Cheryl Ardler: Missing Sydney woman believed to have been murdered, former partner is ‘person of interest’
A SYDNEY woman who went missing more than three years ago is believed to have been murdered — and her former partner is a “person of interest”.
NSW
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A SYDNEY woman who went missing more than three years ago is believed to have been murdered — and her former partner has been identified as a person of interest regarding the death.
In the weeks before Cranebrook resident Cheryl Ardler, 44, vanished in 2012, witnesses said they saw Dennis French punch her in the mouth, beat her with a stick and stab her in the mouth with a fork. A report by Deputy NSW Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan, handed down on Friday, found Ms Ardler was most likely killed between December 5 and Christmas Day 2012.
Ms O’Sullivan said evidence was given by Dennis French’s niece Letisha Wright and her partner Sean Carpenter about violence inflicted by Mr French on Ms Ardler. “The accounts were detailed, credible and chilling,’’ Ms O’Sullivan said. “Their descriptions painted a picture of French as violent and dangerous.’’
Ms Ardler moved to Penrith from Brewarrina after her partner of 18 years, Elwood Clarke, died of illness in 2010. It was two years later that she began a relationship with Mr French in 2012 and moved in with him.
Just over six months later she was believed to have been murdered. Police interviewed Mr French and informed him he was a suspect in her disappearance.
He denied assaulting his defacto partner. Forensic police also examined the home and car of Mr French in May of 2014, testing for traces of blood without any result.
The coroner said Mr French was the only identified person of interest in Ms Ardler’s suspected death.
When Mr French was called to give evidence at this inquest on July 26 this year, he objected claiming any questions he would be asked could incriminate him.
Ms O’Sullivan said on balance of probability Ms Adler was killed by person or persons unknown and recommended the case be referred to the NSW Unsolved Homicide Squad.
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