It's the anniversary of one of Australia's most bone-chilling crimes.

For a decade in Melbourne, a sadistic murderer stalked the streets of suburbia.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, nowhere was safe for young girls. Not even their homes. A generation of women will remember the fear, that they would be the next to be plucked from their beds like the others before them. He was their bogeyman, Mr Cruel.

True crime writer Emily Webb discusses the cold case and why it has her transfixed, on the latest episode of Meshel Laurie’s Nitty Gritty Committee:

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Mr Cruel’s last attack. Is he dead? Or in jail for another crime? Victorian Police have lamented the fact they are still searching for this man, despite unearthing several suspects and offering a whopping reward.

For anyone who thinks, ‘that couldn’t possibly happen in my neighbourhood,’ Mr Cruel’s rampage is believed to have begun in 1987, in the quiet streets of Lower Plenty, Melbourne.

The first girl to be attacked in the dead of the night was 11 years old. The man broke in through a window, locked her parents in a wardrobe and tied her brother to a bed, before turning his attention on to her. He was armed with a knife and a gun. And the stories only get more disturbing.

The next victim was ten-year-old Sharon Wills. A masked man broke into the Wills' Ringwood home in 1988. He bound and gagged her parents, and asked for money. Sharon's eyes were taped shut and a ball was forced into her mouth. Then she was abducted. Eighteen torturous hours later, Sharon's attacker let her go at Bayswater High School. She was found in a man's shirt and wrapped in garbage bags, completely traumatised.

Less than two years later, he struck again. This time in Canterbury. Although she was one of the eldest of the victims, Nicola Lynas was just 13 years old. Her abductor held her for 50 hours, driving her around the city as her fear heightened. Nicola was found abandoned at a power station in Kew.

The reign of Mr Cruel culminated tragically, in the 1991 murder of schoolgirl Karmein Chan. The 13 year old was abducted at knife-point from her Templestowe home. One year later, her body was found by a man walking his dog. There were three bullet holes in her head, theorised to be a sad outcome of Karmein catching a glimpse of Mr Cruel's face.

There are many common threads running through these tales, that led to the belief that these crimes were all committed by the one man, dubbed 'Mr Cruel' by the media.

The victims were all young girls, aged 10 to 13. In the three abductions, the victims' eyes were taped shut. Any witnesses were forced onto their stomachs with their hands and feet bound, or isolated in a wardrobe. In several of the crimes, telephone lines were cut and money was sought.

The stories of a masked man wielding a knife and gun align, as do the stories of his lair. It is gleaned to be near the airport, given the sounds of aeroplanes, as described by the girls who were held there against their will. The victims also noted his language, Mr Cruel spoke in distinctively quaint terms.

Some believe he was in the school system, as the crimes were committed in the school holidays. Others believe he was an expert trained in security and forensics, due to his ability to break into homes, and eliminate all traces of DNA evidence.

It remains unknown how far the crimes of Mr Cruel spread. It is believed he could be responsible for dozens of crimes against young girls. But as the years pass, it becomes more unlikely the man will ever be unmasked. We remain transfixed by the lurid details of this tragedy in our backyards, like so many other true crime stories that will remain unsolved.

If you have any information on this crime or any others, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

For more terrifying tales of true crime, listen to the full episode of Meshel Laurie's Nitty Gritty Committee: