Five charged with murder after mother found dead in her home by her partner

Four men and a woman have been charged over the murder of a “compassionate” Brisbane mum who was found by her partner shot in the head.

Four more people have been charged over the murder of a Brisbane mother of two last month.

Megan Kirley was found dead by her partner, Pieter Pickering, at a Karawatha home on February 9. She had been shot in the head.

Detectives have charged a 21-year-old man from Waterford West, a 28-year-old Slacks Creek man, a 42-year-old Kingston woman and a 31-year-old Runcorn man.

All four have been charged with one count each of murder, manslaughter and attempted armed robbery.

They are due to appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Megan Kirley was shot dead at a semi-rural property in Karawatha.

The mum of two lived at the property with her partner of six months.

A fifth man, Stafford Emmerson, 40, was charged on March 4 with one count of murder.

He was arrested at Regents Park by heavily armed officers.

“He was seen to walk out of an address there and he was apprehended without incident,” said Detective Inspector Craig Morrow of Queensland Police following the arrest.

There is no known link between the mum of two and Stafford Emerson.

Detective Inspector Morrow said the extensive investigation has been assisted by members of the public.

Police found a number of weapons during their searches. They believe the murder weapon to be a 0.22 calibre gun.

The couple lived together in a run down shed on a semi rural property.

The couple, who had been together for six months, lived together in a run down shed on a semi rural property in Queensland. It’s in this home where Mr Pickering found Ms Kirley’s body after she’d been shot in the head.

Her partner Mr Pickering is not a person of interest.

He had plans to propose to Ms Kirley on Valentines Day, but she died five days before he was able to pop the question, according to 7 News Brisbane.

He said he was “absolutely heartbroken” by her death, according to Nine News.

“Megan was the kindest, strongest, most beautiful, understanding and compassionate woman that this world was ever graced with,” he said.

40-year-old Stafford Emerson has been charged with the murder of Ms Kirley.