Fred Krahe
Encyclopedia
Frederick Claude "Fred" Krahe (6 November 1919 - 6 December 1981, Sydney, New South Wales
) was a New South Wales police officer and detective.
Krahe is often referred to as having been one of the most feared NSW police officers of his day. He made many successful arrests for which he received commendations and awards for bravery and outstanding detective work for over thirty years. In his autobiography, one of Australia’s foremost investigative crime reporters of the time, Bill Jenkings, described Krahe as a ‘clever investigator, who left no stone unturned in his quest to solve the most baffling of cases’ but that ‘unfortunately, Krahe became far more famous for the crimes he was wrongly alleged to have committed himself'.
In a letter to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Detective Ray Blisset (Queens Police Medal) wrote to express his ‘disgust at the obituary tendered for former Detective Sergeant 1st Class Frederick Claude Krahe’. He went on to say that during the years he served in the police force he had worked side by side with Krahe and knew him as a great investigator of crime and that ‘as a detective he had no peer.’ Blisset showed little regard for the journalists who publicised allegations against Krahe writing that they should, ‘show respect for all the good he did and not rewrite scandalous rumours to satisfy some salacious minds’.
It has been purported that he was a close associate of other allegedly corrupt New South Wales police officers, including the notorious detectives Ray "Gunner" Kelly, Don Fergusson, Roger Rogerson
, and former New South Wales Police Commissioner Fred Hanson. He is alleged to have had a long-standing corrupt relationship with powerful criminal Lenny McPherson
, who was known as the "Mr Big" of Sydney organised crime. In fact, Krahe had pursued McPherson rigorously throughout his career. McPherson himself, giving an account of this at the Juanita Neilsen inquest, told the court ‘I didn’t like Fred Krahe. He arrested me hundreds of times. If I had any information (on him) I would be giving it to you'. It was at this inquest that McPherson strongly denied telling two police officers, one Commonwealth, one NSW, that he’d heard that Krahe had murdered Mrs Neilsen, an allegation that was quoted initially by journalists Barry Ward and Tony Reeves in an article in the National Times. In fact Krahe was employed to pursue legal requirements for eviction of squatters, which he did.
In time, rumours largely based on criminal say-so about several murders have been printed as fact, where such hearsay is quoted as evidence. None of these allegations has ever been proven, though they are often repeated. Among the many rumors and allegations about him, Krahe is alleged to have murdered prostitute and whistle-blower Shirley Brifman in 1972 after his corrupt relationship with her was exposed. However, he was at no time a suspect in the police investigation and the coroner’s conclusion was that Brifman committed suicide.
There have also been allegations that Krahe was involved in the disappearance and presumed murders of both anti-development campaigner Juanita Nielsen
in 1975 and Griffith
anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay
, although the allegation about the Mackay killing was made by notorious Melbourne criminal James Frederick Bazley, who is widely believed to have been paid to kill Mackay by infamous Griffith Mafia figure and drug dealer Robert Trimbole
.
In an attempt to counter false information, Krahe’s wife brought a successful case against Bay Books, The Prince and The Premier, by David Hickie (1988), in which the court found statements made about Fred Krahe and his wife engaging in criminal activities to be false.
It appears that the source of some serious allegations against Krahe originated largely from a journalist citing criminal Lenny McPherson in a conversation with an unnamed police officer and printed in an article in the National Times as evidence, statements which McPherson later denied. Despite ongoing serious allegations made against his name, no charge has been made nor hard evidence offered to substantiate that Krahe took part in the criminal activity ascribed to him.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
) was a New South Wales police officer and detective.
Krahe is often referred to as having been one of the most feared NSW police officers of his day. He made many successful arrests for which he received commendations and awards for bravery and outstanding detective work for over thirty years. In his autobiography, one of Australia’s foremost investigative crime reporters of the time, Bill Jenkings, described Krahe as a ‘clever investigator, who left no stone unturned in his quest to solve the most baffling of cases’ but that ‘unfortunately, Krahe became far more famous for the crimes he was wrongly alleged to have committed himself'.
In a letter to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Detective Ray Blisset (Queens Police Medal) wrote to express his ‘disgust at the obituary tendered for former Detective Sergeant 1st Class Frederick Claude Krahe’. He went on to say that during the years he served in the police force he had worked side by side with Krahe and knew him as a great investigator of crime and that ‘as a detective he had no peer.’ Blisset showed little regard for the journalists who publicised allegations against Krahe writing that they should, ‘show respect for all the good he did and not rewrite scandalous rumours to satisfy some salacious minds’.
It has been purported that he was a close associate of other allegedly corrupt New South Wales police officers, including the notorious detectives Ray "Gunner" Kelly, Don Fergusson, Roger Rogerson
Roger Rogerson
Roger Caleb Rogerson is a controversial former detective-sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force. Rogerson was convicted of perverting the course of justice and lying to the 1999 Police Integrity Commission...
, and former New South Wales Police Commissioner Fred Hanson. He is alleged to have had a long-standing corrupt relationship with powerful criminal Lenny McPherson
Lenny McPherson
Leonard Arthur McPherson was one of the most notorious and powerful Australian career criminals of the late 20th century...
, who was known as the "Mr Big" of Sydney organised crime. In fact, Krahe had pursued McPherson rigorously throughout his career. McPherson himself, giving an account of this at the Juanita Neilsen inquest, told the court ‘I didn’t like Fred Krahe. He arrested me hundreds of times. If I had any information (on him) I would be giving it to you'. It was at this inquest that McPherson strongly denied telling two police officers, one Commonwealth, one NSW, that he’d heard that Krahe had murdered Mrs Neilsen, an allegation that was quoted initially by journalists Barry Ward and Tony Reeves in an article in the National Times. In fact Krahe was employed to pursue legal requirements for eviction of squatters, which he did.
In time, rumours largely based on criminal say-so about several murders have been printed as fact, where such hearsay is quoted as evidence. None of these allegations has ever been proven, though they are often repeated. Among the many rumors and allegations about him, Krahe is alleged to have murdered prostitute and whistle-blower Shirley Brifman in 1972 after his corrupt relationship with her was exposed. However, he was at no time a suspect in the police investigation and the coroner’s conclusion was that Brifman committed suicide.
There have also been allegations that Krahe was involved in the disappearance and presumed murders of both anti-development campaigner Juanita Nielsen
Juanita Nielsen
Juanita Joan Nielsen was an Australian publisher and heiress.She was born Juanita Joan Smith in New Lambton, NSW to parents: Neil Donovan Smith and Vilma Grace Smith nee Meares . Her parents separated soon after her birth and she was raised by her mother at Killara, Sydney...
in 1975 and Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay
Donald Mackay
Donald Bruce Mackay was an Australian anti-drugs campaigner who came to fame in 1977 through the circumstances of his murder.Mackay was born in Griffith and raised in Sydney...
, although the allegation about the Mackay killing was made by notorious Melbourne criminal James Frederick Bazley, who is widely believed to have been paid to kill Mackay by infamous Griffith Mafia figure and drug dealer Robert Trimbole
Robert Trimbole
Robert Trimbole was an Australian businessman, drug baron and organised crime boss whose alleged involvement in the disappearance of anti-marijuana campaigner Donald Mackay and involvement in drug trafficking in the Griffith, New South Wales area, led to a royal commission, a Coroner's inquest and...
.
In an attempt to counter false information, Krahe’s wife brought a successful case against Bay Books, The Prince and The Premier, by David Hickie (1988), in which the court found statements made about Fred Krahe and his wife engaging in criminal activities to be false.
It appears that the source of some serious allegations against Krahe originated largely from a journalist citing criminal Lenny McPherson in a conversation with an unnamed police officer and printed in an article in the National Times as evidence, statements which McPherson later denied. Despite ongoing serious allegations made against his name, no charge has been made nor hard evidence offered to substantiate that Krahe took part in the criminal activity ascribed to him.