How the zombie victim of the gangland Contract Crew came back from the dead after he was shot in the head and buried in a shallow bushland grave - but then dug himself out and stumbled back to life
The intended murder victim had been targeted by a 'contract crew' of hitmen believed to be responsible for two other shockingly violent attacks within a week.
Police released details of the three crimes - which include a murder and a man having his ear severed during a kidnapping - on Monday as part of a public appeal.
CCTV footage showed a 23-year-old man covered in dirt walking into a service station on Tamborine Street at Jimboomba, 50km south of Brisbane, about 5am on July 21 last year.
The man had been lured from NSW to Queensland where he was shot in the eye and buried but managed to climb out of a shallow grave.
He arrived at the service station with a bullet in his brain but asked shocked staff not to call emergency services.
An employee who came to the man's aid said 'he had severe facial injuries, including his eye socket'.
'He came and asked for a taxi and I said, "Are you sure you don't want an ambulance?" the employee revealed. 'He said, "No please, no ambulance".'
The man can be seen in the CCTV footage slumped over before he was taken to hospital, where the bullet was removed from his brain.
Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said it was a miracle the man had survived.
'He was buried in a shallow grave,' Detective Superintendent Doueihi said.
'Unbeknown to the offenders, who believed he was deceased, the male crawled out of the grave.'
Detective Superintendent Doueihi said it had been established the man was lured over the border by a group of males, 'not knowing what their ulterior motive was'.
The day before the man was shot, a white Hyundai Getz was captured on CCTV at a roadhouse in Nambucca on the NSW mid-north coast about 5.30am.
Four male passengers - one believed to be the victim - were seen in the footage, suggesting the man had been picked up from NSW.
Detective Superintendent Doueihi said the man's shooting and the two other violent attacks took place in a six-day period between July 19 and July 25.
'We will allege that this syndicate that's responsible for these three offences are linked to a Victorian drug trafficking syndicate,' he said.
Rich 'Dylan' Choup, 32, was reported missing in Sydney in July 2024 before his body was found in bushland at Lucas Heights in August. He is pictured left with an unidentified man who slapped him before he disappeared
'We do believe that this particular crew, or crews, were contracted to conduct these activities.
'We do not believe that they are offshore. We believe they are still within the country.'
Det Supt Doueihi said the survivors of the attacks were not fully cooperating with police.
'But they are talking to us, to a certain extent,' he told reporters.
'The investigation remained somewhat covert for a period of time in order to progress the investigation to where we are now.
'It wasn't an appropriate time back in July last year to release this information. We are at a stage now where we're happy to release the information.'
Police also released footage capturing the final moments of a young father who was shot and killed by the same group.
Rich 'Dylan' Choup was reported missing on July 29 last year and was last seen involved in a dispute at Cabramatta, in south-west Sydney, on July 25.
Mr Choup had told friends he had a meeting and asked them to wait close by.
CCTV showed Mr Choup with a man on Railway Parade who ordered him towards a car after slapping him about 6.25pm.
Both men were seen walking towards a grey Audi SQ2 before Mr Choup was reported missing four days later.
On August 31, police were called to bushland off Heathcote Road in Lucas Heights after trail bike riders stumbled upon human remains, which were later identified to be those of Mr Choup.
A post-mortem discovered he had been fatally shot and the top of his right ear had been severed.
Police said a 31-year-old man was kidnapped and tortured at Canley Vale, in south-west Sydney, before he was released the same day, on July 19.
Part of his right ear was severed, but the man did not make a report to police.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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