How Navy sailor Richard Dorrough confessed he was a serial killer in suicide ... trends now
A former Australian navy sailor who committed suicide left behind a chilling note admitting that he had killed 'three times' .
Richard Dorrough, 37, was engaged, had three young children and was working as a diver when he walked into a Perth gun range in 2014 and turned the pistol on himself.
Days later a parcel sent by him arrived in the mail for his fiancée containing a few of his personal belongings, including a book. On one page he had scrawled the note: 'I did kill three times'.
There was no further explanation, details, or apology and he left no mention as to who he killed and why.
But the former HMAS Geelong crew member, described as polite and charming by those who knew him, had been leading a double life with police having been frustratingly close to locking him away in past.
Richard Dorrough was in the Navy when he likely killed two of his victims
His confession was unravelled on Nine's Under Investigation on Wednesday with Senator Dorinda Cox, forensic psychologist Dr Sarah Yule, former detective Gary Jubelin, and human rights advocate Dr Hannah McGlade joining host Liz Hayes.
'He didn't have the courage to make those admissions when he was still alive,' Mr Jubelin said.
'He just kind of hung it out there, which is rather cruel... and sending it to his fiancée, what kind of person does that?'
Despite no details in his admission, Dorrough had been linked to the three young women found dead.
The first was Sara-Lee Davey, a 21-year-old Indigenous woman who lived in Broome in Western Australia.
Sara-Lee Davey vanished from Broome in 1997 when the HMAS Geelong, which Dorrough was aboard was docked at its port
Her mother Irene is still searching for answers and has never stopped pushing her daughter's case
Dorrough had been in the navy only two years, and received less-than-favourable evaluations from officers, when his ship the HMAS Geelong docked at the remote town and he was allowed on shore leave.
He met Davey in the early hours of January 13, 1997 at the Nippon Inn where she was on a night out with friends and convinced her to leave with him.
The pair went back to the wharf where his ship was docked and tried to get on board but were stopped by the naval seaman on watch.
Dorrough then took Ms Davey to the end of the wharf and returned to the ship minutes later alone but with scratch marks on his face.
A nearby fisherman would later report hearing a scream from the wharf and then a splash.
The young woman was reported missing days later and has never been found.
Her mother, Irene, who was on a short trip away returned to Broome three days later and when she could not contact Sara-Lee she immediately went to police.
'I think we were dismissed by everyone including the local police. We left it in the hands of the law and hoped they were going to find her, but that never happened.'
Irene went back to the police station every morning for more than a month to no avail. She also publicly appealed to find her daughter on television,
