St Kilda: Fresh search for man in 'heinous' rape cold case after Travis Scott Rielly was sentenced
Authorities are searching for a second man nearly four decades after the kidnapping and aggravated rape of a 19-year-old woman.
A fresh search to find a second man involved in the abduction and rape of a teenager nearly four decades ago has been launched in a bid to finally solve the cold case.
The first man, Travis Scott Rielly was sentenced in 2025 to nine years and nine months imprisonment for the aggravated rape of the 19-year-old woman.
Rielly, now 58, admitted he and two other men abducted her off a St Kilda Street, in Melbourne’s inner southeast, during the early hours of January 23, 1988.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.They shoved the woman into the back seat of a car, covered her mouth as she screamed for help and drove her to nearby Elwood Beach, where each took turns raping her.
On Tuesday, police launched a fresh appeal for information relating to the identity of a second man whom investigators have been told also abducted and raped the woman.
“To be a 19-year-old woman, walking home after a night out with friends, then suddenly her world is changed in a horrific and unimaginable way,” Detective Senior Sergeant Brett Robinson said.
“It still looms over her every day that there is a second man still living his life, not being held to account for this heinous crime.”
The woman reported the rape to police at the time of the assault and underwent a forensic medical examination but her attackers were not discovered.
That was until 2021, when Rielly was arrested in Queensland on unrelated dangerous driving charges and police obtained a sample of his genetic material.
Testing revealed his DNA matched samples taken from the woman back in 1988.
Police waited for Rielly to be released on parole in Queensland before they extradited him to Victoria in October.
He pleaded guilty to the aggravated rape charge in the Victorian County Court in August.
Anyone with information relating to the identity of the second male or the incident itself is urged to contact police.
“We will not stop; we will not give up on this investigation until we have answers,” Sen Sgt Robinson said.
