Police admit officers may have made serious mistakes investigating an unsolved crime wave between the 1970s and the 1990s.
30 of the 88 cases involved, being reviewed in recent years in a police operaton known as Opeartion Parrabell, may have been subject to mistakes.
Operation Parrabell is investigating whether a homophobic police culture could also have hampered the investigations.
One case involved is the 1986 death of Bill Rooney after a night out in Wollongong.
Mr Rooney's partner, Wayne Davis, says he's convinced homophobia played a role in the death being dismissed.
He says he and others have been failed.
"Losing a loved one is very difficult, but losing a loved one in such violent circumstances...you never get over it. Bill had a loving partner and loving friends. All of those men had loving partners, loving families, loving friends. The system has failed us. It's failed the people who died, but it's also failed the people who lived, because it hasn't treated it seriously."
