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Man emerges as suspect in alleged murders of two women 28 years apart

A man has emerged as a suspect in the murder of a Geelong mother in the early 90s. It comes after he was arrested in Perth over the alleged killing of a West Australian woman.

Annette Steward was found dead in her Geelong home in 1992 Picture: Unknown
Annette Steward was found dead in her Geelong home in 1992 Picture: Unknown

A man has emerged as a suspect in the alleged murders of two women 28 years part on opposite sides of the continent.

The 52-year-old has been questioned over the 1992 cold case alleged homicide of Geelong mother Annette Steward and was yesterday charged over the alleged murder of West Australian woman Dianne Barrett.

Ms Barrett, 59, went missing from her home in the Perth suburb of Medina in May last year.

Her body was found yesterday in bushland at Karrakup, southeast of Perth.

Victorian cold case homicide squad officers and West Australian detectives have been working together as part of their investigations.

Ms Steward was strangled in her Geelong West home in March 1992.
Ms Steward was strangled in her Geelong West home in March 1992.

The Melbourne investigators have interviewed the arrested man over the alleged Steward homicide.

Ms Steward, a mother-of-two, was strangled in her Hope St, Geelong West, home on March 18, 1992.

Police suspected the killer was someone she knew and had been invited in.

The 29-year-old was allegedly murdered in her bedroom in a crime which sickened the Geelong community.

Ms Steward worked at the Point Henry ammunition factory.

A 2007 inquest into her death was told the homicide squad had a suspect, a man with whom she had worked.

“He (the man arrested yesterday) has not yet been charged in relation to the murder of Annette Steward, however at this stage police are not seeking anyone else and the investigation remains ongoing,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman.

Annette’s parent’s Roy and Margaret Steward.
Annette’s parent’s Roy and Margaret Steward.

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The case was in 2015 made the subject of a $1 million reward.

The man charged with the murder of Ms Barrett is reportedly not known to her and was arrested in the suburb of Wembley

The teacher was reported missing by a neighbour on May 24 last year.

Police found her dog inside the Ridley Way house with the heating on and her car still on the property.

Ms Barrett’s bank account had not been used since May 11 when she bought flowers in Rockingham.

mark.buttler@news.com.au

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/man-emerges-as-suspect-in-alleged-murders-of-two-women-28-years-apart/news-story/ab6f5f91ef46bf3ff4d749556271ed4b