A third inquest into the cliff-fall death of Scott Johnson has ruled he was the victim of a gay-hate attack, vindicating his family’s enduring belief that he was targeted during Sydney’s notorious wave of homophobic crime in the 1980s.

The state coroner has also criticised the early police investigation into the US mathematician’s death, saying investigators had rushed to their finding of suicide.

But the coroner, Michael Barnes, has ruled there was insufficient evidence to identify Johnson’s killers.

“The inadequacy of the original investigation, the passage of time since the incident and the unreliability of many of the witnesses has made establishing the precise facts more difficult,” Barnes found.

“Nonetheless, I am persuaded to the requisite standard that Scott died as a result of a gay-hate attack. There is however, insufficient reliable evidence to identify the perpetrators.”

Johnson, who was 27, spent his last moments at a cliff top at North Head, near Manly, on 10 December 1988. It was a known meeting place for gay men looking for sex.

His body was discovered by fishers at the foot of the 60-metre cliff. His clothes, folded neatly, were found at the cliff top. No witnesses came forward, and police quickly deemed the death a suicide.



But the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s death remained a mystery. There were persistent suggestions he had been targeted in a homophobic attack.

The State Coroner has found Scott Johnson died as a result of a gay hate crime. His body was found at the bottom of North Head in Manly in 1988. — Justice NSW (@NSWJustice) November 29, 2017

Such attacks were common in Sydney at the time. The city was gripped by a series of gay-hate murders in the late 1980s and early 90s.

The coroner has heard evidence that gangs of gay bashers were active in the area of Johnson’s death at the time. The inquest also heard evidence that a gang called the Narrabeen Skinheads had boasted about bashing an “American faggot” around the time of Johnson’s death. The coroner found that the evidence could not be corroborated.

Johnson’s brother, Steve Johnson, has long believed his younger brother may have been pushed or hounded off the cliff. He still believes the perpetrators can be caught, almost three decades later.



Speaking outside the court, Steve Johnson thanked the coroner for his “thoroughness and diligence and caring”.

He called for a comprehensive homicide investigation into his brother’s death.

“The inquest produced many leads toward possible perpetrators that should still be pursued,” he said. “And, in fact, the investigation that has happened until now has been primarily focused on proving the suicide theory, that originated with the police back in 1988.

“Now it’s time for a homicide investigation.”

The initial police investigation into Johnson’s death came under intense scrutiny in the years after 1988.



Police first wrongly suggested the area of Johnson’s death was not a gay beat. They have also been accused of rushing to their conclusion of suicide.

The coroner confirmed that particular criticism of police but noted that others close to Johnson had jumped to a similar conclusion.

“Regrettably, those responsible for the initial investigation quickly jumped to

conclusions without thoroughly and impartially examining all of the facts,” Barnes found. “I am sure that was not due to any malice or other improper motives.

“Rather, it was just easier to accept what seemed to be the most obvious explanation. By the time the numerous mistakes that led to that conclusion were recognised, the chance to properly test the evidence to find the truth had greatly diminished.”

The coroner said it was highly unlikely Johnson had died by suicide.

He exhibited none of the usual characteristics associated with suicide. He had no mental health or substance-abuse problems. The inquest also heard that so-called “naked suicide” was “exceptionally rare”.

It was the third inquest into Johnson’s death. The last inquest, held in 2012, delivered an open finding that Johnson’s death could have been suicide, murder, or an accident.

The initial inquest, held by the coroner Derrick Hand in the 1980s, found Johnson’s death to be suicide.

Steve Johnson, a wealthy IT entrepreneur, has spent much of his own money and time investigating the case and pushing for a new inquest. He hired the US journalist and private investigator Daniel Glick, who has helped the family re-examine the evidence.

Speaking outside court, Glick said the failures of police meant early investigators never considered the North Head location was a gay beat, or that the death could have been a homicide or gay-hate crime.

“In this matter, the police never revisited the scene after the body of Scott was retrieved,” he said. “They never went back and canvassed the area.

“Had they, they would have found it was a gay beat. That would have immediately explained to them why it was that the body of Scott was not clothed.”

Acon, a health group specialising in HIV prevention, welcomed the decision. Its chief executive, Nicolas Parkhill, said no family should have to endure three decades of such uncertainty and scrutiny, which had caused great pain, anguish and anxiety.



“Scott’s untimely death has fuelled unprecedented public speculation,” he said. “It occurred during a time when homophobic violence and suspected gay-hate murders were rife in Sydney, compounded by a sense of police lethargy, lack of care and inaction.

“We believe these deaths were not always sufficiently investigated with the requisite due diligence, and have subsequently left many questions in their wake.”