True Crime Collection

Lin Family Murders

In the early hours of 18th July 2009 in North Epping, New South Wales, newsagent proprietor Min Lin, age 45; his wife, Yun Lin, 43; their sons, Henry, 12 and Terry, 9; and Yun Lin's sister, Irene Lin, 39, were bludgeoned to death. Kathy Lin, sister of Min Lin, and her husband Lian Bin "Robert" Xie discovered the bodies when they went to the house at around 9am to see why the news agency run by the Lin family was not open. After arriving, entering via the unlocked front door, going upstairs and seeing the bloodied rooms and battered bodies, Kathy called 000 for an ambulance and struggled to explain what she had seen to the dispatcher. While waiting for the police, Lian left Kathy at the scene to pick up Min Lin's and Kathy Lin's parents, who lived in Merrylands. Police and paramedics quickly arrived at the scene, but the victims were clearly beyond help.

Police investigators noted the blood splatter from floor to ceiling, and the faces of the victims were so disfigured that forensic analysis had to be used to identify them. There was no evidence of a break in. Nothing had been ransacked or stolen. It was clear that the killer had known the layout of the house, the location of the circuit breaker, and that Brenda was not home, as it appeared that the attacker did not enter her room. Forensic analysts also determined that the killings had been started with a hammer like object, alleged at trial to have been bought from a $2 store, and 4 of the 5 victims had signs of asphyxia. There were 24 bloody shoe prints that were also evident, determined to be around US size 8.5 to 10.5, indicating a lone attacker. 

Brenda Lin, then 15, was the only member of the immediate family to survive. She was on a year 10 French school trip in New Caledonia with Cheltenham Girls High School at the time, and learnt of the murders via Facebook. After the murders, Lian and Kathy Lin became her legal guardians, and they resumed operation of the successful newsagent business. Brenda Lin later said that she had been sexually abused by Lian during this period. 

A month after the attack, Strike Force Norburn was set up to coordinate the investigation. In May 2010 the NSW Crime Commission told Kathy Lin about the discovery of shoe prints that may match an ASICS sneaker. Subsequently, a 6 month long covert police surveillance video showed Lian cutting up a size 9.5 ASICS sneakers box and flushing it down a toilet. It was also found that Lian cleaned up his garage on the morning of the murders. Forensic investigators searched his home and found a stain on the floor of the garage, which the Crown prosecutor alleged was blood. Later analysis of "stain 91" by Cybergenetics in Pittsburgh, USA revealed it to contain DNA from 4 of the 5 victims. 

Just after 9am on 5th May 2011, Lian was arrested without incident at his home in North Epping, following an extensive investigation, and on 19th December 2012, he was committed for trial. Lian's trial had been scheduled to being in September 2013. DNA tests on some evidence were in the process of being completed. Regarding motive, it was revealed that Lian had been an ENT doctor in China before migrating to Melbourne in 2006, and had made an unsuccessful attempt to open a restaurant in Melbourne before relocating to Sydney. He had felt slighted by his loss of status and face when compared to his successful in laws. He was also attracted sexually to his niece, Brenda Lin. 

On 22nd July 2013, The Supreme Court delayed the trial until 17th March 2014. This was agreed between the prosecution and the defence, although the newspaper reports were not able to comment on the reasons for the delay. On 20th May and 21st May 2014, in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Min Lin's and Kathy Lin's father, Yang Fei Lin, described his horror at learning that the 5 family members were dead. 

The 2nd trial for the murders began in August 2014, but was abandoned again shortly thereafter in September due to health issues of the trial judge. 

The 3rd trial commenced in February 2015. Lian, who had been refused bail ahead of the trial, pleaded not guilty. Lian's defence lawyers argued that the injuries inflicted upon the family members indicated that the murders were committed by more than 1 person. On 1st December 2015, after a 9 month trial and 11 days of deliberation, 2 separate notes from the jury of 12 indicated they were unable to reach a verdict. An agreement still could not be reached after a direction from presiding Justice Elizabeth Fullerton indicating that she would accept a majority verdict of 11 to 1. Elizabeth formally discharged the jury on 1st December. The date for a retrial was initially undecided, but then confirmed for August 2016. Lian was granted bail on 8th December 2015. 

The final trial commenced in Sydney in June 2016. As in the previous trial, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, and Justice Fullerton advised a majority verdict would be accepted by the court. On 12th January 2017, a jury found Lian guilty of 5 counts of murder. Lian was sentenced on 13th February 2017 to 5 consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.