By Anna Prytz
A man caught on CCTV acting suspiciously outside Samantha Fraser's Cowes home on the morning she was found dead is most likely her killer, police say.
In the vision, a man is seen walking towards, and then running away from, Ms Fraser's Seagrove Way property between 9am and 12.02pm on the day she was found dead.
Detective Inspector Tim Day said he felt "very confident" the man was the 38-year-old's killer.
He said the man in the footage had not been identified, but "one of the hypotheses we're looking at" was that the man was Adrian Basham, Ms Fraser's ex-husband.
Evidence also suggests the man was waiting for Ms Fraser to come home and was acting alone, police said.
Police want to speak to this man, who was seen near Samantha Fraser's home.
The mother-of-three was found dead at her home in the Phillip Island town on Monday, July 23, after she did not pick up her children from a local primary school. A post-mortem confirmed her death was suspicious.
Detective Inspector Day said the killing was "a crime that strikes at the very heart of humanity".
"How does society reconcile the slaying of an innocent young mother in her family home, thus leaving her children abandoned at the gate of their school, never to see their mother again?" he said.
Last week police appealed for public help, including any CCTV or dashcam footage. Detective Inspector Day said the tight-knit Phillip Island community had been "fantastic" about supplying information.
The man in the footage is wearing a distinctive black hoodie with a dark blue band across the midriff and arms, dark pants and dark shoes. He is seen running away from the house about half an hour after Ms Fraser is believed to have returned home at 11.30am.
Detective Inspector Day said he may also have been spotted in Thompson Avenue, the main shopping strip of Cowes, or near Cowes Primary School from 7am that day.
Police also released CCTV of a motorbike seen in the area on the day, and were investigating whether the rider was the same man.
The motorcycle was captured on Thompson Avenue on Sunday, July 22, the previous morning, and on Settlement Road after police believe Ms Fraser was murdered. Police believe the rider left the island by 1pm via the back roads through Sunset Strip and Surf Beach.
Samantha Fraser.
Detective Inspector Day said Mr Basham, who recently avoided facing court on separate charges, has been interviewed in relation to her death and, though released, he remained a person of interest.
He said Mr Basham has a motorcycle license but could not say whether or not he owned a motorcycle or if his home had been searched.
Police have asked anyone with more information about the identity of the man in the footage, the clothing or the motorcycle to come forward.
"Samantha's family need you to call Crime Stoppers," Detective Inspector Day said.
“At this stage we can’t account for that man being in the street and are looking to find out who he is and why he was there.
“This sighting is of vital importance to this investigation.
“Detectives are also looking at whether he possibly bought the hoodie in the days or weeks before going to the property, which is why we’re asking anyone who might recall selling a hoodie fitting this description to contact us.
"If you've seen a motorcycle on the island that day, you need to contact Crime Stoppers and report that sighting.
“Any piece of information could be crucial in solving this murder.”
Alice Bradley, a friend and colleague, said Ms Fraser had shared fears about her safety and that of her children in the months leading up to her death.
Her parents had also moved into the home recently and it is believed they were also concerned about her safety, but they were overseas when she died.
"She had mentioned to me a lot that she felt unsafe ... at times she was really frightened," Ms Bradley said.
Ms Fraser was a psychologist at the Cowes Medical Centre and a much-loved member of the community.
"We are devastated. It's horrible. It's just so sad, she was so young and with a young family and we feel for the kids," Ms Fraser's neighbour Sue said.
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.