(3) The Killer gave a “Don’t give into hate” letter to the family

Aya Maasarwe

The familiar route home, cloaked in darkness, had always felt like a sanctuary in this neighborhood. With her sister's voice as a constant companion through her earbuds—their nightly ritual of protection—she navigated the quiet streets with practiced confidence. But tonight, that confidence shattered as footsteps closed in behind her, her own reassuring conversation transforming into angry cursing in Arabic and muffled cries that traveled through the connection, leaving her sister frozen on the other end of the line, a helpless witness to the unfolding nightmare.

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Transcript below:

Moss: I'm sorry your daughter didn't deserve such a terrible and tragic thing to happen to her. I don't expect forgiveness as I will never be able to forgive myself and I'll be trying to make amends for the rest of my life. There is no excuse. I truly apologize. I will pray for you and your family every day.

Don't give into hate like I did. Love. Goodbye. This is what was read during the last day of a three-day plea hearing on October 3rd, 2019. Does this sound like someone who's truly trying to make amends? What if I told you this note was written by an arsonist, torturer, rapist, and murderer of a 21-year-old Palestinian woman?

Doesn’t it sound so sorrowful now?

Novis: All of that on one woman?

Moss: I would like to remind everyone the actions of this individual does not reflect all persons with this background or race. You should not misinterpret the actions of one person to change your perspective of an entire group of others.

The morning shift is a proud supporter of Palestine and believes that it's people should be freed trigger warning to start because this episode will contain information about sexual assault and violence against women. This episode covers tough ground. We encourage self-care and to skip it if needed.

With all that in mind, it's time to dig deep...

This is the morning shift.

Moss: That is his handwriting. He wrote that note and tried to hand it to the family. They refused to read it.

Novis: As they should! Who’s reading that? I'm not reading no note.

Eelderfla: This handwriting is… This already telling me. This guy's crazy. It's too neat. It's too neat!

Moss: It was read by a lawyer, not by him. You think he would read it, but he did not.

Novis: Definitely, Not a lefty.

Moss:  As far as I'm aware. She might have more siblings, but these, this is the only information I could cover. She was described as very friendly, knowledgeable, easygoing, and someone who knew a lot.

Her father stated that she enjoyed studying different cultures and nationalities. Considering she was studying both English and Chinese at Shanghai University and moved from China to Melbourne six months before on an exchange program. I would agree with that. Shanghai University actually was ranked number 327 on the best global universities list and has an acceptance rate of 29%.

Alfred: Good school!

It was not easy to get into this university, let alone joining an exchange program

Novis: Yes

Moss: it would be fair to say that Aya was very intelligent.

Novis: Very smart cookie.

Moss: Aya was a bright student in Latrobe University. Her plan was to finish her business degree and one day to work at her father's firm in China. for privacy reasons, I will not be mentioning the name of his firm. This was supposed to be considered a safe place.

Melbourne is not the name of a terrifying city. You hear in the news every day. Australia's known for its interesting wildlife not so much for anything violent, I would say, Her sister stated that Aya had very big dreams and her father rest for Her love of the people in the city of Melbourne.

But that love would not be rewarded or vindicated. That day was simple and fun. In the beginning. Aya had finished her language exchange for the night at her. “Let's talk in English” Meetup for other international students in the city. Her friend had invited her out for a comedy show and had driven to Bjork Street so she could safely take the tram home.

At the time she was safe.

Moss: it was now past midnight Wednesday, January 16th, 2019. At 12:05 AM she exited the bus on Plenty Road and little did she know she had someone with horrifying intentions heading in her direction. Aya often called her sister on her way back home. It was her only means of feeling safe as if someone was right next to her.

Israel was seven hours behind Melbourne at this point. She was only about an 11 minute walk back home. Which will be below in the show notes and on Instagram, and I did send it to you both on Discord so you guys can see how far away she was from home.

Alfred: They happens within a mile of your home.

Novis: She was so close.

Moss: Yeah, so close.

To her surprise, Ruba actually picked up the phone. She FaceTimed her sister, expressing her excitement over the comedy show on the opposing street. There was a young man bumming a cigarette, for lack of a better word, off of another sweet driller, and making his way toward her. I, as final words to Ruba, was I wasn't expecting you to pick up before she was attacked, could hear her sister struggling over the phone and the sound of: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 strikes. Ruba felt helpless over the phone, unable to do anything,

Novis: And that’s what her sister heard over the phone?

Moss: Yes. Her sister heard her being strucken in nine times

Novis: with a metal pipe?

Moss: With a metal pipe.

so let's actually dive deep into this actual crime. The killer saw Aya walking toward him once he noticed she was about a hundred meters from the tram. He attacked her. He struck her over the head with a metal pipe. Once she fell to the ground unconscious, he found a low hedge and dragged her limp body behind that.

Between the footpath and a car park, he forcibly raped her unconscious body. After moving some of her clothes and strike her again, Once, twice, thrice four times, five times, six times, seven times, eight times, nine times with a metal pipe that he had found right before approaching her, causing multiple fractures.

It caused multiple fractures to her skull. Her face lacerations to her brain. IA died from disastrous head injuries. He then dragged Aya’s body further behind the ledge and set her body a flame with an aerosol can. Using a lighter. he set a flame, both her body and her clothing. As the sentencing judge said, the crimes which he committed were deeply shocking, both for their sheer brutality and for their randomness.

He actually stated it was random. He had no reason to attack her. He made a savage and sustained attack on Aya. then he dragged her and raped her

Alfred: So I'm assuming he didn't even try to hide the body. He just lit her up there in the middle of the street.

Moss: He hit her behind a footpath, where a low hedge low hedge is basically in a car park of a mall.

So. It's like he was hiding her, but he wasn't. He didn't really care to did this. The judge found to try and destroy evidence that might have implicated him in the attack. The judge found that given, given, the severity of her skull and brain injuries, it was highly unlikely that IA had survived for any significant period after those injuries were inflicted. Now, who was our killer? What could have possessed him to do this. As we dive deep into the history of him, please keep in mind that mental illness is not an excuse for murder. Cody Herman was a 20-year-old upcoming rapper. The forensic psychologist, Dr. Andrew Carol, interviewed him in custody and had access to more than 2000 pages of RIA Association.

His mother was indigenous and his father was German. Cody endeared severe childhood neglect from birth with authorities receiving parents' chronic substance abuse, domestic violence, and emotional abuse. The neglect was so severe that both him and his sister suffered from rot and teeth due to inadequate care. Before 18 months of age. By the age of three, both him and his sister were in foster care. Expert testimony revealed that this early fundamentally impaired his brain development with ongoing psychological damage compounded by his mother's failure to attend scheduled visits or appearing intoxicated when she did, his father maintained no contact throughout his time in care.

The defense characterizes upbringing as occurring within a chaotic, insecure, dangerous environment that was not responsive to his basic needs, establishing a foundation of profound developmental harm. Defense barrister Tim Marsh, chief counsel at Legal Aid Victoria argued that the plea hearing was not a search for truth, but a search for an explanation.

I think it's important for me to concede. At the start that I will ultimately fall short in this task. There is not an explanation that I can give you that is going to get us from start to finish. Herman's adult life followed a destructive pattern, collecting welfare payments, purchasing drugs, sharing them with associates and shoplifting food.

He survived primarily on croissants chocolate milk while pursuing chronic intoxication through meth and cannabis. Dr. Carol testified that. Cody's severe childhood neglect caused lasting psychological damage and stunted brain development resulting in a drug-induced psychosis and severe personality disorder.

But despite claiming to have no motive to harm, Aya. Cody attempted to enter her apartment building on December 3rd and the 9th. Without justification. Days before the murder, a friend found him sleeping on his mother's bedroom floor where Cody stated, bro, I just had five psychoses. I saw a murder in my head.

Now let's talk about the aftermath:

Cody Herman was sentenced to 36 years in prison with a period of 30 years.

Outside court. Saeed Maasarwe spoke through tears thanking people of Melbourne and asking people not to focus on the length of Hermann’s sentence.

Alfred: such a short sentence for such a horrific crime.

Moss: Her father said, we don't focus on revenge. That's not our compass. It's not our focus, but to care for society, for the people, for the ladies who be able to go out and go back home. My daughter was someone who was happy, positive. And liked to help everyone. She looked at the people. It doesn't matter which religion, which nation, which color.

She looked at the people on the same level with the same eyes. She liked all people, all humans. It didn't matter where and when. This is how I want to remember Aya.

During her funeral, the picture that emerged of her was of an in individual, a young, vibrant daughter, sister, and friend who loved travel and study, spoke four languages. A woman who lost her life in a few minutes in inexplicable horror. She used to be all the time smiling. Her dad said, Aya’s mother, Kittam still watches videos and reads her daughter's text messages just to see her and hear her voice.

I am a Mother. Whom's Heart has been squeezed in pain day after day. Her father, Sayed and sister, no plan to visit Aya in Australia. A lot of time I find myself lost, lost in or sometimes stuck. Stuck in the past. Now I live with fear. Nora wrote, and that is the murder of Aya Maasarwe.

I know that this episode was very intense, but please be mindful of your mental health.

Novis: Australia have longer sentences for murder like that?

Moss: So during my research, there have been longer sentences, but

his mental health was taken into account.

So they're hoping that they can actually get him rehabilitated while in prison. 'cause the prisons are different than here. Um, they thought a shorter sentence would be good. But that's why he's not getting parole at all during that 30 years at least. But I'm pretty sure the six years, 'cause it's 36 years, prison time is like, oh, well, if he is good, maybe he can get out in 30, which….

Alfred: Yeah…

Novis: So his sentence was lightened because… let me check my notes he had scabies when he was young, and also the voices.?

Moss: No. So psychosis. Smoking cannabis and such. The fact that he was inside the foster care with his sister at a very young, age, his father never visited. His mother would visit, but while drunk.

Moss: I think that's mainly why they shortened the sentence.

Novis: Whoa

Moss:  I wouldn't say necessarily because he is 20 years old, so.

I mean, I'm not a therapist. I'm not gonna pretend I'm a therapist at all, but I know that typically people go through psychosis between the ages of 25—35…

Novis: But the issues that he was having with his mental health were drug induced. As long as he doesn't do the drugs, then there's no more mental health issues.  Right?

Alfred: You would think.

Moss: So he could end up relapsing. We don't know exactly what'll happen, but because he has a severe personality disorder, that's what he was diagnosed with. I'm not the therapist. That's what he was diagnosed with. He could still relapse in some way, which is why I think that he should be in a mental facility I guess, outside care with a therapist while he's in prison. Personally, I don’t believe he should be released.

Novis: If the goal is rehabilitation.

Moss: exactly.

Novis: Please keep him in prison. How old was she?

Moss: She was 21. She was year older than him.

Novis: In…sane…

Moss:  Yeah. I did send a picture of her in the Discord so you guys can see what she looks like. It's She is a beautiful young woman.

Novis: Awe…

Moss:  And I will say every photo I found on her, 'cause I found a lot of photos. I actually found her old Instagram. I saw pictures posted by her sister on her Instagram. Um, I saw other pictures posted by friends. There were over a thousand people at her funeral.

Alfred: Mhm

Moss: Over a thousand people actually showed up to her funeral.

I think it was mostly, uh, partially because of like the cultural aspect of just having a Muslim girl, um, murdered. But also she was, she made such a big impact in her community that a thousand people showed up.

Novis: I don’t- I couldn’t even imagine up at my funeral. A thousand is insane.

Moss: I think that is insane.

Novis: Even if everyone in my neighborhood showed up to my funeral, that'd still would be a hundred people. So it being a thousand is, she was loved.

Alfred: That’s impressive.

Moss: I’m not gonna have a thousand people at my funeral.

Eelderfla: I couldn't bribe that many people to come to my funeral.

Moss: Right?

Novis: And then he had the audacity

Alfred: Yeah.

Novis: To write a note… and slip the family a note

after that.

Moss: Oh yeah.

Alfred: Oof.

Moss: She was incredibly loved and she was such a sweet soul.

I think the worst part is when he said, don't give into hate like I did.

You killed their daughter!

Novis: Hate what? What did you hate? You saw a woman walking past and was like “yup that one.”

Moss: Not only that, he stated that he had no reason to attack her. He doesn't know why he did it. So what do you mean you gave into hate?  You don't know why you did it.

Novis: Sir it was the meth! You didn’t hate anyone. That was the meth talking.

Moss: And there is actual CCTV footage of her walking and him approaching her, um, and him bumming the cigarette off the street dweller. I actually have that footage. I can, I'm gonna post it so you guys can see it, and it will be on the Instagram, but it's kind of wild. 'cause you see right before they meet each other, there's, there's literally no cameras where he attacked her. You can just see the area where he left her body, but you can't see her body 'cause she's behind the hedge, so it's kind of crazy.

Alfred: Yeah. Yeah,

Moss: Aya was an interesting person and she made a very lasting impact. There is a foundation that was actually created after she passed, basically to protect young women and to combine hospitals of Israeli people and Palestinian people, uh, in Gaza, which I will actually be posting as well. 'cause it was, it funded her funeral and a lot of people commented on it,

Alfred: Yes.

Moss: but I'll be posting that as well.

Alfred: Remember, kids don't do drugs.

Moss: Seriously, don't--don't do drugs. honestly, because you could hurt somebody as amazing as Aya… This is the morning shift.

Photos related to case:

Sources: Links and articles are written here.

https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/news/r-v-codey-herrmann

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/17/bundoora-death-israeli-student-aya-masarwe-on-video-call-with-sister-when-attacked

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-01/cctv-shows-aiia-maasarwes-killer-before-the-murder/11564840

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-03/codey-herrmann-apology-for-murder-of-aiia-maasarwe/11571962

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-18/man-arrested-over-aiia-maasarwe-killing/10726724

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aiia-maasarwe-gillette-complicated-truth-matthew-etherington