Families of slain police officers 'deeply let down' after Wieambilla property sold

The families of two Queensland police officers shot dead by conspiracy theorists in 2022 say they feel "deeply let down" after learning through a public real estate listing that the Wieambilla property had been sold. Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and neighbour Alan Dare, were murdered by Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train at the property while responding to a missing persons report in December 2022. The Queensland Police Union (QPU) had approached the state government about resuming the property on Wains Road for a memorial park. However, the property was advertised in February and sold to a private buyer for $190,000 in April. In a statement, the McCrow and Arnold families said discovering the "house of horrors" had been sold on the open market to a mystery bidder was "an insult to the memories" of Rachel, Matthew and Mr Dare. "For over three years, we carried a shred of comfort based on a promise to tear down the reminders of that horrific night and transform the property into a sacred memorial site — a place of solace, reflection, and a peaceful sanctuary," the McCrow and Arnold families said. "The idea of an unknown person living there, or of the site becoming a destination for those drawn to extremist violence, is something we should never have to endure. The failure to secure this property is contrary to everything we were led to believe." The families said they urged the state government and the QPU to "step in". "And ensure that the ground where Rachel, Matt and Alan made the ultimate sacrifice is preserved with the dignity and respect it deserves," the families said in a statement. Weeks after the shooting, then-QPU president Ian Leavers called for the union to purchase the property to prevent it from "falling into the wrong hands". In February, Aidan Train, the son of Nathaniel and Stacey Train, told the ABC he would prefer to sell the property to the QPU, but negotiations appeared to have stalled. QPU president Shane Prior said the union had "negotiated in good faith to purchase the property". "It’s disappointing the owner has decided to accept another offer," he said in a statement. Mr Prior said he hoped the new owners would "continue to honour the sacrifice of the two young police whose blood is now soaked into that ground with dignity and respect to acknowledge their loss". The QPU led discussions regarding the property, and the government was not involved in the sale of the property. In a statement, Police Minister Dan Purdie said the shootings at Wieambilla "remain one of the darkest days in Queensland’s history and my thoughts remain with the families of those who lost their lives".