Woman dead in Lorking Street Bellambi house with baby unharmed
THE woman murdered in her home while her five-month-old baby remained unharmed had previously been stalked by a former acquaintance, according to her Facebook page.
NSW
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WOLLONGONG woman Kristie Powell, found murdered in her home, had previously been stalked by a former acquaintance, according to her own Facebook page.
Detectives say the 39-year-old mother was found dead in her Bellambi house after 1am today. Her five-month-old baby boy was discovered nearby “uninjured and unharmed”.
Detective Brad Ainsworth said a friend called emergency services to the home. When they arrived, officers found Powell covered in blood.
“She had a significant amount of blood on her... there were definite signs of physical injury,” he said.
“We’re treating it as a homicide no doubt,” he told reporters in Wollongong.
Powell earlier this year revealed on Facebook that someone she formerly knew had become “obsessed” with her and become “a stalker”.
She revealed in a Facebook post that she was being stalked by someone who called himself the “Reaper”.
Powell alleged that the man, who she met, became “obsessed with her” and would send her countless messages everyday.
“He became obsessed with me & for some reason he is still obsessed,” she told a friend via a Facebook post on March 17.
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“Most of his messages say ‘Die Kristie Die’... he doesn’t approach me or my house, he just calls me or sends me msgs (sometimes I get over 100 a day!). But none of them make any sense!”
Powell said in March that the man was “mentally unwell” and she had alerted police about his threats on numerous occasions, but at the time said “there is nothing that they can really do as he is considered nonthreatening.”
Det Insp Ainsworth, when asked about her social media posts, stated: “Facebook reviews will form part of our investigation.”
He said there “could be” a weapon involved in the murder.
Police said the baby was taken to the hospital and was now in the care of his grandparents.
Police are yet to locate and speak to the father.
“That is part of our investigation,” he said.
The RSPCA arrived on the scene just after 10am to remove two dogs from her home.
About 1.10am, emergency services were called to the home on Lorking Street, Bellambi, after the body was discovered.
Officers cordoned off the red brick home and the neighbouring homes on either side.
Forensic services joined police outside the house to continue investigations into Powell’s death.
Members of the riot squad arrived at the scene just before 9am.
Shortly after, the squad took the investigation to Corrimal train station, where they are examining bins and the premises.
One man spoke highly of his neighbour, saying “She seemed like the kind of person who loved life.”
He also said neighbours had nicknamed Powell “the dog lady” as she would take care of stray dogs.
But the man also said there was often screaming coming from the home.
“We would here quite a few screaming matches from her home between her and various partners.”
Another neighbour woke to her dog barking at police when they arrived in the street at 1.30 this morning, and said, “we looked out the window and saw a couple of police cars but I didn’t think anything of it and went straight back to sleep.”
The neighbour said she saw Powell a few times but she very much kept to herself.
Another neighbour, Barry, said “a lot of people come in and out of that house.”
He also said she was a carer of multiple dogs.
At the end of 2014, Powell set up her own doggy daycare business, Bow Wow Playschool & Boarding.
Police said she had suffered serious head injuries. Her death is being treated as suspicious.
Investigators are looking through CCTV footage from nearby houses and businesses.
