Teen girl’s body found in barrel in back of ute south of Brisbane
POLICE have searched cars near a southeast Queensland shopping centre as a manhunt continues following the discovery of a body in the back of a ute.
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POLICE have searched cars near a southeast Queensland shopping centre as a manhunt continues following the discovery of a body in the back of a ute.
Cars were stopped near a Pimpama shopping centre Thursday evening after reports wanted man Zlatko Sikorsky was seen in the area. It’s believed a car was spotted in the area that matched the description of the one that Sikorsky is believed to be travelling in but the reports have since been deemed false.
Detectives investigating the suspected murder of a girl found in barrel on the back of a ute on Wednesday say they want to speak to Sikorsky, 34, but have warned the public not to approach him.
Sikorsky is believed to be travelling in a silver 2014 Holden Commodore with a sunroof and Queensland registration 966 WKB.
It comes after police attended an address at Buccan about 1.30pm yesterday as part of investigations into a missing teenager, before a black ute left the scene.
The ute was found a short time later, and a body was located in a barrel in the back of the ute.
Officers are now wanting to speak to Sikorsky, who they believe left that scene in another car, a Holden Commodore.
Sikorsky’s criminal history includes armed robbery and extortion offences.
He had pleaded guilty to 14 charges and received a five-year prison term when sentenced in September 2016.
He had already served 594 days in custody which was declared as time served, with his parole eligibility date set for October 2016.
Sikorsky has run a cleaning business and previously travelled around Queensland for work.
His online profile says he attended St Laurence’s College in South Brisbane.
Police earlier warned the public to notify authorities if they spot him.
“ Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged not to approach him but to contact police immediately,” police said in a statement.
Police swarmed a mobile home park in Brisbane’s south on Wednesday after the girl’s body was discovered.
Officers were attending an address at Buccan about 1.30pm yesterday as part of investigations into missing teenager Larissa Beilby.
The 16-year-old was reported missing from Sandgate on June 15.
She had last been seen at an address on Kempster Rd and had not contacted family since June 18.
Police at the time said she may be with a male.
She was still missing last night.
Logan CIB Detective Acting Inspector Scott Furlong confirmed Sikorsky was an associate of Ms Beilby but he said he wouldn’t comment further in relation to the body found and said it had not been identified.
“I don’t know the relationship, we know that they are associated, however we don’t know the exact relationship between Larissa Beilby (and Sikorsky),” he said.
Insp Furlong said police believed Sikorsky was within the Logan and Gold Coast areas.
He said police believed he was travelling alone. Sikorsky was also believed to be associated with an address at Buccan.
Insp Furlong warned the public not to approach Sikorsky and said he may present a risk to the public.
“We have information that he has access to firearms,” he said.
“And so what we want to do again is to reiterate to the public that if they are to see him to contact police immediately and advise police of his whereabouts.”
Insp Furlong said police were talking to a number of associates of Sikorsky.
On Wednesday, when police arrived at a Buccan address a person left in a black ute.
The vehicle was later tracked and located a short time later in a mobile home park at Stapylton, about 30 minutes south of Brisbane, and the man left in another vehicle.
A neighbour has told of how he heard a high-powered ute roar out of a driveway on Grassdale St, Buccan, on Wednesday afternoon.
The man, who did not want to be named, was being spoken to by police about a missing person when the ute took off.
“It sounded like it lost traction as it came out of the drive way,” he said.
“Whoever it was, they were in a hurry.”
Police were on Thursday still at a house on the corner of Grassdale St and Hein Rd.
Several cars, mostly sedans, are parked in the driveway, in front of the house and in a large garage.
Police have confirmed they found a teenage girl’s body in a barrel in the back of the ute after searching the vehicle.
The victim was so badly decomposed police warned it may take two days to identify her.
Forensic officers were also working to confirm how she died but detectives said it was being treated as a murder.
Crime scenes have been set up at Silky Oak Cres, Stapylton, and about 20 minutes west at Grassdale St, Buccan.
Detective Acting Superintendent Mark White said a structured and forensic procedure was under way.
“We’re in the process of speaking to all of the residents there to canvas any information that may be relevant to what our investigation is focused on,” Det Supt White said.
Police are still working to positively identify the deceased person located in the back of a ute in Stapylton: A/D/Supt Mark White.
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) June 27, 2018
Det Supt White said the public should not approach the vehicle but instead call police on 000. Reports suggest the man may be armed.
“We’re still conducting our investigations in relation to any persons associated with that vehicle,” he said.
“We’re also determining any level of threat that they may pose to the community and also a whole range of other things associated with the investigation.”
Officers say they are looking for a person travelling in a silver late model Holden Commodore sedan with the registration 966WKB.
“A further search of the vehicle uncovered a deceased person,” police said in a statement.
“Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.”
The tray at the back of the ute was covered with a tarp.
Jacob Ridler, a resident at the mobile home park, said when he arrived home about 5.30pm police were everywhere.
He said the black ute, which he hadn’t seen before, was “minimum 30m from his house”.
“I saw the tarps over the back of the ute, they had a truck pulled up to it and there were a number of detectives.
“They (police) covered it all up.”
Mr Ridler said he saw police putting the ute in a truck late on Wednesday night.
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