He felt the need to kill again, but for some reason he had to return to Sydney to do it. Returning to Sydney, he met former workmate John McCarthy, who said, "I believed you had died," at which MacDonald replied, "Leave me alone," and ran away, travelling to Melbourne soon after.
MacDonald felt an intense desire to commit another murder, but for some unexplained reason, he had to return to Sydney to do so. Upon returning to Sydney, he encountered former acquaintance John McCarthy, who was shocked by his supposed demise, prompting MacDonald to tell him to leave him alone and make a swift departure, eventually heading to Melbourne.