Fred Swift - Murder

Murder

Swift was murdered on Thursday, 28 April 1983 when two robbers, Robert William Larson (13 March 1965– ), of Ophir Street, Bendigo, and Malcolm David Lee, of Violet Street, Bendigo, armed with a sawn-off .22 calibre rifle, and disguised with balaclavas, invaded his farm (located at Lockwood, 10 km southwest of Bendigo) around mid-day whilst he was absent from home. They had chosen to rob Swift's property in order to supplement their unemployment benefits. According to the account of Tom Hafey, a former Richmond team-mate, a former Richmond coach, and a long-time friend of Swift, "The kids knew the layout of the house. Fred used to take them fishing".

They tied up his wife (Anita Charlotte Swift) and son (Paul Andrew Swift), and they began ransacking the house.

Swift arrived home soon after Larson and Lee's invasion; he got out of his car, went into the house to investigate, confronted the two, and was shot in the heart and in the thigh. He died almost immediately from his wounds. His body was not moved until nearly 6 pm that afternoon.

His murderers escaped in Swift's car. Larson was identified by Paul Swift (who had first met Larson two years earlier); and, despite Larson's disguise, Paul was able to identify him by his voice, his eyes, his build, and his clothing. Paul also identified Larson as the one who had been armed with the sawn-off .22 calibre rifle. The police immediately set up road blocks, and began to search the surrounding area. Soon Swift's car was found abandoned in bushland several kilometres from the scene of the murder. The police arrested both of his murderers late that afternoon.