In 1990, a quiet Melbourne neighborhood became the center of a mystery that remains unsolved more than three decades later.
May Rosser, 74, and her 72-year-old partner Joseph “Les” Shackleton were last heard from on the evening of May 25, 1990. That night, Les had left the Sydney Road Hotel in Brunswick around 6:00 p.m., dropped off a friend, and went to May’s home on Hope Street for dinner.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., May spoke with a relative and made plans for the following morning. It was the last confirmed contact anyone had with either of them.
The next day, after being unable to reach the couple, a relative went to the house and found signs of a serious incident. Blood was present inside the home, and several items were missing, including bedding and their white VK Commodore station wagon.
Two days later, on May 28 at around 7:20 p.m., police were alerted to a suspicious vehicle parked near Hawksburn Railway Station in South Yarra. Inside the trunk, they discovered the bodies of May and Les, both fully clothed and covered with materials believed to have come from a nearby construction site.
An autopsy determined that Les had died from multiple stab wounds, while May’s cause of death was strangulation.
Investigators were unable to locate a weapon, and there were no clear signs of robbery. Authorities initially considered the possibility of a burglary gone wrong, but no definitive motive was ever established.
In 2008, following a review of the case, Victoria Police increased the reward for information leading to a conviction to $250,000 AUD.
As of 2025, no one has been charged, and the case remains op
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