The Anita Cobby Murder

The abduction, pack-rape and murder of Anita Cobby in February 1986 has been described as one of Australia’s most shocking murders. Almost two decades after the body of the 26-year-old Sydney nurse was found in a paddock in Prospect, in western Sydney, the appalling details of the young woman’s final hours continue to resonate in the wider Sydney community. The subsequent capture and trial of the five men responsible for Anita’s death generated both fear and loathing within the community, and led to the demonising of the perpetrators, with calls for the return of the death penalty. But where such crimes at first impact negatively on a community, the murder of Anita Cobby and the example set by her parents, Garry and Grace Lynch, has continued to shape community attitudes and behaviours that reconcile, empower and inspire the families of other murder victims.