Tony Salaris stabbed multiple times, found on Kilsyth footpath near home
The family of Tony Salaris — a father of three and grandfather of seven — has been left devastated after he died in a frenzied stabbing on a footpath near his Kilsyth home. But the killer remains on the run.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An elderly man who died on a suburban footpath after being stabbed multiple times in Melbourne’s outer east was father of three and grandfather of seven, Tony Salaris.
His wife and two daughters appealed for anyone with information to come forward to solve the “cruel” and mysterious killing as police hit more dead ends in their inquiry.
The family and police have no idea why the retiree, who had a stroke only five weeks ago, was stabbed to death.
Witnesses told police they saw the 73-year-old retiree lying on the ground being attacked by an unknown man near his Browning St home.
There was no description of the offender.
Tony was home alone before he was attacked and the circumstances leading up to the killing remain unknown.
There were no signs of forced entry to the home. The killer remains on the run.
When Tony’s wife Helen left the house before 6.30am on Wednesday, her husband of 49 years was fast asleep.
“He was very people friendly, he got along with everyone,” Helen said.
“He had good dad jokes, he was a good dad.”
There was nothing to indicate that the offender was known to the victim.
Daughter Amy last saw her dad on Monday.
“We were just hanging out,” she said.
“He was happy and doing his thing.
“Someone decided to take his life for no reason.”
Daughter Steph said her father loved “each and every one” of his children and grandchildren.
“It is absolutely cruel to do that to us, to do that to him, to take his life for no reason,” she said.
“He was a really good dad, a good grandfather, (he) loved cooking for them.”
Mr Salaris also had another grandchild on the way.
Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Tim Day said he was especially concerned that there was a killer on the loose with no clear motive.
“What concerns me is the fact that in most homicides we can fairly quickly establish a motive behind the homicide and this stage it makes it even more of difficult when at this stage we don’t have a chance lead motive behind the attack.
“At this stage there is nothing that suggests a motive for the attack.
“Whether or not it’s a burglary, whether or not it’s a random attack, at this stage we’re just not in a position to say.”
Police will watch CCTV collected from nearby properties in the hopes they spot anyone suspicious.
The homicide detective wanted anyone in the area to report anyone suspicious to police
“This is a quiet residential area, so if anyone has seen anything usual then we’d like to hear from you,” he said.
“This could be a person or vehicle that is not usually in the street.
“If you have seen something or have any information about this incident and why it has occurred, then we urge you to come forward and speak to police.”
‘HE WAS A NICE OLD BOY’
His neighbours found him with at least six stab wounds, murmuring for help at the foot of another neighbour’s porch.
The husband and wife, who did not want to be identified, said that Mr Salaris was moaning when they found him and just minutes later he was dead.
Emergency services were called to the home about 9am.
He had stab wounds on his back, as well as one on his chest and another in his neck, according to the man who found him.
The male neighbour could not believe the man he had lived beside for more than three years was dead.
“He was a nice old boy,” the man said. “He was a really, really nice guy.”
The men used to chat about music whenever they bumped into each other.
Mr Salaris was a keen musician who played guitar in a band.
The husband and wife who found the man bleeding from multiple wounds did not see anyone else in the street.
The female neighbour got home at 8.56am on Wednesday and then the couple heard their neighbour’s moans at 9.04am.
They were shocked how someone could have done so much damage in such a short period of time.
Mr Salaris’s son is believed to have found his father’s jumper abandoned in his driveway, more than 10m from where he died.
Some neighbours believed Mr Salaris was attacked in his driveway before he stumbled into his neighbours’ yard for help.
A woman who lives across the road with her children and mother said the shocking, violent crime was unlike anything she had seen before.
“It’s just horrible,” she said. “We’re all really rattled and sad. We’re concerned obviously about the older ladies.”
Ray Carapellotti, who runs a business down the road, claimed the area was notoriously bad for drug use.
It had gotten worse in recent weeks and he reported seeing a spike in the number of people taking drugs in the nearby park.
“There’s been a lot of junkies up here,” he said. “They get blind, off their heads.”
The homicide squad, along with the SES, spent Wednesday searching for a weapon at the neighbouring Kilsyth recreation reserve.
MORE NEWS: GEORGE PELL LOOKS TO FIGHT IN HIGH COURT
TEACHER ATTACKED IN SCHOOL BRAWL CHAOS
Police are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or who was nearby to contact Crime Stoppers.
Detectives attended the scene as did forensic police and the homicide squad.
Police are keen to speak to any residents or anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in Browning St, Mount Dandenong Rd, Colchester Rd and Shelley Ave between 8.30am and 9.30am yesterday.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.vic.com.au