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Queensland Police Capture Suspected Cairns Shooter After 1,000km Manhunt

A Bruce Highway crash exposed a cache of seven guns, prompting a lockdown that led to a bushland search by specialist officers.

Overview

  • Specialist officers found John Durham Willey in bushland near the Canoona crash site about 10:30pm Wednesday, ending a pursuit that stretched more than 1,000km from Cairns.
  • Police allege he shot a 45-year-old man in the leg at a Manunda hotel on September 9 before fleeing far north Queensland.
  • The search shifted to central Queensland after a Holden Crewman ute collided with a caravan on the Bruce Highway north of Rockhampton, with the occupants running from the scene.
  • Detectives recovered two firearms and ammunition from the ute and five more from a dumped golf bag, triggering a Public Safety Preservation Act declaration that closed the highway for hours.
  • Willey has been charged with offences including acts intended to maim, armed robbery and unlawful possession of a category A weapon, while alleged accomplice Kate Pendlebury, 47, faces similar charges and remains remanded.