Today, we acknowledge and honour the anniversary of Detective Senior Sergeant John Edward Hill’s death.
Joining the Victoria Police Force in 1967, John Edward Hill experienced a great deal of pride over his 26 year-long career.
Rising through the ranks, and at one stage being a Homicide Squad Detective Senior Sergeant, one of his final investigations in the role was investigating the 11 October 1988 fatal police shooting of Graeme Russell Jensen.
Eight detectives (now former detectives), were charged with offences surrounding the Jensen shooting. John Hill, charged with being an accessory after the fact and arising from his investigation of the shooting, was suspended from Victoria Police.
Humiliated, John reached the end upon his realization of having to stand in the Supreme Court as a suspended, charged police investigator, as a prosecution witness in the matter of the murder of Jensen’s mother by his brother, Clinton Jensen.
Experiencing initial feelings of burnout, due to ‘too many laws’, as well as ‘too many jobs’, John put himself under ‘too much pressure’ in 1990, however would not admit such until taking his tragic, final action.
Suffering personal humiliation, uncertainty and degradation, at 47 years of age, Detective Senior Sergeant John Edward Hill took his own life in Springthorpe Reserve, Murrumbeena, in the early hours of Sunday 27 September 1993.
PVV extends its deepest condolences to John’s family on this day.
5 Comments
A great man and a terrible tragedy – I remember hearing the news that day like it was yesterday
Very sad day for Victoria Police – I recall the funeral in the city and the CCP out front leading the honor march – a terrible loss of a great man.
John was a wonderful human being and a superlative investigator. What an aggregious loss to humanity and wife and family especially.
Visit shrine every year and remember him fondly although sadly not on the wall. He bloody well ought to be.
Thank the courts too!
John was a squad mate and later a fellow colleague at Prahran C.I.B. John was a great man who was very highly respected. A tragic, tragic story. R.I.P. John.
Lest we forget , shall we always remember those who have blown in the wind , & our ancestors.
God bless 🙌