Neighbours ‘ignored cries for help as woman was murdered’ in Morphett Vale unit, police reveal
Multiple witnesses heard a confrontation in which a 35-year-old mother of three was brutally murdered at Morphett Vale – but none raised the alarm in a “sad reflection on society”, police have revealed.
Police & Courts
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Multiple witnesses heard a woman cry for help and a man threaten to kill her but did not call triple-0 to raise the alarm, instead leaving the mother of three to die a “horrible, violent death”, police say.
Senior police are at a loss as to why no one came to the woman’s aid.
The body of the 35-year-old victim was found by police inside her Wangara Ave unit at Morphett Vale just after 12.30pm on Thursday.
Later that night, her former partner, 38, allegedly returned to the scene. He was arrested and charged with murder.
Australia’s leading organisation in the primary prevention of violence against women and children says everyone has a role to play in addressing the scourge of domestic violence.
“We can be good bystanders and that means reporting suspicious circumstances, intervening when it is safe to do so and calling the police when someone is asking for help,” Our Watch chief executive Patty Kinnersly told The Advertiser.
“This violent murder is a terrible reminder that violence against women is the ongoing national emergency that this country continues to face.”
Ms Kinnersly offered her condolences to family and friends of the victim. She said 61 women died violently last year and 11 women had been murdered across Australia in 2020.
“Most of these murders take place in the home and are often the final brutal act after a long history of violence,” Ms Kinnersly said.
“Yet the murders are just the tip of the iceberg. For every woman murdered, thousands are living with violence and abuse.”
During a brief hearing in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday, the accused man sat with his head in his hands and shakily replied to questions from Magistrate Jack Fahey.
Prosecutors asked for a nine-month adjournment for the gathering of evidence.
The man’s name and image were suppressed as the investigation continues. He will next appear in court in December.
“This poor woman died a really horrible, violent death and it’s just terrible,” Major Crime Investigation Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Des Bray said.
He said violence had been a feature of the woman’s previous relationship with the charged man.
“There were multiple occasions when signs of disturbance (and) an altercation was heard (on Wednesday night). A person threatened to kill the occupant and, at one point, a female was heard to cry for help,” Supt Bray said.
He said the reluctance of witnesses to call police was a “sad reflection on society”.
“I’m at a complete loss to understand why anybody wouldn’t do something and go to the aid – or ensure that somebody went to the aid – of a woman who was screaming for help,” he said.
Detectives believe the woman’s front door was forced open sometime between 5pm and 11pm on Wednesday. The following day, she was found on the ground with an “unexplained injury” to her body.
Supt Bray said the man, who returned to the scene, was already a suspect and had been brought back to the area by other people.
Police believe he travelled from his Beverly home to the city by bus, then caught a train to Colonnades. He then used a bus to travel to the unit before returning home along the same route.
Distraught neighbours told The Advertiser they heard “loud banging” and threats to harm on Wednesday night.
One woman described the victim’s death as “sad, so sad”, and said she was relieved the alleged killer wasn’t “still out there”.
“I understand (the victim’s death was) very violent … (I feel sad for) the kids and for what she’s gone through,” the nearby resident said.
As crime-scene examiners combed the house for clues on Thursday night, police doorknocked nearby residents in the hope they could shed light on the crime.
On Friday, Major Crime detectives revisited the woman’s unit while other police patrols searched for evidence in a nearby park.
The woman had only lived in the unit, on a quiet street, for a few months and was home alone when she was killed.
“Police had been contacted by a concerned person in the area who had not seen the victim for some time,” Supt Bray said.
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732