On Friday, March 15th, 2002, a badly decomposed body was discovered in grassland just a few yards from Mount Dandenong Tourist Road in Kalorama, in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It was eventually identified as twenty-four-year-old Kade Eric Hall, a Croydon man and landscape gardener whose family and friends had reported him missing two weeks earlier.
Police believe Kade was murdered on or around the evening of Thursday, February 28th, 2002. He was last seen alive in the Croydon area around ten p.m., where investigators think he met his drug supplier and collected a quantity of heroin. He sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head and neck. His body was dumped in bushland off the scenic tourist road.
Kade Hall lived in Croydon and worked as a gardener with aspirations to start his own business. According to family members, he had a history of substance abuse and was involved in low-level drug dealing, particularly heroin trafficking in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs. Police suspect this involvement was the motive behind his killing.
Family and friends grew concerned when he failed to make contact and reported him missing on Saturday, March 2nd, 2002. The delay in discovering his body meant significant decomposition, leading to identification via DNA.
Victoria Police’s Homicide Squad conducted an extensive investigation. Detectives identified a number of people of interest, believing up to three individuals may have been involved. However, no one has ever been charged.
Kade’s sister, Tamsin Derix, has been vocal in her belief that her brother was killed by people he knew, possibly former acquaintances or friends. She described receiving threats when she began asking questions in the Croydon area shortly after his disappearance. “He would not get in a car unless he knew the people and trusted them,” she said.
To encourage information, police initially offered a $100,000 reward in 2009, which was later increased to $1 million. The Director of Public Prosecutions has indicated willingness to consider indemnity from prosecution for helpful information leading to convictions.
As recently as 2024, Homicide Squad detectives continued to appeal for public assistance, noting that the passage of time might make someone more willing to come forward.
As of this writing in June 2026, however, Kade Hall’s murder remains unsolved.
Crime Immemorial 