Profiling Approach

This is a case study on the triple murder/suicide on the gold coast in 2011, It will outline what caused such tragic events, give you insight into the victims and the offenders characteristics and what events can trigger people in similar situation to commit filicide-murder-suicide. The evidence relied on in this paper were the coroners report, understanding homicide and other familicide related papers based on prevention, causes and reasoning.

Offender
Paul Rogers
Caucasian 40-year-old male, Born on the 4th of January 1971, New Zealand He had an 8-year relationship with Tania Simpson 2002-2010 and had two children, Kyla Rogers, girl born on the 19th of April 2006 and Bronnson a boy born in July 2009 (Barnes, 2012) Together Tania Simpson and Paul Rogers part-managed a caravan park owned by Tania Simpsons parents and had been engaged before Tania Simpson called off the engagement in 2010.
After Tania Simpson left with the Kyla and Bronnson Rogers, Paul Rogers became very distraught he threatened committing suicide to Tania Simpson in order to upset her, lied, stalked both Tania Simpson and Julie Simpson (Tania Simpsons mother) to monitor where they were going and lashed out against the entire family (Barnes, 2012)
The reaction that Paul Rogers had to the breakup in reference to stalking, lies and threatening Tania Simpson are all significant characteristics for why he murdered his family and friend (Brookman, 2005) There had been many warming signs that Paul rogers wasn’t coping and seemed to be falling deeper into depression, studies conducted on other familicide-suicide cases conclude that the offenders inability to move on cause the offender to become more withdrawn seeing murder-suicide as a way of keeping their family close by trying to turn back time (Brett, 2002)

Victimology

Tania Simpson.
A Caucasian 31-year-old female, Born on the 4th of February 1980, Innisfail Australia
She shared an 8-year de-facto relationship with Paul Rodgers and had 2 children with him, Kyla a girl born on 19th of April 2006 ages 5 and Bronnson a boy born in July 2009.
Previous to their separation in 2010 they part-managed a caravan park in Inverell, Australia owned by Tania Simpsons parents and had been engaged to be married.
On the night of Tania Simpson’s murder she was staying at her unit in Robina, Australia with Kyla Rogers and Antony way. Antony way born on the 13th December 1977, New Zealand a friend of Tania Simpson and Paul Rogers it was not known if Tania Simpson and Antony way were still friends or had begun a relationship. Bronnson Rogers was staying with Tania Simpsons parents so was not present at the murder (Barnes, 2012)
Kyla Rogers.
A Caucasian 5-year-old female, Born on the 19th of April 2006, Australia.
She was residing with her mother Tania Simpson at their Unit in Robina.
Kyla was enrolled in preparatory school at Robina primary school, She had 7 hours of visitation rights every second Saturday with her biological father Paul Rogers. On the night of the murder Kyla Rogers was at the unit with Antony way and Tania Simpson (Barnes, 2012)

Antony Way.
A Caucasian 33-year-old male, Born on the 13th December 1977, New Zealand, Antony way met Paul Rodgers on a work site shortly after moving to the gold coast in 2003. The two men became friends and Tania Simpson became friends and it was noted they kept in contact for the following 7 years.
On the night of Antony ways murder he was at Tania Simpson’s unit in Robina, Australia (Barnes, 2012)

The murder of Antony way and Tania Simpson are a result of Paul Rogers’s inability to come to terms with the breakup. He showed many warning signs leading up to the murder and had expressed to a former partner who he had been residing with that he thought Tania Simpson had started a relationship with Antony Way. In most familicide cases after the breakup the offender becomes detached, they don’t have reason anymore (Brookman, 2005)

Forensic Information

Tania Simpson.
Tania Simpson received multiple cuts to the throat causing muscle damage
Considerable stab wounds around the arms, wrists and hands evidence suggests these were caused by Tania Simpson defending herself
Multiple stab wounds and lacerations to the torso shown from the autopsy suggest that one particular stab wound tho the chest would have caused the lungs to fill with blood resulting in her death (Barnes, 2012)

Antony Way.
Antony way received multiple stab wounds and lacerations to the torso, forensic evidence suggests that only two of these were fatal one severing the lung and the other severing the jugular vein. These wounds would have caused substantial bleeding in a short amount of time resulting in death (Barnes, 2012)

Kyla Rogers.
Kyla Rogers autopsy showed multiple bruising over the top half of her body consistent with suffocation. Haemorrhages were found when the brain was observed under a microscope with the conclusion that lack of oxygen and asphyxiation as cause of death. Kyla sustained no other injuries although toxicology results showed carbon monoxide poisoning (Barnes, 2012)

Paul Rogers
Paul Rogers the Toxicology report also showed carbon monoxide poisoning however this was not concluded as cause of death. It was believed he taped duct tape over his mouth and nose in order to suffocate himself (Barnes, 2012)

Police Report

Police were not notified until the morning of the murders, Tania Simpsons Father John Simpson entered the Unit at 8.00am to find Antony Way’s body. It is believed he didn’t check the kitchen where Tania’s Body was situated so reported both Tania and Kyla as missing (Barnes, 2012)
Once police were informed they searched the unit they and found both bodies and that Kyla Simpson was missing as a result sent out a search message to all surrounding police stations in Gold coast and NSW for Paul Rogers and Kyla Simpson at 9.00am (Barnes, 2012)

Crime Assessment
Reconstruction of Crime

On the 14th of May 2011 between 9.30-10pm Antony May and Tania Simpson were stabbed to death in her Robina apartment (“The Northern Star”, 2012)
Witnesses reported hearing screams from Tania Simpson most likely to have occurred when Antony Way was being stabbed (Barnes, 2012) Witnesses reported seeing Paul Rogers emerged carrying Kyla Rodgers, but no contact was made with police that night (Barnes, 2012)
At 9am on the 15th May 2011 after the bodies of Tania Simpson and Antony Way were discovered by John Simpson (Tania’s Father) an search announcement was sent to all gold coast and NSW Police districts that Kyla Rogers had been abducted by her father Paul Rogers (“Expert on murder-suicide case” 2012) On May 16th at 6pm a witness reported seeing a vehicle matching the description of Paul Rogers car near Sheppard’s Land NSW (“Courier Mail”, 2011) Police were sent to the scene to find both Kyla Rogers and Paul rogers dead in the front seats of the car (Barnes, 2012)
According to statistics Familicide-suicide crime rates on the Gold Coast are not high. The Queensland Police Department annual statistical review Homicide rates had shown a drop of 10 homicides between 2011-2012.
However the characteristics Paul Rogers was showing leading up to the murders are very fitting with trends of a familicide-murder profile all crimes of this nature are similar and how the offender dealt with separation and started acting out are very similar to other familicide cases (Marieke, et all, 2009)

Decision process making

Paul Rogers committed 3 murders before committing suicide; The murder of his ex fiancé Tania Simpson and daughter Kyla Rogers is not defined as just murder it is classified as Familicide-murders defined by the murder of a partner or ex-partner and one or more of the offenders children. While the 3rd murder of Antony was counted as pre-meditated murder, it was fueled by the knowledge that Antony way and Tania Simpson had begun a relationship (Marieke, et all, 2009)

Most of the characteristics Paul Rogers showed in the moths leading up to the murders are typical of familicide cases. Having difficulties with the separation, stalking, abusive, threatening suicide for reactions (Marieke, et all, 2009)
Familicide murder-suicide related to crime trends is not entirely clear according to the Queensland police homicide crime rates dropped in 2011-2012.
Paul Rogers showed many characteristics and had many warming signs leading up to the Murders and had been described as unstable. His inability to cope with separation from his ex fiancé and children and the fear she had started seeing Antony Way, Jealousy was a big motivator for Familicide murder as the offender isn’t ready to let go and the threat that his ex- partner may have pushes the offender even more (Brett, 2002)

Modus Operandi
Paul Rogers was unable to live with the victims Tania Simpson and Kyla Rogers he began obsessing the crime was clearly premeditated with the intension of killing Kyla Rogers, Tania Simpson and who he believed to be her new partner (Barnes, 2012) For Paul Rogers to commit this crime he began by stalking Tania Simpson, checking her where about and times spent at home. The murder weapon was a knife attacking Antony Way first, viciously before he had a chance to respond or defend himself. Tania Simpson witnessed the murder of Antony way and ran to the kitchen, having time to defend herself as Paul Rogers stabbed her as well as the coroner’s report showed wound on her hand (Barnes, 2012) Paul Rogers never intended to leave the house with killing both of them.

Recommendations for Intervention

Visitation rights should have been monitored correctly from the start. When the threat of taking away his children altogether Paul Rogers did become better for a period of time, he got a job began to take more care of himself and threats stopped hand (Barnes, 2012) Monitoring this would have ensured that Paul Rogers needed to be in control for him to be able to see his children and it may have helped him to move on once he got his own life back together.

Police should have conducted a thorough investigation when Tania Simpson reported that Paul rogers had been stalking her, threatening her life and making contact with Kyla Simpson at school outside of the allotted 7 hours each Saturday The investigation should have been more thorough Face to face contact with police and restraining orders, he was given all the control and nothing was stopping him from killing the three of them.

Tania Simpson seemed to have no idea how unstable Paul Rogers had become and these warning signs had been ignored for far to long without taking further precautionary action, again restraining orders once he threatened her life and started following her giving her some protection.

No one reported hearing screams coming from the apartment, if this had been reported that chances of saving Kyla Simpson would have been significantly higher. The reasons why people don’t report crimes straight away Is not something research can support. It all depends on the individual but if it had of been reported it is very likely that Kyla Simpson would still be alive.

Barnes, M. State Coroner (2012, June 21st). Inquest into the deaths of Antony WAY Tania SIMPSON Kyla ROGERS Paul ROGERS, Office of the State Coroner , Southport.

Brookman, F. (2005) Understanding Homicide. SAGE Publications, Incorporated
(Brookman, 2005)

Marieke Liem and Darryl W. Roberts Homicide Studies 2009 13: 339 Intimate

Partner Homicide by Presence or Absence of a Self-Destructive Act

DOI: 10.1177/1088767909347988
“Expert on murder-suicide case” sourced from http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/expert-murder-suicide-case/1423923/

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/coroner-sees-lesson-murder-suicide/1426836/

The Courier-Mail 2011 http://www.news.com.au/national-news/two-bodies-found-in-unit-on-gold-coast/story-e6frfkvr-1226057083533 http://www.smh.com.au/national/kyla-death-victim-and-killer-were-friends-says--niece-20110519-1ety0.html

http://www.noviolence.com.au/public/reader/readerjun2012.pdf

http://www.police.qld.gov.au/Resources/Internet/services/reportsPublications/statisticalReview/1112/documents/Crime2011-12.pdf

Father stalked, then killed. (2012, Jun 19). The Northern Star. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/docview/1020864686?accountid=14543

http://www.police.qld.gov.au/Resources/Internet/services/reportsPublications/statisticalReview/1112/documents/DistrictCrime.pdf

http://www.police.qld.gov.au/Resources/Internet/services/reportsPublications/statisticalReview/1112/documents/Crime2011-12.pdf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23686913

Brett, A. (2002). Murder-parasuicide: A case series in western Australia.
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 9, 96-99.