Family of Gwen Grover ‘validated’ over judge’s decision to set aside coroner’s findings of suicide

The family of Gwen Grover, who was found shot dead in her car in Lake Street in the 1980s, say they feel validated by a District Court Judge’s decision to set aside the coroner’s finding that Gwen’s death was suicide.

Sister of Gwen Grover, Sue Cole, pictured earlier this year at a red bench installed on Lake Street in memory of Gwen near where her sister died. Picture: Brendan Radke

Sue Cole has never believed her sister took her own life in Lake Street 41 years ago, contrary to a coronial finding in 2021 that Gwen Grover died from a ‘self-inflicted bullet wound’ on 17 October 1983, when she was found in a car with a rifle.

That finding has been set aside by Queensland District Court Judge, Nathan Jarro, who said ‘suicide … cannot be reasonably supported by evidence,’ a decision Ms Cole said validated her family’s long-running campaign for answers, investigation and justice for her sister, Gwen.

The Judge, however, declined to order a new inquest.

For more than 30 years, Ms Grover’s death was a source of more questions than answers, said Ms Cole, who began lobbying to have the investigation reopened in 2018.

“There was an unspoken rule in our family that we didn’t speak about Gwen’s death, such was the grief of my parents,” Ms Cole said.

“When my parents passed away, and we started asking questions, it was like opening a Pandora’s box.”

Her efforts to have police re-open the case resulted in the launch of a cold case investigation in 2020, then a coronial inquiry in 2021, the results of which have now been set aside by Judge Jarro.

“For many years, none of us have believed that Gwen died from suicide; what I believe has been reinforced by the District Court – it has really been validation for us,” Ms Cole said.

“We are thinking about next steps now and may appeal to the State Coroner for a new inquiry.
“What would give me peace of mind is to see someone held responsible for what happened to Gwen.”

Ms Cole was 19 when her sister, a mother of two, was found dead in a car from a gunshot wound in her car in Lake Street, aged 32.

Gwen Grover's light green 1975 Valiant Galant sedan was found with her body inside it on Lake St, 125m south of Rutherford St, about noon on October 1983. by Craig Wallace Lock, who said Mrs Grover was sitting upright in the vehicle. PIcture: Supplied

Early police investigations recorded the death as a suspected suicide, noting Ms Grover had moved house the day before her death and had recently ended her relationship with her then-partner, Kenneth Soper.

Mr Soper is not accused of wrongdoing, and no individual has ever been charged in relation to Ms Grover’s death.

Ms Cole applied to have the coroner’s decision set aside on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to support the ruling, and that there was new evidence, leading to the District Court review of the findings.

Judge Jarro noted in his Judgement that a ‘paucity of evidence’ in the inquest meant the requirements for a decision of ‘self-inflicted’ were not satisfied according to the Coroner’s Act.

He also noted that new evidence from an eminent forensic pathologist, Professor Johan Duflou was sufficient to cast doubt on the original finding.

According to Judge Jarro’s Judgement, Professor Duflou noted that, if the wound had been self-inflected, it was likely done with the victim’s non-dominant hand because of where the entry wound was on the body.

Professor Duflou’s evidence was that ‘there were unusual aspects to the case which raised the possibility of involvement by another person.’

Judge Jarro set aside the Coroner’s finding but did not order a new inquest.

“I exercise a discretion to not order that the inquest be reopened or a new inquest be held,” said Judge Jarro, who cited five reasons for not reordering the inquest, including the following.

“Despite how tragic Ms Grover’s death was, her death occurred 40 years ago and the Coroner’s resources are not inexhaustible, and must be balanced against the public interest as well as the personal interests of those who seek to have deaths investigate.

“Ms Grover’s death has already been the subject of two coronial considerations (and) the events in question occurred more than 30 years ago and relevant witnesses had already died at the time of the inquest,” he said.

Originally published as Family of Gwen Grover ‘validated’ over judge’s decision to set aside coroner’s findings of suicide