Melbourne woman’s body had been in bathtub for ‘nearly eight months’

A Melbourne woman whose body was found in her bathtub eight months after her violent death had become distant from her family.

Sarah Gatt died in April last year but was found nearly eight months later. Picture: Supplied.

A Melbourne mother whose body was found in her bathtub eight months after her violent death had become distant from her family in the years leading up to her murder and had struggled with a drug addiction.

The decomposed body of Sarah Gatt, 40, was found on January 3 this year by police who were attending the Kensington property in Melbourne’s inner northwest on an unrelated matter.

However, police believed she was killed between April 20 and 24 last year, and that the person responsible for the murder attempted to conceal her death and made conscious efforts to imply she was still alive.

Inspector Tim Day said he could not elaborate on what exact information investigators had to lead them to believe those responsible had deliberately concealed her death, but confirmed one line of inquiry was looking at whether the person had used her death to their advantage, such as accepting her welfare payments.

Victor Gatt, left, and Cheryl Gatt, parents of murdered Melbourne woman Sarah Gatt. Picture: AAP.

“That is part of the investigation,” he said.

“There’s evidence from the scene and post-offence conduct that would indicate there were deliberate steps made to conceal her death and to imply she was alive after April 24. Specific details I can’t go into.”

“The key to solving this is if anybody has heard a story being told by any person about Sarah being alive post those dates. It’s extremely important to the investigation.”

Ms Gatt was believed to have been living at the Kensington flat with someone else, who stayed there on and off. Police had attended the property before.

She was not reported missing to police at any time.

Three men and two women have been questioned earlier over Gatt’s alleged murder but all of them were released pending further inquiries.

But police say they remain “persons of interest”.

Her father, Victor Gatt, said this morning the family had not had any contact with the mother-of-four for about 18 months.

“She was a great person,” he said. “She was just great. Then she went on the wrong path that’s something you can’t do about it. You try, like I did plenty of times, and she didn’t want to do it.”

Sarah Gatt was found dead in her bathtub, nearly eight months after she died. Picture: Supplied.

Her parents said the believed she started using drugs when she was 16 or 17, and despite numerous attempts at rehabilitation she was unable to get clean

“We are not feeling any good, because I lost my daughter in that way. I still think I should have pushed myself to go and see her. But when Sarah didn’t want to see you she didn’t want to see you,” said Mr Gatt.

She was the couple’s third of four daughters and her two sisters, Kathleen Gatt and Allison Gorman, fronted the media this morning as they pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.

Her family described how Sarah, who grew up in Lalor in the city’s north, used to attend modelling school as a teen twice a week and was close to landing a job modelling for Kmart.

“But then something happened ... she always wanted to do something in her life,” her father said.

She had dreams of becoming a counsellor to help others struggling with issues she had experienced.

She had four children, aged between seven and 18.

Her mother Cheryl Gatt pleaded for anyone with information to inform police.

“No one deserves to die like that,” she said. “Please come forward. She deserves that.”