5 chilling details about Kevin Skeyhill's murder 

Kevin Skeyhill was a 51-year-old man who was stabbed multiple times by his neighbor, Darren Geoffrey Lorke, in his house premises on the night of September 13, 2017. His body was retrieved by the authorities on the driveway location of Adelaide Road in the city of Tungkillo, Australia.

The shocking murder of Kevin Skeyhill was created just out of a minor argument over the neighbor's land boundaries, which escalated into a revenge murder plan. This horrific incident is chronicled in an episode of Fear Thy Neighbour, Murder In The Outback. The episode will be broadcast at 9 pm EST, this Wednesday, December 4, 2024, on Investigation Discovery.

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5 key details about the murder of Kevin Skeyhill

1) Kevin Skeyhill was murdered for a feud caused by a chicken fence

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Kevin Skeyhill and Darren Geoffrey Lorke were neighbors, sharing attached boundaries on Adelaide Road in Tungkillo. As per ABC News, the two often squabbled over their shared boundary, primarily because of their contrasting living habits. Kevin Skeyhill was a local wool textile company employee who lived a shaggy lifestyle.

While Geoffrey Lorke was used to a neat lifestyle, preferring his land to be tidy. Lorke often complained to his neighbor about his roof water overflowing onto his property, which Skeyhill ignored. In fact, as a mark of protest, the victim dug off Lorke's land and threw soil on his roof. The argument escalated over fist fights, after which surveillance cameras were installed, with clear indications not to trespass.

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2) Geoffrey Lorke attacked Kevin Skeyhill while he was heavily drunk

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On the night of September 13, 2024, when Kevin Skeyhill went out drinking with one of his friends. He returned to this home at around 10:30 pm, heavily drunk at the time when Lorke was hiding in the bushes. Skeyhill was suddenly attacked by Lorke with his eight-inch camouflage hunting knife, stabbing him multiple times.

One of the attacks stabbed right through the victim's heart, which led to his death. After his death, Lorke dragged the body about 14 meters, all the way to the driveway.

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3) Geoffrey Lorke tried to fabricate the murder as an act of self-defense

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After killing Skeyhill, his neighbor Lorke was the person who called for an emergency. After the investigators reached, he described his neighbor to be heavily drunk, who turned on him in rage. The police retrieved the knife and a rifle belonging to him, which he described as having kept for safety. As per Lorke, he had killed Skeyhill mistakenly while saving himself from the violent attacks.

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4) Geoffrey Lorke was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment

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Despite Lorke's initial self-defense, the investigators identified the scene to be a case of homicide. As reported by ABC News, Justice Michael David headed the two-week-long trial commenting on the case to be an unnecessary death that never should have happened.

On September 14, 2017, Lorke appeared before the Adelaide Magistrates Court, via virtual medium, but made no appeal for bail. Geoffrey Lorke was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment without any chances of parole for 20 years. The parole period was later reduced to 12 months, considering his immediate repentance.

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5) Nick Skeyhill considers his father as innocent who didn't deserve the fate

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In a conversation reported by The Advertiser, Nick Skeyhill, son of the victim, described his father as a remarkable man who was always there when he needed him. Kevin Skeyhill was a father, husband, and grandfather of two grandchildren. Despite his shaggy lifestyle, he was described as a hardworking farmer who was not capable of harming his neighbor. The family expressed their relief after the verdict was announced.

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