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Kim McRae: No arrests in Coogee murder probe for ‘beautiful soul’

It has been more than a month since Coogee sex worker Kim McRae was found dead inside her home. But despite police launching a murder probe there have been no arrests and mystery still surrounds how she met her end.

Kim McRae was found dead in her Coogee apartment in January.
Kim McRae was found dead in her Coogee apartment in January.

A murder investigation probing the suspicious death of a Coogee woman is yet to result in any arrests – more than a month on from her being found dead inside her apartment.

Kimberley McRae, 69, was discovered dead inside her Mount St unit block on January 14.

A vigil has since been held for the sex worker described as the “kindest most generous person” by a good friend.

Following the discovery of Ms McRae’s body, police launched a murder investigation and appealed for information from the public, to help piece together her final movements and what led to her death.

Kimberley McRae. Picture: Facebook
Kimberley McRae. Picture: Facebook

“No one has been arrested at this stage and investigations are ongoing,” a police spokesman said this week.

The spokesman said detectives were also continuing to appeal for information from the public.

Police said she was last seen alive on Tuesday, January 7 – a week prior to her body being discovered.

However, her next door neighbour told the Southern Courier she was “almost 100 per cent sure” she spotted her alive on Friday, January 10, just four days prior to the grisly discovery.

Ms McRae lived alone in her apartment and also went by the names Sabrina, Isabella and Samantha.

Detectives are continuing their investigation into her death. Picture: NSW Police
Detectives are continuing their investigation into her death. Picture: NSW Police

She was well-known in the Coogee community and regularly exercised in the area.

Friend Kathleen Allen said Ms McRae joined her writers’ group in 2010 and they had been friends since.

“I am very proud to have met her and known her,” she said.

“She was just a complete conundrum and I loved that about her. And she was a beautiful, generous soul.”

She said she hoped the offender was caught soon if police determined it was a murder.

“I just hope whoever has done it – if this is the case – is caught.”

Kim Mcrae’s unit block where she was discovered on January 14. Pictured: Tim Pascoe
Kim Mcrae’s unit block where she was discovered on January 14. Pictured: Tim Pascoe

Mrs Allen said Ms McRae was intelligent and a good writer.

“She was a very smart lady – very well read.

“She loved poetry, literature and mythology which a lot of her book has in it.”

She explained Ms McRae had completed a memoir under the alias Isabella Lawson.

“She came in and gave us a copy (last year) and she was so proud of what she had produced.”

The memoir written by Kim McRae.
The memoir written by Kim McRae.

Mrs Allen said a vigil had been held for Ms McRae following her death which attracted a lot of people to pay their respects.

She also said as far as she knew Ms McRae had a twin and had become a Buddhist in her younger years.

“She didn’t drink, take drugs or smoke,” she said. “She was just the kindest most generous person.”

Ms McRae lived in her apartment for six months before she died but had previously lived in another apartment on the same street for about 12 years.

A post mortem examination was conducted after she was found but further tests were required to determine how she died.

Police have not said how she died.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/southern-courier/kim-mcrae-no-arrests-in-coogee-murder-probe-for-beautiful-soul/news-story/a52072e3a56e2aa643081d6143815312