Fresh lead in cold case of Lesley Larkin’s Noosa murder brings hope to family

Lesley’s naked body was found lying in a pool of blood on her bed. She had been bludgeoned several times in the head. Now, for the first time, her grieving mother feels she’s close to getting answers over this Queensland cold case.

THE grieving mother in a Queensland cold case murder mysteryhas spoken for the first time of her hopes new evidence may help catch her daughter’s killer.

Lesley Patricia Larkin, a free-spirited astrology lover, was 31 years old when she was murdered in her Noosa Heads unit 34 years ago.

Family hopeful of breakthrough in cold case murder

A new lead reveals that, in the days and weeks before her death, Lesley was frightened and experienced distressing incidents she might have told close friends about.

Lesley’s mother Patsy Lleiss and sister Juanita Wotherspoon hope new leads will bring closure to the case. Picture: David Martinelli

Lesley’s mother Patsy Lleiss, now 87, told The Courier-Mail that, for the first time, she felt positive she would finally receive answers as to why anyone would want to hurt her daughter. “It’s the first time I’ve felt really positive there might be some outcome and understanding about what happened and how it happened,” she said.

“I really feel as though something is going to break open.”

Lesley moved to Noosa Heads with the hope of establishing herself. Her sister Juanita Wotherspoon said people would see her driving a Kombi van through Noosa.

Lesley Larkin was often seen with her dog driving a Kombi van through Noosa.

“She made quite an impact on people that remembered her, even through short meetings,” Ms Wotherspoon said.

“She had a lovely effect on people and, while no one deserves to be murdered, I think it makes it extra hard when they are such beautiful souls, and that’s what she was.”

Lesley had been working as a waitress, and had a passion for yoga and taking her boxer dog Riff Raff to the beach.

“She was very happy, very bubbly, and very naive,” Ms Lleiss said.

“I think it would be true to say she was quite a spiritual little person, with her yoga and astrology, in a way that fitted in with the 80s.”

Lesley Larkin.

Pictures: Supplied

The horrific discovery was made just after midnight on November 9, 1984. A neighbour had found Lesley in her Kareela Court unit. The door was wide open.

Lesley was naked and lying in a pool of blood on her bed. She had been bludgeoned several times in the head and died a day later in the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

Three decades later, Ms Lleiss still remembers seeing her daughter in hospital for the final time and, even throughout the unbearable torment of unanswered questions, she is the unbreakable rock of her family.

“Whoever did this has not broken me,” she said.

“I just want to know who did it, I just want to understand, I just want to be able to talk to Lesley and say I understand it now.

“I’m really hoping there will be a resolution of this terrible pain and … always carrying that question in your mind.”

Patsy Lleiss with a photo of her bubbly daughter Lesley. Picture: David Martinelli

Along with homicide detectives, the mother and daughter are urging those who knew Lesley, and were close to her, to go back over time and think of anything Lesley may have said or done that could help police catch her killer.

“Just go back and try to remember anything Lesley said, anything you observed, anything you noticed that you might have just thought was a bit odd, or at the time didn’t attach any significance to,” Ms Lleiss said.

“It might be people who were there and then moved away, and their new life took over and they’ve sort of just forgotten.

Lesley Larkin’s battered body was found naked on a bed in her Noosa unit in 1984.

“I would just urge people to do that and, if there is anything to come forward. This might be the last opportunity to come and say whatever it is that you might know.”

Sitting in her Toowoomba unit, Ms Lleiss refers to her Buddhist mandala jigsaw puzzle that took days to put together.

She uses this puzzle as a metaphor, saying everyone should “come together with their little pieces of information, because it might be the one piece investigators need to solve the puzzle”.

Detective Inspector Dave Drinnen said this new lead had ramped up the investigation and was crucial in solving the case.

“With further information this could only strengthen our evidence so we can put the offender before the court and solve this horrendous crime,” he said.

A State Government reward of $250,000 remains on offer for information that leads to the apprehension and conviction of those responsible for the murder.