In 2013, 31-year-old Morgan Huxley was brutally murdered in his Neutral Bay apartment after a night out in Sydney. He was stabbed 28 times by 20-year-old Daniel Jack Kelsall, who followed him home from a nearby hotel.
Early Life and Background
Morgan Huxley was born in 1982 in Sydney, Australia. He was the youngest of three children to Dee and Alan Huxley. Known for his tall stature, good looks, and charming personality, Morgan was often described as the life of the party. He had a passion for soccer, loved animals, and maintained a close relationship with his family.
Professionally, Morgan studied marine engineering and later established his own business, Huxley Marines. At the time of his death, he was 31 years old and resided in a two-bedroom apartment in Neutral Bay with his roommate, Jean Redmond, a 24-year-old physiotherapist from Ireland, The Daily Telegraph reports.
On the evening of 7 September 2013, Morgan attended a friend’s engagement party. After the celebration, around 1:00 a.m. on 8 September he visited the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay for a final drink.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, CCTV footage captured him entering the hotel barefoot, having left his sandals at the party. He withdrew cash from a nearby ATM before enjoying a beer alone at the bar. Approximately half an hour later, Morgan left the hotel and was seen on surveillance walking towards his apartment.
Discovery of the Crime
Upon returning home, Morgan entered his bedroom and went to sleep. His roommate, Jean, heard him come in and subsequently locked her bedroom door before returning to sleep.
Around 3:00 a.m., she was awakened by unusual noises emanating from Morgan’s room. Investigating the disturbance, Jene discovered Morgan lying on the floor, bleeding profusely. He had sustained multiple stab wounds and was unclothed from the waist down, wearing only a T-shirt, per Herald Sun.
Ertan Ucar: “There was a lot of blood on his face. His shorts and his underpants were pulled down and his T-shirt was pulled up halfway”, as quoted by The Daily Telegraph.
Emergency services were called immediately. Paramedics arrived shortly after and attempted resuscitation, but Morgan was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination revealed he had suffered 28 stab wounds, including three deep wounds on the same side of his neck and several slash marks on his back.
Investigation and Arrest
With no signs of forced entry, investigators theorized that Morgan might have known his attacker.
CCTV footage from the night of the murder showed a young man following Morgan after he left the Oaks Hotel. The individual was later identified as 20-year-old Daniel Jack Kelsall, a kitchen assistant at the Sydney Cooking School located near the hotel, The News reports.
When questioned by police Kelsall initially denied any interaction with Morgan claiming he merely saw him at the ATM and later at a traffic light. However, inconsistencies in his statements and his refusal to provide a DNA sample raised suspicions.
Further investigation revealed bloodstains on Kelsall’s shoulder bag, which matched Morgan’s DNA. Additionally Kelsall’s fingerprints were found on Morgan’s bedroom door, and his DNA was present on Morgan’s body, according to The Guardian.
Trial and Sentencing
During the trial, Kelsall claimed that he and Morgan had a consensual sexual encounter that was interrupted by an unknown intruder who attacked Morgan. He stated that he fled the scene in fear, per ABC News.
However, the prosecution presented evidence that contradicted his account, including prior statements Kelsall had made to medical professionals about having intrusive thoughts of killing someone with a knife for the thrill of it.
The jury found Daniel Jack Kelsall guilty of murder and indecent assault. On 29 April 2015, he was sentenced to a maximum of 40 years and three months in prison, with a non-parole period of 30 years, the 9News reports.
The presiding judge described the murder as “utterly senseless and needless,” emphasizing the lack of remorse shown by Kelsall and the brutal nature of the crime.
Justice Robert Allan Hulme: “This is a most chilling case of murder. Whether the offender killed for the thrill of it … or as a result of a fantasy or an obsession, I am unable to say”, as quoted by the RNZ.
