Housemate arrested as friends, neighbours mourn Krystal Marshall
New details have emerged about a man who was charged with murder over the death of a mum-of-two, whose body was found following a house fire.
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A mother-of-two’s housemate has been charged with her murder after the she was found dead in her home following a devastating house fire.
Krystal Marshall, mum of 15-year-old Madison and nine-year-old Skylah, has been remembered as an “amazing friend, mother and person”.
The 38-year-old’s body was discovered in her Barracoota Crescent home around 3.25pm on Friday by emergency services.
Meanwhile an arrest was made just after 10pm on Saturday at the same address following an investigation by fire cause investigators into the cause of the blaze.
A 48-year-old man was charged with her murder and was refused bail. He will appear in Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police spent most of Sunday conducting interviews with neighbours and gathering evidence from inside the property including a burnt, smashed door.
A crime scene investigator arrived on scene with tools to unhook the wooden door from its hinges before taking it away as evidence.
About 2pm police concluded their investigation and Anastasia Marshall, Krystal’s ex-partner entered the home to pack belonging including clothes, pillows and toys.
Neighbours and friends rallied around the women who had been with Krystal for more than 11 years while loved ones visited the scene, dropping off flowers and cards in memory of the 38-year-old.
Neighbour Veronika Lowe, who escaped a house fire herself years ago, told The Advertiser on Sunday she knew exactly what to do when she saw smoke billowing from the property’s front door.
She called triple-0 immediately while helping a man, who was eventually charged with murder, out of the property.
“I found a man slumped on the grass and asked him if there was anyone inside,” Ms Lowe said.
“I got him across the road and within five minutes police where there.
“He was sitting in the gutter across the road … when I told him to move … he slumped down and he got back up again and he fell down kind of thing.”
Ms Marshall, Krystal’s ex-partner, walked by the house where they lived together on Sunday and said her death was sad.
Lorry Thomas, another neighbour, said her and her husband were one incident away from selling their property in Aldinga and moving away after other events on the street.
“We’re country people. We came here when Aldinga was really small and seeing this and now there’s been a few nasty things have happened around the area. No more.”
Ms Thomas said she felt sorry for Ms Marshall and also Krystal’s children.
“That woman (Anastasia) must be absolutely a mess as well,” the retired nurse said.
Adding: “There’s nothing worse than losing your mum like that.”
Jason Freer, 51, lived next door to Krystal and said those who lived in the home moved in around six months ago and were always “friendly” and “kept to themselves”.
“It’s sad to hear about a death,” he said.
Mr Freer said he was alerted to the fire by an unusual crackling noise.
“I thought it was raining at first, so I walked outside and noticed all this smoke, there was fire coming from the neighbours’ roof,” he said.
Krystal’s brother Liam Brown told The Advertiser his sister was “fun” and “always up for a laugh”.
“She was working on making herself better,” he said.
“She was such an amazing mother, she absolutely adored her daughters and they adored her.
“She will be missed and remembered by those that where close to her.”
He said “it’s heartbreaking knowing people did this to her”.
Their mother Maureen is extremely distraught by her daughter’s death.
People have flooded to social media to send messages of support to Krystal’s family including her children Madison and Skylah.
Friend Symon Merritt posted to Facebook writing “you never know when the last time you’ll get to speak to someone”.
“Even though we hadn’t spoken in a while, you were a massive part of our lives and will be missed,” he wrote.
“Gone way too young Krystal, you were an amazing friend and mother and person.
“RIP mate thoughts with you Stasia Marshall and the rest of the family.”
Another friend Shaun Holton posted to social media writing Krystal was “one of the most determined and passionate humans I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with”.
“She leaves behind two young girls who she absolutely lived for,” he wrote.
“This woman would have given you her last dollar. The shirt of her back. I’ve never really met someone like her who could just roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
True Heights Dance Company paid tribute to their “valued and loved member” of the company for “many years”.
“We are here for whatever that family needs during this time of unimaginable grief,” it posted to Facebook.
The dance company shared a link to a GoFundMe created by Ms Marshall’s friend Jodie Kay with a goal of $20,000.
“Krystal wasn’t just Krystal she was a daughter, a mum, a wife, a sister, an aunty, a friend or a neighbour and touched the hearts of many who knew her,” Ms Kay wrote on the fundraisers site.
“Unfortunately Krystal leaves behind two beautiful daughters …. who are still coming to terms with the loss of their mum.”
Ms Kay knew Krystal for nine years when they became neighbours.
“We formed a great friendship and I have watched her grow and seen her positive attitude and infectious smile and touched the hearts of anyone who knew her,” she wrote.
“During these years I have seen Krystal do nothing but put her girls first with so much love and support from standing on the sidelines of the soccer field cheering on the kids or attending dance practice and watch the final years dance with the biggest smile on her face.
“She wasn’t just their mum she was their biggest fan.”
Ms Kay remembered a time someone posted on the Aldinga forum asking for a lift home as it was raining and Krystal “went with no hesitation to drop her home”.
“She made a friend this day,” she wrote.
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