Island Noir: Beyond the Palm Trees
Island Noir Podcast, hosted by Nya Starr, dives into impactful crimes affecting marginalized people around the world—past and present. Every episode honors the victims, uncovers truth, and amplifies resilience.
Unseen victims. Untold truths. Uncovered resilience.
Island Noir: Beyond the Palm Trees
The North Epping Nightmare
Five members of the Lin family are killed overnight—no forced entry, no warning. The only survivor is miles away when it happens, only to find out in the most unexpected way. In this episode, we unravel one of Australia’s most brutal family murders and follow the journey of the sole survivor, Brenda Lin, who transformed her trauma into advocacy by co-founding The Survivor Hub, a peer-led organization supporting sexual assault survivors through recovery and the justice system .
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North Epping was the kind of suburb where doors were left unlocked and families grew up knowing their neighbors. The Lin family, respected and tight-knit, lived quietly at Nine Boundary Road. By all accounts their life was ordinary, stable, even peaceful. But peace can be deceptive. Some crimes are so brutal, so calculated, that they defy reason. They don't just leave a mark on a crime scene, they leave a scar on the people left behind. What went so terribly wrong inside Nine Boundary Road, noir Seekers. Today we're unraveling a case that shook Australia to its core, one of the most haunting family murders in recent history. This is the story of the Lynn family.
Speaker 1:The Lenn home stood on Boundary Road in north Epping, sydney, a peaceful, unassuming suburb, the kind of place where doors weren't always locked. Inside the two-story home, nothing seemed out of place. The living room was just as it had been the night before Magazines on the coffee table, backpacks behind the laundry door, a desk cluttered with papers and a family computer. It was basically a life in motion, a home filled with routine, comfort, safety and, hanging just inside the front door, a wedding photograph of Min and Lily Lin, a picture of devotion, of love, of the life they had built together At some point between 2 am and 5.30 am on July 18, 2009,. Someone stepped over the threshold of that house. There was no forced entry. Whoever it was, they moved with purpose. They knew the house, past the front hallway, past the photo of Min and Lily, they made their way up to the carpeted staircase, past the rooms where five people lay, sleeping unaware of what was coming, and then, without a word, without a sound, to wake the neighbors, the slaughter began.
Speaker 1:Men in Lilliland were the first, still asleep in their bed when the attack started. Experts would later say the violence was savage and relentless. The injuries to their faces and skulls were so severe that first responders thought a shotgun had been used. In the next room, lily's sister, irene Lin. She was found slumped against the wall, blood was smeared across where she had tried to escape. And then the youngest victims, henry Lin, just 12, and his brother, terry Lin, only 9. Forensic evidence would show they had woken up and they tried to run. Blood patterns on the walls made that heartbreakingly clear. Blood was everywhere On the walls, door handles, even light switches. A chaotic scene in what had once been a quiet family home. But the killer wasn't finished. Men's body had been moved, his duna pulled over him, folded into a strange V-like shape. A deliberate act right. V-like shape A deliberate act right. A final gesture before the killer slipped back down the stairs and vanished into the night.
Speaker 1:The next morning, north Epping carried on as usual. 9 am came. The Epping news agency, run by Min Lin, should have been opened. Customers should have been filling in picking up their morning newspapers, greeting the familiar faces behind the counter, but the doors remained locked. The phone calls went unanswered. Concerned, min's sister, kathy Lin, and her husband, robert Xie, made their way to the house. Kathy let herself in, calling out her brother's name Nothing. As she moved through the house, she saw the blood, the walls, the floor. Then she saw them. Kathy Lynn reached for her phone, dialed 000. Her voice was shaking, barely able to form any words. What you're about to hear is the actual emergency call made by Kathy Lynn.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think my brother's friend. Someone killed my brother's friend. Why do you think that? Yeah, because I went to his house and I knocked the door and the door is just closed. I opened it and I'm just there finding my brother.
Speaker 1:I couldn't find him, I'm not sure Where's your brother?
Speaker 2:I could find him, my brother. He's alive. I think someone is dying. Are they on the ground? Where's your brother? Are they on the ground? Are they on the ground? Are they in the house? Is your brother in the house? Because I just haven't been given a look at the body, I can't see how to call you.
Speaker 1:Have you found.
Speaker 2:We are driving there. Answer my question please have you found a body? I'm driving to home. Have you found a body? Because I went to his home and I've said to check because he's dropped his opiator. He's the agent and someone has called me and I just go to check and I find it just quick.
Speaker 1:That was a brief portion of the actual emergency call placed by Kathy Lynn. The full call spends over 11 minutes, but even in those few moments the weight of what she walked into is undeniable. It's hard to listen without feeling that weight. Kathy walked into a nightmare and her voice captures a grief that words can't fully hold. Before that tragic night, before the headlines, before the years of investigations and trials, they were a family.
Speaker 1:Men and Lily Lynn had built a life together a home, a business, a future for their children. Men Lin, known as Norman to his friends, was the kind of man who never missed a morning at the news agency he ran. Customers recalled him as a hardworking, reliable, always greeting people with a warm smile as they picked up their papers and magazines. His small business was a cornerstone of the community, but above all he was a father, a man who wanted his children to have every opportunity he never had. Lily Lynn worked alongside her husband at the news agency, helping manage the daily routines that kept their business running. She was also deeply respected in the Chinese-Australian community, known for her generosity and warmth. Described as a kind, patient and deeply family-oriented. Lily was the heart of their home. She loved spending time with her sons, making sure they focused on their studies and taking care of her younger sister, irene. Men in Lily's two sons, henry and Terry, were like any kids their age, full of energy, curiosity and dreams. Henry, the eldest, was 12 years old, a talented badminton player. He had just won a local competition and was already showing promise in the sport. Terry, nine years old, was full of curiosity and energy. He loved video games, running around with his older brother and playing sports. They were inseparable, two boys with their whole lives ahead of them.
Speaker 1:Lily's sister, irene Lin, had come to Sydney from China to help the family. She was quiet but kind, someone who put others before herself. She had planned to return home soon, but she never got the chance. The only immediate family member to survive was Brenda Lynn, 15 years old at the time. She wasn't in the house that night. She had been on a school trip to New Caledonia with her high school when the murders happened. She didn't find out through a phone call or a police officer. She found out through Facebook. A friend sent her a news article, a story about a brutal massacre in Sydney. She clicked the link. She saw a photo of her home. Brenda had no idea how to process what she was reading. Her world changed in that very instant. With her parents and younger brothers gone, brenda was placed under the guardianship of her uncle and aunt, robert Xie and Kathy Lin, for the next two years. She lived with them. For the next two years she lived with them.
Speaker 1:Now let's get into the investigation. When police first entered Nine Boundary Road, they were met with horror. Five people bludgeoned beyond recognition. Blood was everywhere.
Speaker 1:Detectives quickly realized this wasn't a robbery gone wrong. Nothing had been stolen or disturbed. The more they studied the scene, the more they realized it was controlled precise. So here are some notes. There was no forced entry, nothing had been stolen. The murder weapon was missing and the attack was targeted, deliberate and calculated. This is what investigators noticed. Whoever committed the crime was inside the house for one reason To kill.
Speaker 1:Days pass, then weeks, then months. Still there were no arrests, no clear leads. Still there were no arrests, no clear leads. But behind the scenes, police were working to uncover a truth that had been carefully hidden Early on. Detectives questioned multiple people. Was this a professional hit, a revenge killing, a business rivalry gone wrong? But no narrative fit. The Lynn family had no known enemies.
Speaker 1:What investigators didn't realize at the time was that the killer was closer than anyone expected. Was that the killer was closer than anyone expected? The sheer amount of blood made it incredibly difficult to isolate any individual traces of forensic evidence. But months later, as forensic technology advanced, investigators re-examined high-resolution crime scene images. That's when they saw it A faint, nearly invisible shoe print. Once they enhanced the image, they confirmed the print matched a specific model of Asics sneakers. At the time, police still had no suspect, but now they had one critical clue a small lead, but one that would become important later. The problem wasn't just what the crime scene revealed. One crucial detail especially stood out. The power had been cut before the murders, indicating the killer knew exactly where the circuit breaker was and, most importantly, they had a key, which meant the murderer was likely someone the family trusted.
Speaker 1:As months passed, investigators started looking closer to home. By January 2010, six months after the murders, police had their first real suspect. With no forensic evidence directly linking anyone to the crime, detectives needed a different approach. By May 2010, nearly 10 months after the murders, police placed their suspect under covert surveillance. They watched, waiting for any mistake, and then it happened Detectives saw him cutting up and disposing a shoebox. That alone wouldn't be enough, except for one detail the shoebox matched the same brand and model as the ASIC sneakers found in the Lynn family home. Why get rid of a shoebox Unless it held some evidence he didn't want the police to find? That was the moment detectives decided it was time to go back to his house.
Speaker 1:I know noir seekers. You're probably wondering who am I talking about? And wait, hold your horses, I will get there. Police had already searched his home once, right, but now that he was a primary suspect, they looked closer. This time they focused on his garage floor. That's where they found it A tiny, nearly invisible stain. They sent it for testing and the results DNA from four of the five Lin family victims. This was the breakthrough they needed. If he had nothing to do with the murders, then why was his garage floor stained with the blood of his dead relatives? With DNA surveillance and forensic shoe print analysis, police finally had enough to arrest him.
Speaker 1:On May 5, 2011, almost two years after the murders, police moved in their suspect, the Lin family's own brother-in-law, robert Xie. He was arrested at his home, charged with the brutal murder of five members of his own family. Piece by piece, everything connected back to him. The case against Robert Xe was finally strong enough, but what followed would be one of the longest and most complex legal battles in Australian history. Robert Shee's arrest was only the beginning, because what followed would be four trials, seven years of delays. What followed would be four trials, seven years of delays.
Speaker 1:And for Brenda Lynn, the only survivor, her nightmare was just beginning. She had been living under his roof for two years with no idea that the man she trusted, her uncle, had taken everything from her. Before the legal battle, there was grief. On August 8, 2009, nearly a month after the murders, hundreds gathered for the public funeral of Min Lily, irene Henry and Terry Lin. The service was heavy with sorrow, an entire community mourning the loss of a family that had once been so full of life. Five coffins stood at the front, a painful reminder of the devastation left behind. At just 15 years old, brenda Lynn stood among them, the last surviving member of her immediate family. She had returned home from her school trip to find her world completely shattered. The people she loved most were gone, and standing beside her that day, offering comfort, was Robert Xie. And standing beside her that day, offering comfort, was Robert Xie. No one knew then what they would later come to understand that the man posing as a grieving relative was the very person responsible for the horror they were mourning.
Speaker 1:The wheels of justice turned slowly. What should have been a swift path to justice became one of the most protracted and complex legal battles that I mentioned before ever happening in Australian history. When Xie was arrested, investigators believed the case against him was strong. The DNA stain in his garage, the shoe print at the crime scene, the surveillance footage of him destroying evidence it all painted a damning picture. But getting a conviction wasn't easy. It would take four trials to convict him. Here's what happened during those trials. Trial one happened in 2013. It was delayed due to judicial issues. Trial three in 2015 lasted nine months, but the jury couldn't reach a verdict. Trial four between 2016 and 2017. Finally, after seven years, there was a conviction. That was a conviction. These trials revealed the true death of Xie's motives, and what prosecutors revealed in court would be far more disturbing than anyone imagined. Well, the prosecution had similar questions and they presented a three-part motive, each one more unsettling than the last.
Speaker 1:At the heart of Robert Xie's resentment was Min Lin's success. Xie had always been envious of Min Lin. Min was respected, well-liked and had built a thriving business. Robert Xie, by contrast, had failed. His attempt at running a restaurant had collapsed and he had no job, no steady income and, in his family, no status. Prosecutors argued that Xie was humiliated by the comparison. Xie was humiliated by the comparison. He felt disrespected and looked down upon by men in the Lin family. His pride was wounded and in his twisted little mind there was only one way to restore his standing by eliminating those who had overshadowed him. But resentment alone didn't explain the brutality of the crime, and that's where the second motive came in. With men gone, rabakshet would gain control over the Lin family's home, the Epping News Agency and investment properties. He would become the head of the family, in both personal and financial sense.
Speaker 1:Prosecutors argued that Robert Xie saw an opportunity in the tragedy. If the Lens were gone, he then could take over their assets and rebuild his own failed life, basically. But even financial gain couldn't fully explain what happened that night. That night For that there was one final twisted evil motive, and it happens to be the darkest and most horrifying reason of it all. The court heard that after the murdersie had full control over their daughter, brenda Lin. She had nowhere else to go, no other family in Australia. She moved in with her Aunt Kathy and Robert Xie. But what Brenda didn't know at the time was that Robert Xie had been targeting her long before that night.
Speaker 1:The court was told that Robic Xie had sexually abused Brenda Lin. She later testified that he had molested her before the murders. After the murders, it only got worse. Prosecutors argued that this was Xie's true motive. Brenda had become his obsession, so much so he had to wipe out five members of an entire family just to gain control over one entire family. Just to gain control over one.
Speaker 1:But Xie denied everything and his defense team fought back. The defense had one goal, and that goal was to create doubt. They argued that the case was purely circumstantial. There were no eyewitnesses, no direct proof that placed Robert Xie inside the Lin home that night. They claimed the DNA evidence was weak. They said it could have been transferred by another source. The shoe print could have belonged to someone else. Lastly, they argued that Robert Xie had no history of violence.
Speaker 1:But during this fourth trial, the jury didn't believe it. After years of delays and legal maneuvers, the jury delivered its verdict on January 12, 2017. Robert Xie was found guilty of all five counts of murders. A month later, in February 2017, he was sentenced to life without parole. The judge didn't hold back, describing the crime as heinous, calculated and beyond human comprehension.
Speaker 1:Even myself now thinking about it, I can't imagine what twisted mind can possess someone to do that to their own family members Not one, but five and then to also victimize the only survivor. That's beyond evil. That's vindictive and calculated. That just shows the type of person that Robert Sheeit was. He was a failure in life and, instead of working hard like his brother-in-law and his family, he decided to take it by taking their lives. He deserves to rot in prison by taking their lives. He deserves to rot in prison, but with the conviction justice had been served.
Speaker 1:But for Brenda Lynn, I can only imagine the horror wasn't over. She had survived, but she had lost everything, and now she had to find a way to rebuild her life. For two years, brenda Lynn lived in the home of the man who had murdered her parents, her brothers, her aunt, and for two years she had no idea. However, she refuses to let Robert's actions define her future. This is her story.
Speaker 1:Brenda did more than survive. She refused to let her trauma silence her. Instead, she dedicated herself to helping others. She pursued a career in criminology. She pursued a career in criminology and youth rehabilitation, determined to understand why people commit the crimes they do and how survivors can move forward. But she didn't stop there. In 2021, brenda co-founded the Survivor Hub, a nonprofit organization that provides support and advocacy for sexual assault survivors. What was taken from her the power, the safety, the trust she vowed to help others reclaim. Brenda Lynn will always be a survivor, but more than that, she is a fighter, a woman who turned her deepest tragedy into a mission to ensure that no one else suffers in silence.
Speaker 1:The Lynn family should be here today. Men and Lily should be running their news agency. Henry and Terry should have grown into men with lives of their own. Irene should have returned home to China carrying memories, but instead their lives were stolen in the dead of night by someone who was kin. Robert Xie thought he had committed the perfect crime, but I will remind my listeners no crime is perfect. The truth has a way of breaking through, no matter how carefully it's buried, and for Brenda, the truth did more than bring justice. It gave her purpose and, thanks to her, many other survivors now have a platform. Thank you.
