Rupert Max STUART
Rupert Max Stuart was convicted of murder and rape of Mary Olive Hattam in Adelaide in 1959, and sentenced to be hanged.
A young Rupert Murdoch, who had just become the owner of The News, used his paper to seek the truth, and query Mr Stuart’s guilt. His ambitious search saved Mr Stuart from the gallows.
Mr Stuart was brought in for questioning regarding the murder and rape of Ms Hattam. A signed confession, coerced through physical abuse by police investigators, was later used to convict Mr Stuart. However, Mr Stuart was illiterate.
Mr Murdoch investigated the signed confession, along with others. The confession was typed, and in educated English. They all concluded that it was not possible that the language used in the confession, could not have come from Mr Stuart.