Two arrested over Cockle Creek murder of Danielle Easey
Homicide squad detectives have arrested two people in relation to the brutal murder of mother-of-two Danielle Easey, whose body was found dumped in plastic at Cockle Creek, near Newcastle, last month.
Newcastle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Newcastle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Danielle was the miracle baby of the Newcastle earthquake
- ‘I wasn’t there to protect you. I’ll never forgive myself’
- Check out the latest on Newcastle, Hunter roads
- Where to find the cheapest fuel in Newcastle
THE brother of Danielle Easey has spoken of his family’s relief after two people were arrested in relation to her murder.
Brendan Easey told the Newcastle News his family were happy with the news of the arrests.
“The detectives have been great, we would like to thank the public for their support and, of course, our family and friends for helping us stay strong during this horrible ordeal,” he said.
“It is the next step in the ordeal but at least now we can focus on Dell and how she changed all of our lives for the better.”
Homicide squad detectives arrested two people in relation to the brutal murder of the mother-of-two.
The body of Ms Easey, 29, was found tightly wrapped in plastic and dumped in Cockle Creek at Killingworth, near Lake Macquarie, on August 31.
A man and woman were arrested during raids on properties at Cardiff and Holmesville about 10.30am on Thursday.
The man, 33, has been taken to Belmont police station while the woman, 32, will be questioned at Toronto police station.
A search warrant was been executed at an industrial area in Cardiff about 3pm.
Police cordoned off a small red-brick building at a disused chicken processing plant.
Jake Bridge, whose business Cardiff Auto Wreckers borders the disused factory, said he saw the man arrested by heavily armed police.
Mr Bridge said police also took away two large dogs from the block.
Another search warrant is being executed at a property at Narara on the Central Coast.
About 1pm a tactical team cleared the house and forensic police officers arrived on the scene.
At least four undercover police and two uniformed-officers as well as the forensic crew were on the scene.
By 4pm investigators walked out with a yellow bag from inside the home, before placing it in a van.
The forensic team appeared in for a long haul as they tested and analysed items from the home as they were brought out about 5.30pm.
One neighbour, who would not be named, said she “literally never saw” the people inside the house.
Another neighbour said police were doorknocking about a week ago asking nearby neighbours if they had any CCTV footage.
Officers believe Ms Easey was killed on or around August 17, a fortnight before her body was discovered.
A post mortem examination revealed she had been seriously assaulted and stabbed.
NSW Police Homicide Squad Commander Jason Dickinson said the pair had known Ms Easey for a number of years.
“Based on the information that we have to date, there is no indication that there are other people involved in this crime other than those arrested today,” he said.
The duo, who were previously a couple, are being questioned by police - the man at Belmont police station and the woman at Toronto police station.
Officers are hopeful they will be charged shortly.
The Daily Telegraph understands police attempt to charge the pair with multiple offences related to murder and the disposal of a body.
There is also evidence that suggests Ms Easey was at the residential home, in Narara, before going to the disused chicken processing plant in Cardiff.
One of Ms Easey’s friends Amiee Barnes, 25, said she has had tears in her eyes since hearing about her death but hoped she could now get some closure with the latest arrests.
“I’m shocked and upset, I’ve been sleepless for weeks and all I can think about is her,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“The day they said they found someone I was hoping to god it wasn’t her and then it was and it finally hit me - I’ve been trying to deal with this since August.
“I knew she was couch surfing but I didn’t think at the time it was going to end up bad.”
The Speers Point resident had known Ms Easey for most of her life and only saw her a few weeks before her brutal murder.
“Your friend just goes quiet for a few weeks then she ends up being dead. It is so close to home that this fricken happened.”
Ms Easey had not been seen by her family for about three weeks, as the mother-of-two drifted back into a drug world she had fought so hard to escape.
Her lifestyle meant she was never reported as a missing person before her body, wrapped tightly in plastic, was discovered floating in Cockle Creek at Killingworth near Newcastle by a passing motorist on Saturday morning.
It was less than 8km from the home of her loving mother, Jennifer Collier.
Although she was based at her mother’s home at Booragul, Ms Easey was known to “couch surf” at the homes of friends and associates as her illicit habit dragged her away from those who loved her.
Her current boyfriend, known on social media as Benny Todd, is currently in jail after being arrested on serious charges last month. The Newcastle News does not suggest he had anything to do with Ms Easey’s death.
However, his incarceration prompted Ms Easey to continue to “couch surf” across an unknown number of homes, mainly near where her body was found.
Strike Force Furzer detectives, with the assistance of specialist police, swooped on several properties on Thursday morning.
A Facebook post by Ms Easey almost a year ago provided a glimpse into her life.
News.com.au reported that intruders tried to break into Ms Easey’s former home in Belmont late last year — leaving a handprint on her window.
She was so rattled she posted a series of warnings about it on a community forum.
In the same thread, she revealed further fears for her safety after a female friend was bashed in a nearby street attack so viciously she was knocked unconscious.
The arrests come five days after about 250 mourners remembered Ms Easey at a funeral service at Lake Macquarie Memorial Park, at Ryhope, last Saturday.
From her first breath Ms Easey was known as “Quaker”, the wonder baby born on a lawn outside a Newcastle hospital as the city was being struck by a massive earthquake.
It was 1989, and Danielle Easey’s story was to feature prominently in articles and interviews for decades as a touching testament to the miracle of life.
Mrs Collier had been in the labour ward with contractions just a few minutes apart when quake struck and the hospital was evacuated. Ms Easey was born seven minutes after the shock. In 1990 her mother recalled: “I was scared and confused but when Danielle was born I felt nothing but relief that my baby was all right.”