35 Years Later: A Mother’s Guilt and a Father’s Heartache
In a tragic courtroom scene, Gerard Stanhope spoke about the unimaginable loss of his daughter, Tillie Craig, who was murdered in 1987 at just 2 years old. “My daughter was taken in the most horrible and senseless manner imaginable at the hands of her own mother,” he said, heartbroken. Stanhope had spent over three decades believing Tillie was still alive and continued searching for her after her mother, Ellen Craig, took her to live in a cult in rural Sydney.
In court, Stanhope recounted the pain of believing his daughter was safe, only to learn years later that Tillie had been violently killed by the person who should have protected her most. “It’s a wound that never fully heals,” he remarked.
A Mother’s Secret and Years of Deceit
Ellen Craig, who was born in New Zealand, was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of her daughter. The tragic events took place on July 7, 1987. Following the murder, Craig had fled to New Zealand, changing her identity and leading Stanhope to believe Tillie was still alive. It wasn’t until 2021, after a tip-off, that police uncovered the truth, discovering the toddler’s body had been disposed of in a creek after being burned in a barrel.
Craig was extradited to Australia in 2022 after living in Palmerston North for years. Initially charged with murder, she later pleaded guilty to manslaughter, after receiving a plea deal. The head of the cult Craig had joined, Alexander Wilon, was also implicated in helping dispose of the body. However, he was declared mentally unfit to stand trial.
The Cult’s Influence and Tragic Consequences
Craig had been part of a cult led by Wilon, who called himself “Master Wilon” or “Papa,” and who promoted violent discipline and severe control over his followers, including the physical punishment of children. Tillie was regularly beaten by Wilon and her own mother as part of the cult’s practices. On the day of her death, Tillie had been punished for sweeping incorrectly, with Craig hitting her with a plastic irrigation pipe. After Tillie stopped breathing, Craig failed to call for medical help and instead prayed and meditated, awaiting Wilon’s return.
The cult’s influence and Wilon’s manifesto, which prohibited grieving and called for extreme physical punishment, seemed to cloud Craig’s judgment. Nevertheless, Justice Natalie Adams emphasized that, while cult brainwashing may have played a role, the murder of Tillie was still a serious and tragic case of manslaughter.
The Long Wait for Justice
For Stanhope, the long search for his daughter was filled with constant hope, but he never found Tillie alive. “I would wake up every day with hope in my heart and go to bed shattered,” he shared in his victim impact statement. Over the years, Stanhope had been misled by Craig, who told him various false stories about Tillie’s whereabouts, including that she had been given to a South African couple.
Years later, after a breakthrough in the investigation, Craig was arrested and extradited to Australia. In a prison interview, Craig expressed regret and confusion about her actions, stating she was deeply affected by the cult’s influence. She also expressed remorse for deceiving Stanhope for over three decades.
Seeking Redemption
In a letter to the court, Craig admitted to the horror of her actions. “I have thought about her dying and the horror of that for her,” she wrote. “My actions were horrible, terrible, horrific.” Craig also acknowledged the pain she caused Stanhope, who had spent years desperately searching for his daughter. “It must have been terrible for him to be looking for her with so much hope when she was already gone,” Craig wrote.
Justice Adams acknowledged the complicated nature of Craig’s involvement in the cult but stressed that her actions were still heinous. Craig’s sentence will begin from November 2021, and she will be eligible for parole in 2027. For Stanhope, the pain of losing Tillie has never fully healed, but the pursuit of justice has finally brought some closure, even after 35 years.
