Borce Ristevski’s silence cost $1m, hampered other missing persons cases
Huge resources were consumed by one of the highest-profile homicide cases in the state’s history due to Borce Ristevski’s refusal to own up to killing his wife Karen for more than two years.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The silence of Borce Ristevski cost up to $1 million and hampered work on other missing persons cases for more than two years.
Ristevski has two days to come forward with the full story of what happened to his wife, Karen, if he wants any chance of a reduced jail term, legal experts say.
Although he pleaded guilty this month to manslaughter, Ristevski has refused to tell investigators about the circumstances of his wife’s death.
HOW BORCE RISTEVSKI BEAT THE MURDER RAP
ANDREW RULE: WHEELS OF JUSTICE CATCH UP TO BORCE
SUBSCRIBE TO LIFE AND CRIMES: iTUNES, WEB and SPOTIFY
His refusal to own up to killing Mrs Ristevski in June 2016 meant huge resources were consumed by one of the highest-profile homicide cases in the state’s history.
Many thousands of police hours were taken up with the investigation at a time when the force had plenty of other cases on the books.
Detectives and other personnel conducted expensive searches for any trace of Mrs Ristevski.
Missing persons squad officers spent hours watching CCTV footage until they identified a black Mercedes-Benz in Diggers Rest which they strongly believed was being driven by Ristevski, with Mrs Ristevski’s body inside.
They later painstakingly eliminated 800 Mercedes from the inquiry to build the case Borce Ristevski drove his wife’s car to Macedon to dispose of her body.
The Herald Sun has been told expert evidence from consultants here and overseas, and interstate travel added to costs.
“It would have been in the hundreds of thousands, if not a million,” one experienced investigator said.
“He (Ristevski) could have told them straight-up what happened.”
David Galbally, QC, said the killer could still do less time if he finally let Mrs Ristevski’s family and authorities know what happened before a pre-sentence hearing scheduled for this Wednesday.
“I’d be surprised if the OPP (Office of Public Prosecutions) haven’t said you’ll get some off if you tell us what happened. I’d be staggered if that wasn’t in the mix,” Mr Galbally said.
Ristevski has spent most of his time in custody in the Metropolitan Remand Centre where he is regarded as a model prisoner.
He is believed to have been placed in the Deakin protection unit after being assaulted by a prisoner.