Cold case: Michael Schievella and Heather McDonald

On 16th of September, 1990, Michael Schievella and Heather McDonald were murdered in their home in St Andrews, in the presence of Heather’s two young children.

At approximately 8am that morning, Heather’s young son awoke and went to the lounge area to watch T.V.

At this point he heard his mother’s partner Michael talking to an unknown male wearing a balaclava.

The unknown male has then taken the young boy to his bedroom, where he bound the boy’s hands and left him on the floor, closing the door as he left.

The young boy then reports hearing male voices coming from the area of the main bedroom. He says that one stage he heard a male person ask, "Have you got any money on you?", and "Where have you hidden all your money?", to which he heard Michael reply, "I haven't got any." A short time later, he heard Michael say, "Don't do that to her." He then heard a series of loud thud type noises, followed by the sound of his mother screaming.

Heather’s young daughter was later awoken by the sound of a telephone ringing and found the door to the main bedroom closed.

She then went to her brother’s room, where she found him tied up on the floor. She freed him and both children went to the main bedroom where they made the grim discovery of the blood-stained sheets covering their dead mother.

Both children then ran to the rear of the house where they found the naked and lifeless body of their mother’s partner, Michael, lying in the rear garden. They could see blood staining around his body. The children then fled over paddocks to nearby Mittons Bridge Road where they hailed a passing neighbour and raised the alarm.

That two young children had to be confronted by the sight of their brutally murdered mother and her partner, with the son having heard the crimes whilst bound in his bedroom, is beyond belief.

Police have established that Michael was a well-known criminal identity at the time of his death and was involved in drug trafficking. Despite this, no one deserves to die in the way Michael and Heather did.

Homicide squad Detectives are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward, specifically people that were seen leaving St Andrews Hotel with Michael in the early hours of the 16th of September 1990.

A one million reward remains on offer in relation to this case and I am asking anyone who may know anything to please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A number of people have been interviewed over the past three decades and investigators continue to pursue new information. And although over 30 years has passed, we believe we can solve this case. I’m asking you to help us solve Michael and Heather’s murders.