DETECTIVES investigating a brutal rape and murder in 1976 believed the man responsible may have also killed Lucille Butterworth, an inquest has heard. Retired police commissioner Richard McCreadie was one of four officers who arrested and charged Geoffrey Hunt in July 1976 over the brutal death of car saleswoman Susan Knight. Mr McCreadie told an inquest into Ms Butterworth's disappearance that in 1976 he spoke to two officers taking a break from interviewing Hunt in relation to Ms Knight's death. It was then, while standing in the muster room at the Glenorchy police station, that Ms Butter-worth was mentioned. "The effect of the conversation was that 'it looks he might be good for the Butterworth matter'," Mr McCreadie told the inquest. "I was under the impression that something had transpired and he was in the crosshairs for the Butterworth matter." "I was left in no doubt, that whether they'd asked him or whether he'd volunteered it, some admission had been made," he said. Mr McCreadie said he was told there was a confession, but was later told Hunt had recanted the admission. Hunt spent 22 years in prison for killing Ms Knight, and is now considered the prime suspect in Ms Butterworth's disappearance. Hunt is expected to be summonsed to give evidence at the inquest at a later date. Mr McCreadie also told the inquest it was no secret early investigations into Ms Butter-worth's disappearance were handled poorly. He said senior police pursuing the theory that Ms Butterworth was a runaway was "profoundly wrong". Mr McCreadie also said the officer in charge focused on one suspect, convicted rapist John Gannon Lonergan, to the detriment of the investigation. He told the inquest the handling of Ms Butterworth's case was "very piecemeal". "It had the effect of being boxed and never collated or co-ordinated," he said. "It was never really constructed properly ... it was really just a box full of papers." The inquest, before coroner Simon Cooper, continues.
DETECTIVES investigating a brutal rape and murder in 1976 believed the man responsible may have also killed Lucille Butterworth, an inquest has heard.
Retired police commissioner Richard McCreadie was one of four officers who arrested and charged Geoffrey Hunt in July 1976 over the brutal death of car saleswoman Susan Knight.
Mr McCreadie told an inquest into Ms Butterworth's disappearance that in 1976 he spoke to two officers taking a break from interviewing Hunt in relation to Ms Knight's death.
It was then, while standing in the muster room at the Glenorchy police station, that Ms Butter-worth was mentioned.
"The effect of the conversation was that 'it looks he might be good for the Butterworth matter'," Mr McCreadie told the inquest.
"I was under the impression that something had transpired and he was in the crosshairs for the Butterworth matter."
"I was left in no doubt, that whether they'd asked him or whether he'd volunteered it, some admission had been made," he said.
Mr McCreadie said he was told there was a confession, but was later told Hunt had recanted the admission.
Hunt spent 22 years in prison for killing Ms Knight, and is now considered the prime suspect in Ms Butterworth's disappearance.
Hunt is expected to be summonsed to give evidence at the inquest at a later date.
Mr McCreadie also told the inquest it was no secret early investigations into Ms Butter-worth's disappearance were handled poorly.
He said senior police pursuing the theory that Ms Butterworth was a runaway was "profoundly wrong".
Mr McCreadie also said the officer in charge focused on one suspect, convicted rapist John Gannon Lonergan, to the detriment of the investigation.
He told the inquest the handling of Ms Butterworth's case was "very piecemeal".
"It had the effect of being boxed and never collated or co-ordinated," he said.
"It was never really constructed properly ... it was really just a box full of papers."
The inquest, before coroner Simon Cooper, continues.
