Police want to speak with anyone who saw Krishna Chopra, 61, alive on January 20

Police and forensic investigators have returned to a Crows Nest home for a fourth day as they scour the area for evidence that may shed light on Krishna Chopra’s suspicious death.

Police are looking for witnesses who saw Krishna Chopra on or around January 20. Picture: Supplied

POLICE are appealing for anyone who saw Krishna Chopra alive on or around January 20 to come forward as they investigate the Crows Nest woman’s suspicious death.

Detective Senior-Sergeant Paul McCusker said that date was the last time that police can confirm the 61-year-old woman was alive.

“What we are asking is for members of the public who may know Krishna Chopra from Park Road to come forward and assist police with her movements on or about January 20, and the days prior and some days afterwards.”

“It might provide a better picture of her movements around that date.”

Police have returned to a Park Road home in Crows Nest for a fourth day as they investigate the sudden death of a 61-year-old woman.

While Sgt McCusker held back from saying the matter was being treated as a homicide he did say police launched a suspicious death investigation after Ms Chopra’s body was discovered on Monday and that she had been dead for several days.

“A friend went to her address and could not raise her,” he said.

“She returned to the address a number of days afterwards and still could not raise her and has contacted police.”

Police, including forensic investigators have been at the house for the past five days, canvassing neighbours and combing nearby bushland for evidence.

This included calling on State Emergency Service volunteers to search parkland off Short Street, at the rear of Ms Chopra’s house.

State Emergency Services volunteers and police gather at the golf course behind the home of Krishna Chopra on February 2, 2022. Picture: Rowan Morris

“This is part of the normal course for our investigations,” Sgt McCusker said.

He added that police had no people of interest at this stage of the investigation.

He also declined to comment whether Ms Chopra has been wounded.

Ms Chopra moved to the area in 2021, lived alone and was known to be an avid gardener.

Neighbours described her as a lovely woman who had moved to the area from NSW.

They said she’d considered her home her “piece of paradise” and had spent a lot of time renovating it, painting it inside and out.

One neighbour said they’d become concerned when she hadn’t emerged to take her clothes off the line when it had rained.

Anyone with information that may help with the investigation should phone 131 444.

Krishna Chopra’s Park Road home is a crime scene.

Name change

A long-term friend of Krisha Chopra said the pair had lost contact for several years before she received a message on January 15 asking they communicate via email.

Mary-Ellen, who had been friends with Ms Chopra for about the last seven or eight years, said they had not spoken since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mary-Ellen said she’d last reached out to Ms Chopra in August of last year, to ask where her friend had gone or what had happened.

“Hardly a day goes past where I do not think about you and what happened to you,” Mary-Ellen wrote via online message on August 24, 2021.

“Did I do something wrong, or worse still, I wonder did you pass away? I miss you my friend, and if you are still earth-side then I hope that you will reach out to me and let me know.”

Mary-Ellen told The Courier-Mail she did not hear back from Ms Chopra until January 15.

“Hi Mary-Ellen, I didn’t mean to worry you,” Ms Chopra replied.

“I’m fine. I just stopped using Facebook. I hope you are doing well in the crazy world we now have. I have thought of you often. If you email me, then I will respond as I really don’t use Facebook anymore. It is (email address) if you have the time.”

Mary Ellen said she hadn’t yet emailed Ms Chopra due to issues with her computer.

“I feel so sad, I feel really bad that I didn’t email back. It was only my own stupidity...” she said.

“And that (Facebook message) was on the 15th of January, so since then something has happened.”

Mary-Ellen said Ms Chopra kept to herself and had one daughter and two dogs.

The pair had never met in-person but up until a few years ago had regular contact.

Mary Ellen said Ms Chopra moved from the Newcastle area about five years ago, because “she wanted to get away.”

Ms Chopra also went by the name Krishna Kumari, which was the only name Mary-Ellen had ever known her as.