Double Murderer Dies of Natural Causes: Coroner’s Verdict

Francis Michael Fahey, a former ambulance officer convicted of murdering two women more than two decades ago, has died in custody from skin cancer and heart disease, a coroner has found.

Coroner’s Findings on Death in Custody

Queensland coroner Terry Ryan found that Francis Michael Fahey died at age 70 on April 18, 2023. Fahey had been transferred from prison to a Brisbane hospital after experiencing shortness of breath.

According to the findings, Fahey was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in March 2023. Ryan ruled that Fahey died of natural causes resulting from the metastatic cancer, with ischaemic heart disease also contributing to his death.

The coroner directed police to investigate the death after Fahey was found lying on his back in a hospital bed. However, the investigation revealed no signs of trauma or indications of a suspicious death, and a one-day inquest concluded that Fahey received adequate health care.

A History of Violence and Legal Loopholes

Fahey was sentenced to 25 years in prison in September 2005 for the murders of Jasmin Crathern in August 2002 and Julie McColl in February 2003. Both victims, who were inner-Brisbane sex workers, were stabbed with a bayonet that Fahey kept in his vehicle.

During his trial, the jury heard that Fahey admitted to the killings, stating, “I’ve spent all my f***ing life saving lives and now I’m taking them and I don’t know why.”

The case became a catalyst for legal reform in Queensland. A loophole involving the Industrial Court’s inability to issue an arrest warrant following a failed WorkCover fraud appeal had prevented police from arresting Fahey even after he handed himself in.

This legal failure allowed Fahey to remain free during the period he committed the second murder of Julie McColl.