Rene Latimore murder: Police interview hundreds as investigation deepens

Police have rounded up hundreds for interviews as the homicide investigation into Rene Latimore’s death deepens.

Investigations into Rene Latimore’s death continue with police rounding up hundreds for interviews.

Detective Inspector Tom Armitt declared a homicide investigation a day after the 31-year-old’s body was found restrained on a property near Ilbilbie on Sunday August 29.

He said he wished to thank those who had come forward to help the investigation.

“The information is important to us,” Inspector Armitt said.

“Whether it provides actual evidence or not, it’s important to us so we can chase down all queries,” Inspector Armitt said.

Inspector Armitt said police had conducted hundreds of interviews so far and were gathering CCTV from as many vantage points as possible.

“We are obtaining footage from dashcams, private locations and businesses from all around,” Inspector Armitt said.

He encouraged anyone with information regarding Rene Latimore’s movements leading up to her death to get in contact with police link or anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

Earlier, on September 14, Inspector Armitt revealed officers were investigating a “number of persons of interest” and looking into their locations and movements at the time of Rene Latimore’s disappearance.

He warned “whoever was responsible” the net was closing in and the matter would be finalised soon.

Rene Latimore's sister Katie Marchetti with Mackay Detective Inspector Tom Armitt, September 14, 2021. Picture: Lillian Watkins

But he advised anyone with information to contact police.

“The choice is in their hands, whether they come forward or not,” Inspector Armitt said.

“We are confident we will get a resolution.”

Rene Latimore’s sister Katie Marchetti said her family was coping “better than she thought” at the news of her sister’s death but believed “the worst was yet to come”.

Katie Marchetti: ‘I both want to know and don’t want to know’. Picture: Lillian Watkins

“I suspect that when we find out what has happened to her, things will really hit home,” Mrs Marchetti said.

“I both want to know and don’t want to know.”

Despite this, Mrs Marchetti has pleaded with the public to help find out what happened to her sister.

“If you think you know something, please come forward,” she said.

Mrs Marchetti said she would not cast aspersions on why someone with information had not yet gone to police.

“It’s possible someone knows something and they might not have come forward,” she said.

“And it’s also possible that they don’t know that they know something, they may think it has nothing do with what happened to Rene.”

Katie Marchetti said she fondly remembered her sister’s love of her son, cooking, and living in the moment. Picture: Katie Marchetti

Mrs Marchetti said her family had been taking time to remember Rene Latimore and the kind of person she was.

She fondly recounted her sister’s love of her son, cooking, and living in the moment.

“She loved her son, very much,” Mrs Latimore said.

“They had very close relationship, they were best friends

“I know some people say that about their kids, but they really, really were best friends.

“He’s holding up really well at the moment, I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet, and it might not for some time.

“What's happened to her — it’s going to affect him for the rest of his life.”