Inquest into the Death of Shirley June FINN
Deceased
Shirley June FINN
Demographics
34y, female
Date of death
1975-06-22
Finding date
2020-08-04
Cause of death
multiple gunshot wounds to the head
AI-generated summary
Shirley Finn, a 34-year-old Perth brothel owner, was murdered on 22 June 1975, shot four times in the head in her car near Royal Perth Golf Club. The Deputy State Coroner found cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds to the head from an Anschutz .22 rifle. Despite extensive investigation and a 2017 inquest, the perpetrator remains unidentified. The inquest examined multiple suspects including senior police officers (Bernard Johnson, Donald Hancock, and Mr N), but concluded that while several officers had opportunity and possible motive, insufficient evidence met the required legal standard to implicate any individual. Evidence of systemic police corruption relating to prostitution was heard, and the investigation revealed significant failures in the original 1975 police investigation, including mishandled evidence, missing documentation, and possible deliberate obstruction.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Error types
Contributing factors
- alleged police corruption in prostitution regulation
- complex tax issues
- alleged threats to reveal police corruption
- unsystematic original police investigation
Coroner's recommendations
- Investigation into Ms Finn's death to continue by WAPF detectives pending any further evidence
- Further investigation of police corruption allegations relating to prostitution regulation in 1970s Western Australia
- Independent review of original investigation procedures and evidence handling
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