Woman’s body discovered near boat ramp, Terrigal Haven
An autopsy to be conducted tomorrow will unravel the mystery of Devora Howard’s death just as details of her private battles emerge.
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An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow morning with police hoping it will determine exactly how Devora Howard died after she was plucked from the water off Terrigal by three fishermen on Tuesday.
It comes as detectives continue to probe into the beautiful socialite’s outwardly “perfect life”, which inwardly was plagued by struggles with alcohol abuse, a marriage breakdown and a self-harm attempt in 2010.
Meanwhile police have urged anyone who may have seen a woman wearing white jeans and a grey woollen jumper anywhere around the Terrigal or Wamberal area between 10pm on Monday and shortly after 6am Tuesday, to come forward,
A personal trainer came across Ms Howard’s beloved Doberman Harvey pining by the shoreline shortly after 6am on Tuesday. A dog lead and bum bag was located nearby.
The 56-year-old’s lifeless body was found a few hundred metres away by fishermen at 7.10am
“It’s a tragic situation for the family of that person,” Detective Chief Inspector Steve Laksa said.
“But we believe the community might be able to piece together the information to identify where that person had been and that person’s movements before (she) was located by the fishermen.”
Ms Howard was pulled from the water in jeans and a bra but her grey woollen jumper has not been found.
“I can say any small piece of information would be appreciated, even if it’s just a glimpse or a suspected sighting of this person - it will all help with our investigation,” Chief Insp Laksa said.
On Tuesday police spoke to her estranged husband, Peter Howard, who she had separated from, as well as a male neighbour, who she had been romantically linked to before her death.
Chief Insp Laksa said neither of the men were involved in her death nor were there any “persons of interest” in the investigation.
“We have retrieved and been provided with CCTV footage, which at this stage we haven’t analysed but again on that point we would ask that anyone who does have CCTV footage of those hours anywhere in the vicinity of Terrigal, the lagoon, anywhere pointing out to that direction and has a person matching that description we would love to those persons to contact police,” he said.
“Anyone who may have been with her, seen her, spoke to her. Anyone who can provide any information that clearly identifies where she was, who she may have been with, what she may have been doing, or conversations they may have had with her that would give us an indication of what has occurred.
“Someone may have had a conversation which might be quit pertinent to where we are now.”
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The 56-year-old was last seen by a neighbour standing on the second storey balcony of her million dollar home on Pacific St, Wamberal, about 10pm on Monday night talking on her mobile phone.
“We are following a number of lines of inquiry in relation to her last known movements,” Detective Chief Insp Laksa said.
“Information from the public is crucial as it is will hopefully support the results of a forthcoming post mortem examination.”
Neighbours said Ms Howard would regularly walk her dog in the mornings but did not recall her being much of a swimmer.
Ms Howard purchased the $1.7 million home, where she cared for her mother, with Peter Howard in 2015 before the pair married in a stylish Port Douglas ceremony a year later.
To her friends she had it all, but detectives investigating the circumstances of her death have learned the pair had recently separated.
Mr Howard was in Queensland for work on Tuesday and there is no suggestion he had anything to do with his estranged wife’s death.
Builders working on a large waterfront mansion across the road said they had seen her on occasions leaving another house a few doors down from hers early in the morning.
“She walked her dog every morning,” a close friend of Ms Howard told The Daily Telegraph. “I thought she had the perfect life … She was so beautiful.”
Shortly after her body was plucked from the water, police established a crime scene about 150m north of The Haven boat ramp. They established another outside her home.
The only outward sign of cracks appearing in Ms Howard’s perfect life was a cryptic post she wrote on Facebook on June 26 which read: “When you lose all trust in someone you have nothing else to lose”, accompanied by a sad face emoji shedding a tear. However, police have been told Ms Howard had no previous mental health issues.
Police notified her family but she is yet to be formally identified.
What is troubling detectives are the injuries to her neck and they are awaiting results of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
As police continue inquiries into the death, anyone with information is urged to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
If you or anyone you know is in need of support ring:
* Lifeline 13 11 14
* Mental Health Help Line: 1800 011 511
