Loving mum Elaine Pandilovski found dead at Mill Park home
The estranged husband of a special needs teacher found dead under her Mill Park home will face court charged with her murder. Family have described Elaine Pandilovski as a ‘beautiful angel’ and devoted mother.
Police & Courts
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The estranged husband of a special needs teacher found dead at her Mill Park home has been charged with murder.
Zoran Pandilovski, 45, will front Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after the body of Elaine Pandilovski, 44, was found hidden beneath her home when she failed to turn up for work.
Grieving family members say Ms Pandilovski was devoted to her special needs son when not working as a special needs teacher at a Mill Park primary school.
Aunt Mary Yoannidis told the Herald Sun she was “the most beautiful person in the world”.
“She was caring, compassionate … did everything for everyone,” Ms Yoannidis said.
Another relative, Bobby, described her as a “beautiful angel”.
Police arrested Mr Pandilovski after he was involved in a head-on car crash shortly after leaving the Mill Park home on Tuesday morning.
Homicide squad investigators suspect the smash, which injured two others, was a deliberate act by Mr Pandilovski to hurt or kill himself.
On Facebook, Mr Pandilovski described himself as “shy, quiet, understanding and passive”.
Alarm over Ms Pandilovski’s welfare was raised after she failed to show up to work at Plenty Parkland Primary School on Tuesday morning.
Her worried family searched her Hawkes Drive home but could not find her despite her car being parked in the garage.
Their worst nightmares were realised when police found her body concealed beneath the home at 9.30pm.
The Pandilovskis were high school sweethearts who married almost 20 years ago and had a young son with autism named Thomas.
The boy lived with his mum but was at his grandmother’s home at the time of the killing.
Mr Pandilovski, who lives in Epping, is still involved in his son’s life and went to the family’s home early Tuesday to pick up Thomas’ broken computer to be repaired.
It is there Ms Pandilovski was killed, with the details of her death tightly guarded by police.
Shortly after leaving the home, Mr Pandilovski was involved in a serious head-on collision in Mount Cottrell, about 50km away.
A teenager was rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with upper body injuries and a man in his 30s taken to Sunshine Hospital with minor injuries after the crash on Davis Road about 10.30am on Tuesday.
Mr Pandilovski sustained lower body injuries and was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he remained under police guard on Wednesday night.
Detectives are investigating the collision, including whether Mr Pandilovski intended to crash his vehicle.
Flowers and cards were left outside Ms Pandilovski’s home on Wednesday as her neighbours and loved ones struggled to come to terms with her death.
Neighbours told how Ms Pandilovski was a “good person” and that they had recently seen her estranged husband mowing the lawns at the property. He lived there with his family for more than a decade and in 2011 told a newspaper his marriage was strong and equipped to overcome “any problems”.
Ms Pandilovski’s extended family grieved together at a family home on Wednesday as forensic police examined the crime scene.
Ms Yoannidis said her niece was an incredible person who was full of life and love.
“She was my best friend … more like a sister than a niece. I did everything with her,” she said.
“Now Thomas doesn’t have a mother to look after him.”
Family violence leaders say Ms Pandilovski’s death is a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by women across the country each day.
Our Watch chief executive Patty Kinnersly told the Herald Sun violence against women “is far too common” and urged the community to look out for women and children who may be victims of abuse.
“The death of Elaine Pandilovski is a tragedy, and an awful reminder of the ongoing national emergency we face in Australia,” she said.
“Our deepest condolences go out to her family and friends at this very sad time.”
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.