Mount Gambier man appears in court accused of murder after woman’s body found in house
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The alleged murder victim, Rachel Martin. (Supplied: SA Police)
Police say a 34-year-old man charged with murdering a 44-year-old woman in South Australia’s south-east on the weekend was known to them.
Police found the woman’s body at a house on Chestnut Close in Mount Gambier yesterday morning.
Hours later, detectives arrested and charged the local man — Luke Simpson — who appeared briefly in court today and will remain in custody until his next court appearance in October.
In a press conference before the court appearance, Limestone Coast Inspector Campbell Hill alleged that local police had “dealings” with the victim and accused early last year, but had not had any contact with them since.
“What we can say at the moment is that the occupants of the house were known to each other,” Inspector Hill said.
“There’s certainly nobody else that we’re looking for in relation to this.
“As I say, we are treating this as sadly a domestic abuse or a family violence-related murder.
“We are still working through the relationships and we are still working through the investigation in terms of speaking to friends and acquaintances and really trying to make an appreciation of the context of the nature of the relationship.”
He urged anyone with information to contact police.
“From the outset, there was certainly concerns raised about the way in which the deceased was located,” he said, referring to her position within the house.
“And as I say the evidence is enough that we’ve sadly charged someone with murder in relation to it and we’re satisfied that there is enough evidence to sustain that charge at the moment.”
Video: Body found in Mt Gambier (9News.com.au)
Source: Thanks msn.com