Major breakthrough in hunt for killer of woman believed to have been murdered and dumped in trash bin as detectives arrive at scene
Detectives from the Homicide Squad have arrested a man suspected of murdering an elderly woman and dumping her body in a wheelie bin.
Police arrested the 45-year-old man from Coolaroo in Glenroy, Melbourne’s northwest, at around 11.15am on Tuesday.
It can now be revealed that the suspect is believed to be a 67-year-old woman from Coolaroo.
Detectives believe the woman’s remains were placed in a garbage bin collected from her Hilgay Street home Tuesday by a garbage truck.
Workers at a landfill site on Cooper Street in nearby Epping found the body on Wednesday while moving green waste and alerted police.
A police spokesman said an investigation was underway into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The woman, who has not yet been officially identified, is believed to be an acquaintance of the 45-year-old man who is now being questioned by police.
A major police investigation continues in the Coolaroo area to collect CCTV footage.
Police visited the Coolaroo home on Monday, where an officer was seen locking the house
Detectives would also like to get in touch with people who saw suspicious activities in the area around that time.
The arrest is the result of swift detective work that saw police trace the route of the woman’s body from the landfill to her home in Coolaroo.
On Saturday, the police were caught collecting pruning waste from plants and shrubs on nearby plots. Presumably, these types of pruning waste match the types of pruning waste found at the landfill.
Police also searched another brick house about 100 yards away, where they deployed a locksmith to gain entry the building around 1:00 p.m.
Detectives reportedly wanted to review the home’s surveillance camera footage, which could be crucial to the ongoing investigation.
There is little CCTV in the area, which is largely occupied by government, so police are appealing to the public to provide any footage they may have.
The police would particularly like to hear from anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage taken between Sunday 23 June and Tuesday 2 July.
Police at Coolaroo home on Saturday
A bird’s eye view of the Coolaroo house where the woman is believed to have been murdered
Police were able to match leaf cuttings found at the landfill to those found near the woman’s home
On Monday, a detective was found alone entering the house through the front door.
About 10 minutes later, he was seen closing an open window at the front of the house before leaving.
Apart from teams of media representatives, no one was seen visiting the premises on Monday.
There was also no one present to lay flowers, which is customary in similar tragedies.
A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia the community was still in shock after the suspected murder.
“We’ve never seen anything like this here. It’s just horrible,” the man said.
Other nNeighbors claimed that the woman who lived in the house was quiet but friendly.
Although she was not driving herself, neighbors had seen a car in the driveway being used by a man.
A neighbor reported seeing a man taking out trash in the days leading up to the discovery.
The body of Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani was found in a bin in March
The scene outside the Coolaroo home on Monday was very different to the community’s response to the death of Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani.
Ms Madhagani’s body was also found in a wheelie bin on Mount Pollock Road in Buckley, west of Geelong, on March 8.
Her death caused an outpouring of emotion in the community, with friends gathering to pay their respects in Point Cook, where she lived.
The Coolaroo woman is believed to be the 48th person murdered in Australia this year.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or log on to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
