THE SOCIETY MURDERS The true story of the Wales-King murders

Softcover. In April 2002, wealthy Melbourne socialite Margaret Wales-King and her husband Paul King dined with family and then disappeared into thin air. Twenty-five days later, after an investigation that dominated the headlines, their bludgeoned bodies were found in a shallow bush grave. The family's grief was on full public display as speculation raged and rumours about drugs, gambling and financial strife did the rounds. Then Margaret's youngest son, Matthew, was arrested for the murders and his wife, Maritza, was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. In his confession, Matthew was adamant that he wasn't after the money. He felt totally disempowered by his mother and believed he had no choice but to commit one of the most uncommon and unsettling of crimes - matricide. Each development in this case swamped the press. Was it their wealth? Or morbid fascination with the enigmatic Maritza's role? Or was it simply that nice men like Matthew aren't meant to kill their mothers? The author has immersed herself in the world of the Wales-Kings, closely following the investigation, the subsequent legal processes, and the surrounding media furore. Most fascinating of all, she examines the psychology of a killer whose chilling act rocked a family, a class and a city to its very core. Illus. in colour, Epilogue, Appendix + Endnotes. 258pp. trade size p/back. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F. with no creasing to covers.