Andrew petris is about to leave behind his old life for a new life but with every reason to believe it may also see the end of his life least snitch what we call now a human source as we've revealed the Western Australian police force has placed him in witness protection in exchange for his critical evidence against the alleged masterminds of a massive drug importation Andrew's evidence was the only thing that would have put them in jail for a long time they had a lot to lose but as police Insider Alan Thompson has revealed details of Andrew's new and secret life have already been compromised his car has been strong his address has been sprong his new identity is been sprong at least he shouldn't have gone Andrew and his parents are also receiving death threats from unknown persons and unbelievably Nick and Leslie are having to pay for their son's police protection it's not something that I can fathom how how the parents would have had to have paid for every element of this young man's protection and worse Andrew's mother has a deep sense of for booing I said to Alan I said for God's sake leave him with me and I will take him to court when he has to me there just leave him with me you didn't feel comfortable about him no going into witner protection no I didn't trust any anything Andrew petrillis now Andrew Parker finds himself holed up in a rather modest Motel South of Brisbane with Alan Thompson the Western Australian detective assigned to his case Alan tell me what it's like you're in this motel room with next to no protection for 8 days with Andrew petris the room itself it was a trap someone could have just smashed the the window and sort of shot at the beds were you armed no oh didn't even have a water pistol I put a very good quality chair in front of the door every night that's the best I could do Damian Lon you got a chair up against the door oh not good enough Liz how are you supposed to protect not only your witness how are you supposed to protect yourself this kid was doomed the moment he left Western Australia and and headed to Queensland it was fast Dawning on Andrew petris that apart from Alan Thompson the Western Australian police had virtually abandoned him and after only 8 Days Alan 2 had to leave recalled to Perth by his superiors betris is supposedly still in witness protection but now he's got defend for himself you're a policeman you've been assigned this job but you're a father and you are looking at a young kid who's looking back at you Andrew was about the same age as my son at the time when you walked away from that Motel what what did you think I knew it was going to be the last time the 25-year-old star witness is now now on his own he has to find his own accommodation and start his new life Andrew chooses an upper floor apartment near the beach in colandra on the Sunshine Coast but according to Dr Philip cick it's anything but a safe house balcony third floor where's the escape room so ideally where should he put himself then where's the safe place if there had been an advanced team go to identify a suitable location it would have it might have been um a first floor or ground floor unit in a more residential area rather than rather than in a holiday location where people come absolutely yeah you don't put them in a holiday destination there is no exit you are up high you have a vision from the street you're on a main road Anything could happen every day for 108 days while waiting for the trial to begin Andrew petris calls his parents and Alan Thompson pleading to be returned to Perth he was scared absolutely so was I I was scared for him every day I was pleading with my bosses I said you have to bring him home we can't leave him I was pleading with him I knew it was going to happen I didn't know when but I knew it was going to happen in early September Andrew contacts wa police stating he has new evidence we now know time is running out for petrillis when he makes this offer the last thing then there is one final phone call to his mother Leslie there's a phone call from him and uh he said Mom I want you to come over here mom get your ass here and that was it the and that was the last you said what do you think he was trying to say to you come and get me save me I want to tell you what's going on but for him to make that call you know your son you knew he was in critical danger he knew he felt so unsafe you think oh yeah knowing Andrew yeah and that's that's what I live with the fact that I didn't go coming up this depicts the scene that the police would have found I've never seen anything like that before is this really a murder scene we find out that he's right-handed he's got a needle hanging out of his right arm mismanagement and lost evidence we thought we'd put him in the safest hands leaves Andrew's parents begging for answers it's just a hard story too be forced to accept that's next on under [Music] [Music] investigation it's September 1995 and Andrew petris is in Queensland he is the star witness in an alleged multi-million dollar drug bust and supposedly under Western Australian police protection he was Central he was crucial but as our investigation has revealed Andrew has virtually been abandoned every day I was pleading with my bosses I said you have to bring him home we can't leave him he I was pleading with him and what was your boss saying he's just spoiled [ __ ] druggy the scene is set for tragedy and on September the 11th 1995 tragedy strikes 108 days after entering witness protection in Just 2 months before he's due to give crucial evidence in court petris is found dead I was in my office at the time and two police officers were and uh when they pulled up I thought oh what's happened now and of course he told me straight out that Andrew been found dead and and I just didn't say anything for the first few minutes I said let me go and tell Lesley which I did I imagine that was a terrible moment it was because Nick came home and he said it's Andrew I said well what's going on now he said he's dead I slipped down the wall fled onto the floor what else are they going to tell me that's the moment I guess you realize protection was nowhere to be seen nothing was nothing I remember the call like it was yesterday Andrew's witness protection case officer Alan Thompson is told by a detective on the scene that Andrew has died of an accidental heroin overdose he was very dismissive he' already made up his mind that Andrew overdosed accidentally but our investigation will reveal multiple Clues suggesting Andrew's death was not an accident you are absolutely of the opinion your son didn't overdose absolutely in the time that he was away you didn't have any indication that when you spoke to him that he was taking drugs no they said he was a a good young pilot in Queensland Andrew had enrolled and was regularly attending a flying school which apparently involved regular drug testing he was being tested daily for drugs and alcohol and he was passing those tests that's not the behavior of a junkie mate is it no not at all he wasn't acting like a junkie he wasn't out trying to score he wasn't strung out he was getting up every morning setting the alarm going to the his flying lessons being reliable so much so that when he didn't turn up that was how the alarm got raced it was staff at the Flying school who alerted police concerned that Andrew hadn't turned up for his lessons for someone said to have overdosed Andrew was found in a strange position he is naked kneeling with his right arm on a chair there is also loud music playing in the apartment this depicts the uh scene that the police would have found I've never seen a body in that position in the multiple hundreds of overdoses that I've investigated or and have seen never in that position ever and the way that he's naked obviously it I've never seen anything like before to Veteran New South Wales homicide detective Damen loon it should have been obvious to police that it was a potential crime scene we find out and that he's right-handed he's got a needle hanging out of his right arm now how did he do that did he by himself now allegedly he's got four shots of heroin two in each arm I've been to a well over five or 600 overdosis death in my career I was stationed in King's cross for goodness sake said daily I've never known anyone to die of four shots one hit that's that's to me that's wow that's three too many the fact that there is music going on in the in the in the bedroom I think it's loud that to me is a silhouette for a struggle to deafen a noise if there is suspicious is being restrained whilst he's being injected with Force lawyer and forensic specialist Judith forom is is also deeply troubled by what she believes should have been immediately treated as a crime scene the place was locked and yet there's no Toray found there's no little packet with the remains of the heroin in it there's there's that's very important Jud because I would say in every occasion I found a a small crystallized balloon or a spoon y near or close to near where the body is adding to our experts suspicions there was no needle in the syringe Andrew petris had allegedly used to inject himself it wasn't in the syringe when the body was located in my era of investigating overdoses I've never seen a needle come out of a syringe ever now for that needle to break off the need was either gone in with force or taken out with Force at an angle for that needle too cuz they're quite fine for them to be broken off the needle is eventually found but then incredibly it is lost again this time forever in the Queensland police forensic lab the needle actually gets to the Pathology Department but it's lost oh it's supicious there's a whole lot of activity going on here in this particular matter that that causes me a lot of concern there's a lot of Suspicion losing evidence like that how important is that needle what's critical it could have told us something about the concentration of the heroin that was injected into Andre determining the concentration of the heroin might have told investigators whether it was possible for Andrew to self-administer four shots of the drug without losing Consciousness after the first injection the bungling was deeply concerning and a review of autopsy photos by a second forensic pathologist would alarmingly discover ligature marks on Andrew's wrists the uh forensic pathologist said it could have been a handcuff could have been a rope whatever it could not have been done by him it must have been done by someone else that tells me Foul Play I cannot see any other explanation for ligature marks particularly when whatever did it is no longer there our experts are left with the inescapable suspicion that Andrew Petrus was murdered a prediction even he made in a conversation with his mother llie he said look Mom if you find me dead I did not do it to myself he said it'll be a gun or a needle beside my body after Andrew's death Nick and Leslie made the heartbreaking journey to Queensland to see for themselves where their son whom they'd been paying police to protect had died we went looking for Andrew's unit we found it we walked the stairs up and turned face the door I just felt his Spirit crying out was awful their beloved Son who'd made one bad decision was gone despite all they' done to keep him alive when trouble came you did your best we thought we'd put him in the safest hands and we're now to believe that it was not only the worst place we put him we actually led to his demise really in one final indignity police told them they would have to pay to fly Andrew's body home despite the years the Heartbreak of losing their his son has never left we carry a photo with us all the time to in list when you when you look at that picture it's important to remember why you're doing this it's just a hard story to be forced to accept where are all the answers of what's happened to him where's all the evidence it's disappeared in 2001 6 years after Andrew's death a Queensland coroner began investigating and at an inquest nearly 5 years later he found Andrew petris had died from opiate toxicity an overdose of heroin he had self administered adding there was no evidence it was intentional but the coroner was highly critical of the investigation citing missing evidence a lack of cooperation and failure of police procedures it is quite clear from the evidence that the unit in which the decision was found was not secured or kept secure by police and ought strictly to have been treated as a scene of crime Cara scathing don't you think yes and rightly so on so many levels absolutely rightly so he says the circumstances leading up to and surrounding Andrew's death were not only unfortunate but could be described as bizarre and highly suspicious he knows he's missing information how hard is that for a coroner well it how can a coroner make a a judgment on on what occurred if he's not got all of the facts the coroner also found that the two figures Andrew patris had informed on and was to testify against John kizon and Michael rippingale were unsatisfactory Witnesses both were asked their whereabouts at the time of Andrew's death kison produced hospital records from per showing he'd been admitted for an earing it bigger belief that somebody's big and tough as Mr kizel would have to go and be admitted to hospital for s ear unless there was a good reason that he actually wanted an alibi at the time I think the coroner might have even said that it could have been considered a deliberate Alibi exactly and so he did have an alibi in fact as to Mr rippingale uh he said that he actually agreed he was in Queensland first he said he wasn't then he said he was this is in his evidence and then he said he was there to go to a football match rippingale said he was at a Brisbane Bears AFL game held he claimed either in Brisbane or the goal Coast but in fact the Bears were playing in Melbourne that weekend so Mr rippingale said that's why he was over in Queensland that simply can't be true look the corent makes the point that of all the people there who would benefit it was um those two those men absolutely and both of these gentlemen admitted that they knew that he was in Queensland and they knew his new name well it seemed everybody knew to be honest you must be wearing a t-shirt hi I'm under witness protection coming up there is no evidence that points towards suicide there is no evidence that points towards accid Dental overdose what really happened to Andrew petris I spoke to him every day for 108 days less no doubt whatsoever he was murdered the son whom it seems never had a chance we can't bring Andrew back we know that but those people they've got to be accountable that's next on under [Music] investigation our investigation tonight into the mysterious death of Andrew petris while in witness protection has exposed incompetence and potential police corruption absolutely terrible Wicked poor judgment patris's secret new identity was breached even before he left his home state of Western Australia we thought we'd done all we could giving him to witness protection he was going with the police they were looking after him his parents had to pay for his police protection and we thought you know this is a something that happens every day you know in the police force what we to know we're just common people his case officer Alan Thompson says his warnings of serious threats to petris were ignored by his superiors few to be blunt about it he almost didn't stand a chance it was all over for Andrew very early in the p and evidence for a coronial inquiry was mishandled and lost there's a whole lot of activity going on here that causes me a lot of concern there's a lot of Suspicion losing evidence like [Music] that Alan Thompson says he has also received death threats and what he believes was an attempt on his life shot to fight at my house we did hear a car pull up we heard two shots and did this all come do you believe from the endr oh absolutely absolutely with no star witness to testify against them the drug conspiracy case naming the two alleged National Crime figures John kison and Michael rippingale would ultimately fail and the two men acquitted my my name's not tarnished Andrew petris Remains the only person to die while in West Australia's Witness Protection Program and a self-administered heroin shot Remains the official cause of his death but perhaps it's time to reconsider that finding personally I think there's sufficient for an inquiry about the uh the circumstances that a led to um Andrew's death and um and to the threats to alen and I think this case is one very strong indicator that we should be looking at a better way to provide witness protection in Australia no one has ever been arrested or charged over the death of Andrew petris and while the coroner found that John kizon and Michael rippingale benefited from his demise there is no other evidence that suggests they were responsible but our experts believe that there are too many gaps and unanswered questions in this case to confidently accept the official version of events there is no events that points towards suicide there is no evidence that points towards accidental overdose and there is plenty of evidence in terms of both motive the crime scene we've gone through it in detail which points towards his death being at the hands of somebody else criminal lawyer Judith forom believes what's needed is a formal inquiry this needs to be looked at Again by some form of commission that has powers to compel people to come and testify to get to the bottom of what happened and the man who Andrew trusted with his protection agrees Alan Thompson has carried the burden of Andrew's death for nearly 30 years Andrew's murder has to be investigated properly you think it's murder absolutely it's not possible he just said can't take this anymore or um he just decided I'll give heroin one more go I spoke to him every day for 108 days less no doubt whatsoever he was murdered the views of Damen Lon the veteran detective who spent his life investigating homicides are damning this stinks absolutely stinks this was a Deb that was avoidable it displayed a total lack of care and duty of care to him where he should have been under the care of the authorities and when you decide to put them in who witness protection that's the deal you're supposed to protect them absolutely that wasn't protection what was that it was a joke Sitting [Music] Duck we can't bring Andrew back we know that but those people they've got to be [Music] accountable Andrew's parents Nick and Leslie believe the Western Australian police who were being paid to protect him need to take responsibility for their son's death for crying out allow you know why are these people just able to walk away from it just laughing our fa and so much in effect that's what they're doing you've had to live with this for a long time it just eats away are you still angry or are you just devastated that it ended this way I just want my son to be able to rest in peace the rest of them are and what is peace I don't know we've done everything we could Andrew and we all failed and of course if you have any information about the death of Andrew petrillis you can call Crimestoppers on 1 18003 or email us at underinvestigated [Music] hello I'm Liz Hayes and thank you for watching under investigation subscribe to our Channel now for exclusive clips and don't miss out on full episodes of under investigation on 9 now and the N Now app

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

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Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Tara Brown, 60Mins, Amelia Adams, news, world news, news australia, investigative journalism, 60 minutes australia youtube, 60 minutes youtube, 60 minutes episodes, 60 minutes australia episodes, 60 minutes australia, 60 minutes, Adam Hegarty, Dimity Clancey, Nick McKenzie, crime, under investigation, uinvestigate, police, police crime, witness protection, police informant, drugs, drug import, illicit drugs, drug crime

Id: t33V4nTlrSU

Length: 44min 59sec (2699 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 20 2024