Howard Hobson
| Howard Hobson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 January 1949 Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia |
| 💀Died | 20 January 2004 (aged 55) Cairns, Queensland, Australia20 January 2004 (aged 55) |
| Cause of death | bludgeoning |
| Body discovered | Wharf Street, Cairns City, Queensland, Australia |
| 💼 Occupation | unemployed |
Howard Hobson (20 January 1949 – 20 January 2004) was a homeless Aboriginal Australian man who was murdered in Cairns, Queensland, Australia on his 55th birthday on 20 January 2004.[1]
Hobson's murder remains unsolved and a $250,000 reward is still on offer for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of his killer.[2][3]
Murder
Originally from Lockhart River, Hobson was described as a quiet man who kept to himself while living on the streets around the Cairns CBD.[4]
At 1:30am on 20 January 2004, Hobson was discovered by two Cairns City Council workers on a footpath in Wharf Street, Cairns, unconscious and bleeding from a severe wound to the head.[2]
He was taken to Cairns Base Hospital where he died later that morning.[2]
Investigation
An autopsy revealed Hobson had been bludgeoned at approximately 12:40am on 20 January 2004, most likely with a solid object.[4] Police believe the attack was unprovoked.[4] While a suspect was identified early in the investigation, there was insufficient evidence for an arrest.[4]
No murder weapon has ever been located, and no witnesses have ever come forward.[4] In 2017, Hobson's murder was described by police as an "ongoing protracted cold case".[4]
Reward
Since 2006, a reward of $250,000 has been on offer for information which leads to the apprehension and conviction of those responsible for Hobson's murder.[2][5] Additionally, any accomplice who wasn't the person who actually committed the murder is offered indemnity from prosecution.[2]
While discussing the reward in 2006, Queensland minister for police Judy Spence described the murder as a "callous and brutal assault on a homeless Indigenous man".[4]
References
- ↑ Martinelli, Pete (9 August 2018). "Reward still stands for brutal 2004 murder of homeless Cairns man". The Cairns Post. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Atkinson, Robert (September 2018). "$250,000 reward" (PDF). Queensland Police Service. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ Jones, Crystal (24 March 2020). "KILLERS AT LARGE: 50 Qld cold cases with rewards for info". NewsMail. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Mason, Grace (20 January 2017). "Thirteen years pass since gruesome murder in Cairns CBD". The Cairns Post. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Reward fails to elicit new murder clues". ABC News. 16 July 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
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