Man arrested over leg on NT highway after woman’s body found

A man allegedly hit and killed an Aboriginal woman near Darwin, then enlisted a female accomplice to try and hide the body.

Northern Territory (NT) Police generic, generics, logo. Picture: Jason Walls

A 23-year-old man allegedly hit and killed an Aboriginal woman while speeding on the Stuart Highway outside Darwin, then enlisted a female accomplice in a failed attempt to conceal all of the victim’s body except her lower leg.

Police discovered the leg on Tuesday after being alerted by passing motorists to a grisly body part abandoned on the side of the Northern Territory‘s main thoroughfare.

Officers appealed for witnesses to help identify the leg‘s owner and establish if they were still alive.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey announced on Thursday that investigators had identified a suspect vehicle and made two arrests.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) in the early afternoon, a Palmerston traffic patrol officer was conducting patrols around the Palmerston area and identified a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle at a residence,” he said.

“Investigators attended the residence, and after speaking to the 23-year-old male occupant, he was arrested, a car was seized, and a search warrant was executed on the property.

“Further inquiries were made, and as a result of those inquiries, police later attended an address in Winnellie where they arrested a 50-year-old female in relation to this incident. They also seized another vehicle.

“At 11.45pm last night, police attended a location in Jenkins Rd, Virginia, where they located a deceased Aboriginal female. We believe this is the victim of the collision.

“It will be alleged that the 23-year-old male was the driver involved in the collision impacting the victim. It will be further alleged that the 50-year-old female has assisted in removing the deceased to another location and attempted to conceal the crime.

“They (victim) were partially concealed, and the condition of the body was consistent with being struck by a vehicle.”

Although the victim had not been formally identified, police were in contact with her suspected relatives. Speed was believed to be a factor in the alleged incident.

“It‘s one thing not to render not to render assistance and report the matter, but to go further and attempt to conceal a crime is quite terrible,” Sergeant Morrissey said.

“They are facing significantly more serious offences.”

The alleged offenders were in custody and likely to be charged on Thursday.

Sergeant Morrissey said potential charges included driving causing death and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He could not say if the pair were related.

An autopsy is being conducted on the victim to determine how and when she died.