Cold case: Gianni 'John' Furlan

Gianni 'John' Furlan was murdered in Coburg North over two decades ago.

The 48-year-old was driving his white Subaru Liberty sedan north along Lorensen Avenue, near Merlynston Railway Station, when it exploded on Monday, 3 August 1998.

John was alone in the vehicle and was driving his usual route from his home address on Sydney Road to his auto wrecking business on Sages Road.

As he always did, he stopped at the Merlynston News Agency for a coffee and the newspaper on the way.

At approximately 8.35am, while still in motion, a bomb in John’s car detonated. Commercial explosives had been attached to the car.

The force of the explosion killed John instantly, catapulting his vehicle 15 metres down the road, shattering nearby shop windows and spraying debris over 300 metres away.

The explosion was heard up to five kilometres away. Numerous residents on Lorensen Avenue had their property and vehicles damaged that morning, but miraculously, nobody else was physically injured.

A few days prior to his death, John had travelled to Hobart to visit a friend and stayed for four days, leaving his Subaru Liberty parked behind a high timber fence at his home address.

Investigators believe his car was fitted with an explosive device during this time.

Witnesses reported seeing two suspect vehicles in the days before John’s death.

On 31 August, 2017, a Coronial Inquisition determined that John Furlan died from a percussive injury (blast damage).

Despite an extensive investigation by members of the Arson and Explosives Squad and a number of public appeals for information over the past 27 years, nobody has ever been charged with John’s death.

A $100,000 reward for information was previously offered in 2000.

Victoria Police have since announced a $1 million reward for information in relation to those responsible for John’s death.