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Killings of Terence and Christine Hodson

UNSOLVED2002Kew, Victoria, Australia2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Terence Hodson became a police informant in 2002 after Drug Squad detective David Miechel arrested him and then became his handler. In September 2003, Hodson and Miechel were arrested over the burglary of an Oakleigh East house used to store approximately $1.3 million worth of ecstasy pills. Within 48 hours of the arrests, Hodson's sensitive police informant file was stolen from police headquarters. Miechel was later sentenced to 12 years in prison over the drugs burglary.

Hodson agreed to give evidence to Ethical Standards detectives and implicated Drug Squad detective sergeant Paul Dale. Miechel, Dale and Hodson were charged in December 2003. Hodson's informant file was leaked and circulated in Melbourne's criminal underworld. Detectives recommended that Hodson and his family enter witness protection because of the danger, but the family remained at home.

On 16 May 2004, Terence and Christine Hodson were found fatally shot in their Kew home. Christine was not alleged to have been involved in criminal activity. Two of their children found them. After the killings, the burglary charges against Dale were dropped. The case prompted calls for a royal commission into Victoria Police and led the state government to establish the Office of Police Integrity. A dedicated Petra Task Force was created in 2007, and authorities offered a $1 million reward in 2008.

In 2009, Dale was charged with the murder of Terence Hodson, and Rodney Collins was charged with both killings. Prosecutors alleged that Dale arranged a contract through Carl Williams and that Collins carried it out. Williams was expected to be an important Crown witness, but he died in prison in April 2010. Prosecutors then dropped the murder charges against Dale and Collins; neither man was convicted in connection with the Hodsons' deaths. The Petra Task Force was disbanded in 2010. During the later Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants, detectives said efforts to protect a police informer's identity had hampered the murder investigation.

Key facts

Victims
Terence Hodson, Christine Hodson
Date
2002
Location
Kew, Victoria, Australia
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 2002

    Terence Hodson becomes a police informant after being arrested by Drug Squad detective David Miechel.

  2. 2003-09

    Hodson and off-duty Miechel arrested for burglary of a house in Oakleigh East storing ecstasy pills; Hodson's confidential informant file is stolen from police headquarters within 48 hours.

  3. 2003-12

    Hodson, Miechel, and Drug Squad detective sergeant Paul Dale are all charged over the burglary.

  4. 2004-05-16

    Terence and Christine Hodson are found murdered in their home in Kew, discovered by two of their children.

  5. 2006-08

    David Miechel jailed for 12 years over the drugs burglary.

  6. 2007

    Petra Task Force created to investigate the Hodson murders.

  7. 2008

    Authorities offer a $1 million reward for information leading to solving the murders.

  8. 2009

    Paul Dale charged with the murder of Terence Hodson; Rodney Charles Collins charged with the double murder.

  9. 2010-04

    Crown witness Carl Williams is beaten to death in prison.

  10. 2010

    Charges against Dale and Collins are dropped; Petra Task Force disbanded.

  11. 2020-06

    Journalist Andrew Rule covers the case in a 4-part podcast series, interviewing Mandy Hodson and Andrew Hodson; Nicola Gobbo states she believes she now knows who is responsible for the murders.

Best coverage

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People

  • David Miechel

    CONVICTED

    Former Drug Squad detective; jailed in August 2006 for 12 years for the drugs burglary connected to the case.

  • Terence Hodson

    VICTIM

    Police informant murdered with his wife in their Kew home on May 16, 2004.

  • Christine Hodson

    VICTIM

    Murdered alongside her husband Terence Hodson on May 16, 2004; believed to have had no involvement in criminal activity.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Kew, Victoria, Australia

-37.8038, 145.0325

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Terence Hodson, a police informant, and his wife Christine were fatally shot in their Kew home in May 2004. A former detective and another man were later charged, but prosecutors dropped the cases after a key witness died in prison; the killings remain unsolved.
Where did the killings happen?
Kew, Victoria, Australia.
Who was convicted?
David Miechel (Former Drug Squad detective; jailed in August 2006 for 12 years for the drugs burglary connected to the case.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Victoria

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurders of Terrence and Christine HodsonWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSWilliams probed in jail over Hodson murdersThe Age · 2026-07-10