Body of missing mother of four found in bushland

A BODY thought to be that of a Bendigo mother of four has been found in bushland, after she went missing in bizarre circumstances. Three people have been arrested.

A BODY thought to be that of a mother of four who went missing in mysterious circumstances has been found.

Samantha Kelly vanished in Bendigo three weeks ago, just before her daughter’s first birthday, but her disappearance was not reported for a fortnight.

The body was found late last night in bushland at Shelbourne, southeast of Bendigo.

Her sister-in-law posted online: “Its with great heartbreak we let everyone know that Sammy Kelly has been found.

“I cant even begin to imagine how to handle this.”

A woman and two men have been arrested and are in custody assisting homicide squad detectives. It’s understood they are Ms Kelly’s housemates.

Ms Kelly had only moved to the Victorian suburb of Kangaroo Flat six months earlier, with her children Hermione, six, Ethan, five, Indi, four, and Annabella, one.

It was Ms Kelly’s NSW-based older brother who alerted police. “Her kids are her life,” her brother Michael Kelly told the Herald Sun. “Something’s not right.”

Ms Kelly’s housemates Ronald Lyons, Christine Lyons and Christine’s husband, Peter Arthur.

Police made an arrest last night at the home in Kangaroo Flat.

The bungalow is in a suburb of Bendigo, Victoria, where Ms Kelly moved six months ago. Picture: Nicole Garmston

The 39-year-old was last seen on CCTV at an ATM at a local shopping centre precinct on January 20 at about 3.20pm, but there were some unconfirmed sightings between January 20 and 23.

Her disappearance was said to be very out of character and police had grave fears for her welfare.

Ms Kelly’s brother and his partner Danielle Stevenson have now taken custody of Ms Kelly’s children. Ms Stevenson posted a picture of the children to her Facebook page. Three of them had had their heads shaved, but Ms Stevenson said she did not know why.

There are other strange details in the case.

Mr Kelly told Fairfax Media two of the older children were called different names and were claiming housemate Christine Lyons was their mother.

Two brothers are both fathers to Ms Kelly’s children and Fairfax Media reported Ms Lyons is related to them.

According to Ms Lyon’s husband, Peter Arthur, Ms Kelly changed the children’s names before Christmas.

Fairfax Media reports Ms Lyon wrote on Facebook that she tells the children to call her “aunty” and she cut their hair short because of nits.

The children were also interviewed by police.

Ms Kelly’s brother said she lived for her children, whose names she had tattooed on her arm.

Ms Lyons said she last saw Ms Kelly at the house on January 23. Picture: Nicole Garmston

It’s understood there was unusual comings and goings at the house into the early hours of this morning. The Herald Sun reported an alleged argument at the front of the property and the residents were reported to be changing clothes in the driveway.

Ms Lyons told the Herald Sun she last saw Ms Kelly on January 23, when she left the home they lived at empty-handed.

“I was asleep on the couch,” said Ms Lyons. “She come woke me up and told me she was going.

“She said to me: ‘I’m done. I’ve had it with everything. I'm done’. And that was all she said.

“I just want her to get found and come home.”

She had said her hope was fading, but that she was constantly leaving messages for Ms Kelly asking her to get in touch.

“I do that every single day in the hope that maybe she will turn the phone on and maybe she’ll hear it and if she is any sort of problem somehow even get a text or something or just a simple ‘help’ that we can track the phone with and find her,” Ms Lyons said.

Ms Kelly, 39, was last seen on CCTV on January 20 at a local shopping precinct.

The shopping strip in Kangaroo Flat where the mother of four was last seen.

Ms Kelly’s childhood friend Lisa Clark said the missing woman received considerable welfare money for her kids and would do anything for anyone.

“The worst thing is people take advantage of her and this is what I feel has happened,’’ Ms Clark said. “One thing’s led to another. She wouldn’t have seen the bad in people.”

Mr Kelly last spoke to his sister in December said her disappearance was unusual. He told the Herald Sun she had always wanted children and she wouldn’t miss her youngest’s birthday because she “idolised that baby”.

“My sister always wanted kids all the way through growing up,” he said. “Once she had her kids that was her.”

He said he was concerned they would not find his sister alive. “I am hoping we can find my sister safe. That is what is keeping us going at the moment.

“But our gut feeling is that she is not here. I am not expecting to find her alive”.

Any information should be passed on to Crime Stoppers, 1800 333 000.