Alleged hitman arrested over cold-case murders in Melbourne


June 6th 2008 Channel 7 news- The man yesterday charged with murdering a couple in West Heidelberg 21 years ago is closely linked to Tony Mokbel and is under investigation over a similar case connected to Melbourne’s underworld war. Rodney Charles Collins, 63, was arrested yesterday by detectives from Taskforce Petra – the unit set up to investigate the murders of police informer Terence Hodson and his wife Christine, who were shot dead in their Kew home on May 15, 2004. Collins was living with Joan McGuire, whose daughter Danielle is Tony Mokbel’s partner. Danielle and Mokbel had a child together in Greece while the wanted man was on the run. Police say Collins, also known as Rod “The Duke” Earl, is a well known underworld figure since the 1980’s and is now part of Mokbel’s extended family. Collins appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday charged with the murders of Ray and Dorothy Abbey, who were shot in the back of the head in their West Heidelberg home in July 1987. The Petra taskforce has been investigating links between Mokbel and Collins, who has been a well-known figure in Melbourne’s underworld for more than 20 years. Police allege the Abbeys were killed as part of a failed drug rip-off after three men went to the house believing the couple had cash and heroin hidden in a safe in their garden shed. But they were wrong and the safe was empty. One of the alleged team, Mark Andrew McConville, was initially found guilty of the murders but the conviction