Singh triple murders: Last sibling, Archana ’Sonia’ Pathik, dies, age 43, of brain aneurysm
One of the senior detectives who worked on the infamous Singh triple murders of 2003 has paid tribute to the surviving sibling, who died suddenly this week.
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SONIA Singh was a “loving and devoted mum” who was instrumental in bringing her siblings’ killer to justice, one of the senior detectives on the infamous triple murder case said.
The detective today paid tribute to Sonia Singh, who died on Saturday from a brain aneurysm.
“As one of the senior investigators involved in investigating the horrific crime that claimed their children’s lives (Operation Bravo Settler) my heartfelt condolences are with Shirley and Vijay at this time,” the detective wrote.
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“Sonia was a key piece of the prosecution case that helped ensure justice for her brother and sisters.
“She was a loving and devoted mum and provided tremendous support for her parents during and well after their terrible loss. You will always be remembered.”
Archana “Sonia” Pathik, 43, suffered a brain aneurysm on Saturday and had her life support turned off Monday night at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
The eldest of the Singh siblings was no longer living in the family home at Bridgeman Downs, north of Brisbane, when Max Sica murdered sisters Neelma, 24, and Sidhi, 12, and brother Kunal, 18 in 2003.
Mrs Pathik, who lived in Melbourne, has been remembered as a hardworking and compassionate volunteer with a number of non-for-profit organisations in Victoria.
She had recently been made an ambassador for Mental Health Australia and was appointed Youth Director at Rotary Club of Southbank.
“She volunteered every chance she could and greeted every person with the most beautiful warm hugs,” National Homeless Collective wrote on Facebook.
“There will be a little less light and love in our world now and her loss will be felt forever.”
Her mother Shirley Singh told 7 News that the sudden loss of her eldest daughter was “devastating and cruel”.
“She was using her experience and what she suffered to help others. She worked very hard to help others,” she said.
Friends have remembered Mrs Pathik as a woman who “never ceased to amaze through all adversity”.
“We had to say goodbye to one of the most beautiful angels that ever walked this earth. We are devastated, shocked and feel ripped off you were taken too soon by this sudden aneurysm but there must be a purpose somehow to this heartbreak,” one close friend wrote online.
The Singh triple murders are remembered as one of the most brutal in the state’s history.
Neelma’s former boyfriend, Mr Sica murdered the Singh siblings and dumped their bodies in a spa bath to decompose.
At trial, the jury was told bleach had been used to destroy forensic evidence.
The court was also told DNA consistent with each of the murdered siblings was found on the garden fork’s tines.
Mr Sica was given three life sentences and a minimum 35 years without parole.
He will be eligible to apply for parole in December 2043 – when he will be 73 years old.
Mrs Pathik is survived by her husband and their two teenage sons.
Her funeral will be held at the Springvale Cemetery in Melbourne on Friday.
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