Crime Investigation Australia — Season 1, Episode 13: The Disappearance of Donald Mackay

Episode synopsis

A small group of local criminals, with mafia connections, were making vast fortunes in the famous NSW Riverina irrigation district from marijuana plantations. Corrupt police and a vast bribery network had kept the drug barons immune from prosecution until Donald Mackay's campaign finally led to raids by the State drug squad and several local marijuana growers were arrested and fined. During their trial the police informant was named publicly as Donald Mackay. Infuriated by the loss of more than $40 million, the leaders of the Griffith mafia, including the notorious Robert Aussie Bob Trimbole, put out a contract for Mackay's murder. Trimbole was shot in the car park of a Griffith hotel on a Friday night in July, 1977. The murder scene was awash with his blood and evidence showed he was shot a number of times from behind and his body then dumped into a car boot and driven away. Intensive investigations by police and even a Royal Commission have failed to locate it.

About Crime Investigation Australia

Crime Investigation Australia is an Australian true-crime series that first premiered on Foxtel's Crime & Investigation Network in August 2005. The series is also rebroadcast on the Nine Network, and made its debut there on 14 August 2007. The host of the series is Steve Liebmann.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1No More Grannies - The Granny Killer
• E2Kid for Ransom - Tears for Daniel
• E3Death in a Heartbeat - The Body in the Bag
• E4The Backpacker Murders: Ivan Milat
• E5Contract to Kill / The Mornington Monster
• E6The Moorhouse Horrors / The Call Girl Killing
• E7The Killer Punch/The Will of Death
• E8The Anita Cobby Murder
• E9Snowtown: Bodies in the Barrels
• E10The Kimberley Killer
• E11The Wanda Beach Murders/Beaumont Children Mystery
• E12The Greenough Family Massacre