Men Sentenced for Toolbox Murder in Queensland

In a disturbing case, three men received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in a brutal murder that shocked Queensland. The victims, found drowned inside a toolbox, endured horrific treatment before their deaths, highlighting the severity of the crime and its devastating impact.

Details of the Sentence

Following a retrial, the court found Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao, and Trent Michael Thrupp guilty of the murders. They were sentenced to 30 years in prison for their heinous actions. The judge acknowledged the “appalling conduct” of the perpetrators, emphasizing the immense terror the victims experienced.

“I lost any hope I had held onto after 17 painstaking days that Cory was missing,” she said.

—Miranda Parkinson

“Your actions didn’t just take Cory, you tore us apart,”

—Tamara Kazim-Breton, Breton’s sister

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, in 2023–2024, there was an increase in the number of homicide incidents recorded by police, which is up from the prior year (Australian Institute of Criminology).

The Crime Unfolds

Cory Breton, aged 28, and Iuliana Triscaru, aged 31, were lured to a Kingston unit south of Brisbane on January 24, 2016, and were subsequently murdered. The pair endured a brutal attack, involving beatings, stabbings, and choking before being forced into a two-meter-long toolbox.

The men, after torturing the couple, drank whiskey and played video games. As the container was moved, music from a waiting vehicle was amplified to try and conceal the noise from the terrified victims. Police divers later found the bodies locked in the toolbox submerged in a lagoon.

The victims’ families expressed their ongoing pain and sorrow as a result of the tragedy. Miranda Parkinson, Breton’s partner, spoke of the devastating loss. Triscaru’s family members also spoke of her life and how her murder had left them with wounds that continue to bleed.