Key figures in hunt for Danielle Easey’s killers revealed

Homicide detectives investigating the brutal murder of Danielle Easey now believe her killer or killers may have dumped her body in Cockle Creek within a week of her body being discovered.

• Family mourns Danielle Easey’s death
• Tributes for ‘brilliant mother’

Homicide detectives investigating the brutal murder of Danielle Easey now believe her killer or killers may have dumped her body in Cockle Creek within a week of her body being discovered.

And late-night yabby fisherman may become key figures in the hunt for the murderers, with Strike Force Furzer investigators making a public plea for anyone in or around the water to contact police.

Danielle Easey suffered significant injuries.

Ms Easey, a 29-year-old mother of two, had not been seen since early August before her remains were found off Wakefield Road at Killingworth, near Lake Macquarie, last Saturday.

She had suffered significant injuries.

Detectives are investigating whether her involvement in the drug trade may be a motive in her death.

The window of when Ms Easey may have been killed had been left open because her last known movements were unknown.

Police were called to Cockle Creek after members of the public saw an item wrapped in plastic floating in the water.

The fact she was known to couch surf across the Lake Macquarie area has also made it difficult for investigators.

And although it remains unclear when Ms Easey may have been killed, detectives now believe her body was dumped in the week leading up to her death.

“Strike Force Furzer investigators believe that the area where Danielle’s body was discovered is visited by people who catch yabbies,’’ the homicide squad’s Detective Chief Inspector Grant Taylor said.

Parents of Danielle Easey, Col Easey and Jen Collier.

Danielle Easey was a mother of two.

“We would like to know if there was anyone in this area with their vehicle during the night time hours late last month, specifically in the last few days of August.’’

The lack of water movement in the area of Cockle Creek where Ms Easey’s body was discovered has led police to believe she was dumped in the same area, rather than her body being washed downstream by last week’s downpours.

The fresh plea comes a day after Ms Easey’s devastated family made an emotional plea to find her killer.