Christine Petersen: Gold Coast model’s brutal murder at hands of partner Lawrence Stehlik
A mother of two was brutally stabbed to death by her estranged partner who dumped her battered body into the bushes on the northern Gold Coast before fleeing the state.
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A MOTHER of two was brutally stabbed to death by her estranged partner who dumped her battered body into the bushes and fled the state.
The murder of Christine Petersen 30 years ago this month was one of the most shocking crimes in the Gold Coast's history.
It is just one of the many violent deaths of women at the hands of their partners and among a spate of similarly violent crimes in the same period across the state.
Domestic violence continues to be a major issue on the Gold Coast three decades later.
A young mother this week died after allegedly being attacked by her estranged former partner in Southport.
Christine Petersen’s death in 1991 made headlines nationally and led to a coronial inquest into the circumstances of her murder.
She was a successful catwalk model who had appeared in shopping catalogues and television commercials.
In 1989, she and her newborn twins moved in with her new partner, Lawrence Stehlik.
But by late 1991 she moved out, unable to cope with his “possessiveness”.
Stehlik continued to harass her for four months and made death threats.
She was last seen at 4pm on December 6, 1991 when her and Stehlik left her Benowa home in a white Holden Commodore he claimed he had bought as a gift.
In actual fact, he had hired it for the crime.
Police were told the pair were going out to celebrate her 25th birthday.
He lured her into the car and she unwillingly left her twin daughters with a girlfriend.
She was reported missing the next day.
Police found the burnt out shell of the car, dumped on a remote part of a northern NSW banana plantation where Stehlik lived two days later.
Det Sgt Michael Bryant, of Tweed Heads police, said a large amount of blood was found in Stehlik’s bedroom.
A knife, which had a black handle and 15cm-long blade, was found nearby.
Stehlik was seen hitchhiking from his property to Pottsville the day after Ms Petersen was reported missing.
A motorist who picked Stehlik up said he was limping and bleeding from the forehead.
Ms Petersen’s mother Hilary Cowan said she had spoken to Stehlik on the telephone following her daughter’s disappearance.
“He said he was sorry and we knew he would never hurt her,” she said.
Stehlik was found dead in the front seat of a car near Bega in southern NSW six days following the disappearance.
He had shot himself in the head.
Police revealed Stehlik had told leading Sydney criminal lawyer and former NSW Law Society head John Marsden that he had murdered his former de facto wife before dumping her body in bushland on the Gold Coast.
Ms Petersen’s badly decomposing body was found two days later by a couple who got lost in their four-wheel-drive in bushland at Gaven, just off the Pacific Hwy.
Ms Petersen’s stepsister Lerae Flaherty said: “We never imagined he’d kill our Christine – she had a wonderful future in front of her and two beautiful girls.
“Christine always had her head on the right way. She got out of the relationship with Stehlik but he didn’t want her to be with anyone else.”
In December 1993, Coroner Ian Grosse found Stehlik had killed the young model before fleeing.
Mr Grosse said she had rejected Stehlik’s obsessive advances and he had hatched a plan to kill her.
He found Stehlik, 39, had driven Ms Petersen to a secluded industrial area in Gaven and killed her before driving back to his banana plantation and stabbing himself in the leg with the murder weapon to substantiate a claim of self-defence.
The inquest found that after several drinks of scotch, he set fire to the hire car and drove in his car to Sydney and saw Mr Marsden, to whom he confessed to the crime.
“I’ve done something heavy … really heavy. I want to kill myself,” he told Mr Marsden.
Ms Petersen’s family was devastated.
In 1993, Mrs Cowan was unable to afford to petition for criminal compensation to help raise her grandchildren.
“They have lost a mother and that’s something that can’t be replaced.’’
If you have been impacted by domestic violence and need help contact:
* 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
* DVConnect: 1800 811 811
* Gold Coast Domestic Violence Prevention Centre: 5532 9000
* DV Connect Men’s Link: 1800 600 636
* Lifeline: 13 11 14
* Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
* Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence: 5591 1164
Originally published as Christine Petersen: Gold Coast model’s brutal murder at hands of partner Lawrence Stehlik
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