David and Catherine Birnie

David and Catherine Birnie were a married couple from Perth who committed four murders in a suburban house in Willagee during 1986. Their coordinated actions and the brief span of the crimes led to intensive investigations by Western Australian police.

The arrest occurred in November 1986 after one victim escaped from the Moorhouse Street house and alerted police. Both received life sentences in 1987, with David dying in prison in 2005.

The case of the Moorhouse murders influenced criminal psychology studies in Australia, examining the dynamics of partnerships in violent criminal behavior.

The residence no longer exists at the original address in Willagee, a southern suburb of Perth. Information about the case is available through Western Australian Police archives and public libraries.

The house was demolished after the investigation, and the street was later renamed to remove association with the case. The name Moorhouse is now avoided in Perth when referring to the events of 1986.

Location: Western Australia

GPS coordinates: -32.04733,115.81212

Latest update: December 13, 2025 00:08