Vital detail released as police pursue victim’s former lover in Brazil
CECILIA Haddad was murdered inside her apartment block the day before her body was discovered in the Lane Cove River, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
NSW
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Cecilia Haddad was murdered inside her apartment block the day before her body was discovered floating in the Lane Cove River, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
It is the first time the suspected location of the former mining executive’s slaying has been disclosed, and comes after it was revealed NSW police have secured a murder warrant for the arrest of her ex-lover, Mario Marcelo Santoro.
Police want to extradite Mr Santoro from his home country of Brazil, where he went the day Ms Haddad’s body was found on April 29.
He has not been charged, and he has said he was not involved in her death.
It is understood police believe there were multiple crime scenes at Ms Haddad’s West Ryde apartment block, including her unit, the building’s garage and her red Fiat 500 car.
The Telegraph has learnt that a witness has given a statement to police that he saw Mr Santoro throw a set of keys out of a car as he travelled over Gladesville Bridge.
IN-DEPTH REPORT: THE MYSTERY OF CECILIA HADDAD’S FINAL HOURS
Police divers have spent days searching the Parramatta River under bridge for the keys.
It is also understood a number of witnesses have given statements to police claiming Mr Santoro made several unwelcome advances toward Ms Haddad in the weeks before she died.
Ms Haddad’s body was found floating near Woolwich.
Police believe Ms Haddad was killed at the Anne St residence and then taken to a point along the Lane Cove river in her car, where her body was weighted down and dumped.
The Fiat was then driven to the West Ryde railway station, where it was left locked.
It is believed Mr Santoro spent several hours at another location before organising transport to the airport.