Narooma author Dr Dianne McInnes first book Five Drops of Blood targeted for documentary

Hers is an extraordinary life.

Dr McInnes lived in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s and again from 1981 until 1993 when her husband passed away.

While living there she worked in various roles for the ABC, as well as wrote children's books and educational material for the school curriculum.

Dr McInnes produced inflight magazines for Air Niugini and Air Vanuatu airlines and is most proud of her four-volume Papua New Guinea encyclopaedia and two-volume pictorial history.

She is an avid taker of courses, wrote New Age courses, read tarot cards and took lessons in palmistry.

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"On my return from Papua New Guinea in late 1998 I read in the newspaper that the man who taught me palmistry, was charged with murder for stabbing the head of the cat society," Dr McInnes said.

Andrew Fitzherbert was charged with the 1998 murder of Dr Kathleen Marshall, chairperson of the Queensland Cat Protection Society, in the Brisbane suburb of Wilston.

"They convicted him on five drops of blood.

"It was Australia's first case and only the third in the world where DNA was the only evidence."

Her account of the case became the book 'Five Drops of Blood'.

Dr McInnes' latest book, 'The Singh Murders', was published in September 2022.

"It was the longest running court case in Queensland and the longest sentence," she said.

Max Sica was given three life sentences for the murder of his off-and-on girlfriend Neelma Singh and her two younger siblings.

Dr McInnes went to the trial, collected 900 pages of newspaper clippings and the lawyer gave her reams of transcripts from the trial.

"He killed three people but there was no trace of his DNA at the crime scene although he was in and out of the house all the time."

Dr McInnes completed her PhD in criminology seven years ago and is sometimes criticised by her peers for not providing her opinion in her true crime books.

"I want the reader to look at the information I present to form their own opinion and be almost part of the jury."

Dr McInnes had limited interaction with police involved in either case but she spoke with the head of the DNA lab while writing 'Five Drops of Blood'.

"They were having problems with DNA back then and they are again now.

"Neither Max nor Andrew were ever previously violent."

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