Melbourne crime matriarch Kath Pettingill dies at 91
Kath Pettingill, the mother of a notorious Melbourne criminal family linked to the 1988 Walsh Street police murders, has died at age 91.
A family member announced the passing of Kath Pettingill, aged 91, the matriarch of a feared Melbourne crime clan. Her sons Trevor Pettingill and Victor Peirce faced charges for the 1988 Walsh Street shooting that killed Constables Steven Tynan and Damien Eyre, but a jury later cleared them. Peirce’s wife, Wendy, had been a potential witness before abandoning her testimony after 18 months in a costly protection program.
Pettingill’s other offspring included Dennis Bruce Allen, known as “Dr Death,” who was linked to multiple murders and died while incarcerated, and Peter Allen, a convicted heroin dealer. The family’s notoriety helped shape the 2010 movie Animal Kingdom, a depiction Pettingill publicly criticized. She also lived with a glass eye after being shot in the 1970s while repaying a debt for a daughter.
Why it matters
Pettingill’s death marks the end of a high-profile figure tied to one of Australia’s most infamous criminal cases.
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