Darryl Valroy Young sentenced to life for triple murder

Darryl Valroy Young, 63, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 40 years for the 2022 triple murder of three neighbors at a remote cattle station in Bogie, southwest of Townsville.

Following a four-week trial in the Queensland Supreme Court, a jury found Young guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. The victims, identified as Mervyn Schwarz, his wife Maree, and their son Graham Tighe, were shot at the gate of Young’s property on August 4, 2022. Young also attempted to kill Ross Tighe, who survived a gunshot wound to the lower torso.

The court heard that Young believed the family had stolen livestock and called them to a meeting at his property gate before opening fire with a rifle. Justice Christopher Johnstone described the actions as “heinous,” noting that Young fired upon the family as if he were “killing feral animals on your property.” In addition to the life sentence, Young received 16 years for the attempted murder.