Fifty-five-year-old Michael Davies was a commercial pilot by trade and a passionate inventor and tinkerer who lived in the quiet, upscale suburb of Paradise Point on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. Described by his brother Guy as exceptionally clever, charismatic, and creative, he loved building planes and boats, devouring books on everything from philosophy to mechanics, and pursuing artistic interests like poetry, music, and art.
On the morning of Wednesday, April 17th, 2002, Michael was found murdered in his two-story duplex at 2/130 The Esplanade. A neighbor had reported hearing a sound like a gunshot between approximately eleven ten and eleven thirty a.m. When police arrived a few minutes before noon, they discovered Michael’s body at the kitchen bench. He had been shot once in the back of the head at close range with a 9mm pistol.
There were no signs of forced entry and no evidence of a struggle, suggesting the killer entered the premises stealthily and caught Michael completely unaware while he was reviewing business paperwork or notes related to one of his inventions. The murder bore the hallmarks of a professional hit.
Michael Davies had struggled severely with financial management in the years prior to his slaying. He had a habit of borrowing heavily to fund his latest projects, convinced each one would be his big break. At the time of his death, his Ballina-based company, Brown House Holdings, was in deep debt, owing more than $900,000 (or around $700,000+ in some reports) to 108 unsecured creditors, plus additional amounts to secured creditors. Debts included significant sums to “investors” and “external loans.”
This web of financial obligations created a long list of potential suspects; over a hundred, according to police. Michael also had links to shady characters, including a southern crime organization with Middle Eastern connections involved in amphetamine importation, and an American associate tied to heroin importation for whom he had been building a high-speed boat.
Witnesses and evidence pointed to a coordinated operation. Two men had reportedly purchased a red 1982 Datsun Bluebird for cash at a roadside sale in Coomera shortly before the murder. This vehicle was seen outside Michael Davies’ home on the morning of the killing. It was later found torched on Sunbird Avenue, only a little over a half-mile away. The suspects then reportedly fled in a second vehicle: a late-model burgundy Ford Falcon with black and yellow New South Wales plates, which was never recovered.
In 2016, a local boater came forward with a compelling account. The night before the murder, while waiting near the Sovereign Islands Bridge to meet a friend, he used a flashlight and observed two men (one large man and one smaller one, both about fifty years old) loitering suspiciously near Michael Davies’ property. A burgundy Ford Falcon soon arrived with two younger, clean-shaven men in their thirties. After a brief conversation, the car departed south down The Esplanade. Police viewed this as a possible pre-murder reconnaissance by hitmen.
The investigation has been extensive, involving hundreds of leads across Australia. In 2009, Queensland police collaborated with New South Wales’ Strike Force Tuno 2. Links were explored to figures like the Perish brothers and associates such as alleged hitman Sean Laurence Waygood. At one point, police issued a warrant for a suspected trigger man connected to these circles.
Despite these efforts, no one has been charged. Queensland Police continue to offer a $250,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of those responsible, along with possible indemnity for accomplices who come forward.
Crime Immemorial 