Deakin University lecturer Adam Brown charged with murdering wife in Croydon North home

A university lecturer accused of killing his wife at their Croydon North home recently posted a tribute crediting her for keeping him “sane”.

A Deakin University lecturer accused of fatally stabbing his wife at their Croydon North home posted a gushing tribute to his wife on International Women’s Day last year, it has been revealed.

In an Instagram post Dr Adam Brown described Ms Cheng as a “strong, creative, and hilarious woman”.

“Special shout out on #InternationalWomensDay to the strong, creative, and hilarious woman who gives me the privilege of being around her every day, making me laugh, keeping me sane, and always ensuring I’m on time with everything,” Dr Brown wrote.

Deakin University lecturer Adam Brown allegedly killed his wife, Chen Cheng.

Ms Cheng is captured in the photo smiling gently, holding a DSLR camera close to her face.

Dr Brown is in custody after being charged with the murder of 35-year-old Chen Cheng, the mother of his young child.

The 40-year-old is accused of killing Ms Cheng inside their Patrick Ave home on Saturday night.

Just days before Ms Cheng’s death, Dr Brown posted an eerie blog entry.

Four days before she died, he joked about kidnapping Ms Cheng on a holiday in Torquay.

“Some evidence suggests I kidnapped my partner and forced her to endure the strong winds on the cliff’s edge,” the post said.

Ms Cheng previously made several affectionate posts about her husband online, ­including an image of him cradling the child while overlooking the water.

A woman’s screams were heard inside the family’s home at the time Dr Brown is accused of stabbing his wife to death.

It’s understood Adam Brown and Chen Cheng have a child. Picture: Facebook

Tributes have begun to flow for Ms Cheng, with a friend of the husband and wife saying she felt “sick” after hearing the news.

“I went to lunch with them,” she posted on Facebook.

“I would have long talks with him almost every week when out walking our dogs and sometimes with both (of them). I cooed over their baby. And their old dog.

“I’m in shock.”

Bouquets of flowers have also been lined up outside the home where Ms Cheng’s life came to a brutal end.

Lecturer Adam Brown is in custody after his wife was stabbed to death at home.

One was signed with the message: “Another woman taken”.

A single candle was burning at the site of the memorial.

Former students of the senior communications lecturer told the Herald Sun they were in complete shock over the allegations, saying the academic was the last person they would suspect of such a brutal crime.

“(He’s) the last bloke you’d tip to (allegedly) murder his wife,” one said.

“This will definitely rattle Deakin.”

“That definitely wouldn’t have been something I would’ve thought he would be caught up in,” another former student said.

“The vibe I got was that he was very excited about being a dad and all that.”

A court heard Ms Cheng’s family has been informed of her death. Picture: Twitter

Dr Brown has a doctorate in Philosophy.

However, one neighbour in leafy Patrick Ave said he had always made her feel uncomfortable.

“He was just creepy,” she said.

Neighbours reported hearing a woman’s screams at the time of the attack, with one rushing to perform CPR on her before she died in the home.

The scene was extremely graphic, with bags of bloodstained evidence retrieved by forensic police, and crime scene cleaners still working at the property on Monday.

Dr Brown and Ms Cheng married in China in 2017.

Social media posts show the pair in traditional dress, surrounded by friends and family on the day.

Adam Brown and Chen Cheng. Picture: Facebook

The Herald Sun understands Ms Cheng worked in the building industry as a detailer for Richmond-based company Timbertruss.

Timbertruss is Australia’s leading prefab manufacturer, specialising in roof trusses and wall frames, according to its website.

Ms Cheng began to work for Timbertruss in 2018, with her LinkedIn profile stating she is still employed by the company.

Her colleagues threw her a baby shower in late 2019, before she took time off work to give birth to her child with Dr Brown.

She previously worked at Ikea, and completed her studies at the University of Melbourne.

Ms Cheng has been described by a close friend, Matt, as a “bright, humble and hard working mother”.

“This is a complete shock as they always seemed the ‘perfect’ couple,” he posted to Facebook.

Patrick Ave was closed off as police investigated the scene on Sunday. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Police remove a box of children’s toys. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Eccentric lecturer was well-respected

Dr Brown has a doctorate in Philosophy and graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 2005.

He was working as a lecturer at the Burwood campus’s arts and education faculty and was the host of podcast Social Media Stories.

Those who knew him say he was well-respected by his peers and students.

One former student ­described him as a quirky, but passionate educator.

“He described himself as someone who was super quiet when he grew up, which was interesting because he was a very extroverted teacher. Anyone who was taught by him would definitely remember him – that type of tutor,” the student said.

Another ex-student said Dr Brown was a “mentor” to him at Deakin University, with the news leaving him in “utter disbelief”.

“Dr Adam Brown was one of my favourite lecturers at Deakin,” he said.

“We kept in touch after my studies ended. He has been a big help and a bit of a mentor.”

Adam Brown often posted videos on TikTok with his wife.

Dr Brown made his eccentricity known in a series of ­bizarre online videos, including one in which he sang about being “Australia’s biggest pizza fan” to the tune of Waltzing Matilda.

He dressed as Luke Skywalker in another short spoof he dubbed “The Teacher Awakens: A Star Wars Parody”.

Another video features him reading out the “s--thouse emails” he received from his students before naming one.

Dr Brown appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via video link from custody on Monday afternoon.

Wearing a black T-shirt, and with his hands clasped together in front of him, Dr Brown was silent during the brief hearing, replying only “I can” when asked if he could hear the court.

No details of the allegations were aired in court.

The court heard it was Dr Brown’s first time in custody and Ms Cheng’s family in Sydney and China had been notified of her death. The magistrate ordered prosecutors to deliver a brief of evidence by August 2.

No application for bail was made and Dr Brown will return to court on September 13.

Police guarding the scene on Sunday. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Grisly scene at Croydon North home

Witnesses say they heard a disturbing commotion before the 35-year-old woman’s body was found about 10.15pm at a Patrick Ave home.

Police were called after initial reports of an assault at the home.

A child lived at the property but it’s unclear if they were home at the time.

A bag of children’s plastic balls and storage boxes could be seen in the garage, while a box of toys was removed from the scene.

Stuffed animals and woollen knit blankets were placed in a white soft storage box and relocated nearby.

Detectives closed off the area on Sunday while forensics teams combed through the property.

Police spoke to neighbours, examined the townhouse, and could be seen discussing their findings on the street.

Forensic officers collecting evidence. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A local who did not want to be named believed the man in custody was a “nice and normal person”.

“They were a quiet family,” she said.

Daniel Woodrow has lived on the hill overlooking Patrick Ave for 34 years and was shocked to stumble across the unfolding scene on his morning walk.

He and his wife live on what he describes as a quiet street.

“I have never seen anything like this,” Mr Woodrow.

“I got woken up last night, I got out of bed — I actually thought it might’ve been a cat trying to kill a possum, there was a human element to it.

“Didn’t expect anything like this.”

Challenge DV, a national domestic abuse awareness organisation, described Ms Cheng’s death as a “tragedy” and said more needed to be done to protect lives.

“We are deeply saddened as we remember Chen Cheng and send our condolences to her family and friends,” it said.

“Her death is a tragedy that should never have occurred. This is why we will continue to work tirelessly to end domestic and family violence once and for all.”

Police are calling on anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.