Exclusive: After more than a year since the heart-wrenching inquest that unveiled the magnitude of the tragedy that took their loved ones, tomorrow marks the end of a painful quest for answers for the families affected by the Wieambilla massacre.
As the coroner is set to release the findings, Wayne McCrow, the father of fallen police officer Rachel McCrow, opens up about his sorrow for the first time, sharing that he always carries his daughter’s police badge with him.
Rachel McCrow and her fellow officer, Matthew Arnold, lost their lives during an incident at 251 Wains Road on December 12, 2022.
“She was shouting, calling them bastards while firing,” Mr. McCrow recounted.
McCrow’s body camera captured her last moments and her final heartfelt message.
“‘I love you,’ she said. Yes, she loved us all,” recalled Mr. McCrow.
It’s Mr McCrow’s wish that after hearing the evidence of almost 70 witnesses at the inquest, Queensland’s coroner will have pieced together what could have been done to keep his daughter from coming face-to-face with pure evil.
He hopes tomorrow’s findings will bring some closure but he doesn’t want his daughter’s legacy to end here.
“Why not make a public holiday?” Mr McCrow said.
“The Rachel Day and Matthew Day. And throw Alan Dare in there too. The Wieambilla people.”
