‘This is insane’: The family fight to learn lessons from the Margaret River murders

For an hour and a half, Philip Cockman was sure his son Aaron was dead.

It was May 11, 2018 when Philip heard the news his grandchildren – Taye, Rylan, Arye, and Kadyn, – and his in-laws Katrina, Cynda and Peter had been found dead at their Osmington home, and his mind immediately went to his son who was staying at a caravan park nearby. Information was scarce; Aaron had not been among the seven bodies found at the Forever Dreaming Farm and as media outlets began trickling out the news of Australia’s worst mass murder since Port Arthur, Aaron’s family and WA police started a frantic search for the father-of-four. From just after midday to 2pm, Philip said he was sure Aaron had been killed. “It was an hour and a half where I thought Aaron’s been killed,” Philip said. “I thought Peter had gone and killed him. “It was shocking. I had him dead in my mind. That was horrific.”