DNA test proves Australian man was actually American teen who murdered parents and escaped prison
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: US Marshals Service/Nebraska State Penitentiary
A family were left dumbfounded after realizing the shocking history behind one of their beloved relatives.
US law enforcement came to make a discovery about a man living in Australia that was almost too bizarre to be believed.
William Leslie Arnold had lived in Australia for decades and had built a family in the country, cultivating a reputation as a ‘family man’ during his time there.
He had even become a successful businessman, likely becoming a recognizable part of his community, ultimately building himself a good life over there.
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However, after his death in 2010, his family found out about the life he lived in America and growing up before he managed to make his way to Australia... and let's just say it's horrifying.
Following a DNA test, authorities discovered that in 1958 a teenage Arnold had shot both of his parents dead after a dispute over the family car back in his native home of Nebraska, before burying their bodies in the back garden.
He was just 16 years old at the time, and proceeded to go back to school as though nothing had happened.
Two weeks later he was arrested and eventually pleaded guilty to both of the killings, resulting in him being handed a life sentence at the Nebraska State Penitentiary.
Despite becoming a model prisoner during his time behind bars, Arnold staged a jailbreak some eight years later in 1967. Investigations later revealed he was likely to have moved to Chicago.
Eventually, investigators found that he had got married and begun using an alias, John Damon.
He then moved to New Zealand with his second wife, and then Australia, where he would go on to die aged 67 after building a completely new life.
His loved ones were completely unaware of his past, with his stepdaughter Kelly telling The Omaha World-Herald: "It's a total shock. Mindblowing."
Another stepdaughter, Shawn, said: “A lot of things that didn’t make sense or were uncomfortable now make sense. We all need to work our way through it, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Detectives are still puzzled over how Arnold managed to evade recapture after his escape and establish a false identity strong enough to move to a different country.
His identity was only fully established following a DNA test, which involved a comparison between a man from Australia believed to be Arnold's son, and a sample from Arnold's family member - they were, of course, a match.
Deputy US Marshal Matt Westover, the one who cracked the case, said: “Even though it’s solved, it’s still a mystery. You want to fill in the other pieces of the puzzle.”
How Arnold managed to escape and move across the world will perhaps forever be a mystery.