Homicide Squad Rushes To Scene Down Under

"MORWELL, Australia - Two people have been found dead in a regional Victorian town in what is believed to be a murder-suicide.

"A 25-year-old woman was found dead by police at an address in Ash Street, Morwell, in the Latrobe Valley, about 4.40pm (AEST) today.

"A man was found dead at a nearby address a short time later. His death is not suspicious, police said.

"Homicide squad detectives from Melbourne are on their way to the scene, about 150km east of the capital."

From The Australian...

Murder/Suicide Suspected In Fiery Crash

"Jarrahdale, Western Australia - West Australian police are investigating if a car crash which claimed the lives of a man and his two children was a murder suicide.

"A 45-year-old man was driving a station wagon in Jarrahdale, about 70km south of Perth, when it left the Albany Highway on Sunday about 2.40pm (WST).

"The car slammed into a tree at high speed and burst into flames, incinerating the man and a six-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy.

"Police say the man was separated from his wife and had custody of the children as part of an access visit.

"Police spokesman Samuel Dinnison said Major Crime were investigating the crash.

"`There are some circumstances to suggest that the crash may be suspicious,` Mr Dinnison said.

"`Detectives will be looking into those today.`

"It is understood there were no skid marks at the scene of the crash."

From BigPondNews.com...

Three Dead Down Under

"Rosebud, Australia - A father and his two sons have been found dead in a car on the Mornington Peninsula in what is believed to have been a double-murder suicide.

"A family friend found the three men at their Kennington Road property in Rosebud about 10am yesterday.

"The 54-year-old father is suspected to have suicided and killed his two sons, aged 30 and 27, who reportedly suffered from cerebral palsy.

"None of the men had suffered obvious injuries.

"A Victoria Police spokeswoman said investigators were not looking for a fourth party in relation to the deaths and would prepare a report for the coroner."

From The Age...

"No Signs Of Violence" In Attempted Double Murder/Suicide

"Adelaide, Australia - Police will wait for toxicology results and an autopsy report before revealing what caused the death of a four-year-old boy in his Adelaide home.

"The boy was found dead in a bedroom of a house in Kensington Gardens, in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, at 7.40am (CST) on Monday, police said.

"Local media have labelled the incident a double murder suicide attempt, after the boy's 47-year-old mother and nine-year-old brother were taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition.

"Detective Chief Inspector John Gerlach said the pair had suffered no obvious physical injuries and were in a serious but stable condition.

"`When they were taken to hospital they were passing in and out of consciousness,` he told reporters.

"Police spent several hours on Monday searching the house trying to find what the trio may have ingested.

"`We believe that medication may be involved,` Chief Inspector Gerlach said.

"Chief Inspector Gerlach said police were still waiting on toxicology reports, but that they believed no gases or dangerous chemicals were involved.

"An autopsy will be carried out on Tuesday to determine how the boy died.

"`Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident here to try and determine what happened, but what I can say is that there is no signs of violence in the house,` Chief Inspector Gerlach said.

"`The circumstances of the death are pretty much contained to the house and the people who live inside.`

"It is understood the father, who works in the pharmaceutical industry, discovered his wife and two sons in one of the bedrooms and immediately dialled triple zero.

"The father, who at this stage is not a suspect, attended a nearby police station on Monday morning to assist police with their inquiries.

"`Obviously it is a very difficult situation for him,` Chief Inspector Gerlach said.

"`They are always tragic circumstances, we don't like investigating these sorts of incidents, but it's something we have to do.`

"It is understood the family had only recently moved to the neighbourhood."

From Big Pond News...

Massacre Down Under

"Sydney, Australia - POLICE are investigating a possible murder-suicide that has left five people dead, including a mother and her two young sons, in Sydney's northwest.

"The bodies of a woman in her mid-40s, her 12 and nine-year-old sons, a 46-year-old man and 40-year-old woman were found on Saturday morning at a house in quiet, suburban Boundary Road, North Epping.

"A relative of the dead mother made the devastating discovery shortly after 9am (AEST).

"Police, who say the bodies were found in several rooms, believe the tragedy was `domestic related`.

"Part of Boundary St was cordoned off while detectives canvassed neighbours for information.

"Acting Superintendent Stephen Henkel said the possibility of murder-suicide was being investigated and only post-mortem examinations would determine how all five died.

"He declined to comment on the relationship between the victims and would not say what, if any, weapons were used."

From News.com.au...

Police Suspect Bitter Custody Battle

"Laidley, Australia - A MAN suspected of a Brisbane murder pointed a high-powered rifle at two Laidley constables moments before turning the gun on himself.

"Police in Laidley had been on the lookout for the fugitive's 1994 Hilux ute following the fatal shooting of 47-year-old Brisbane man Michael Foot on Friday.

"The car was identified on CCTV footage taken near the scene of the shooting and authorities had received information that the driver had links to the Laidley area.

"A police source told The Queensland Times that two senior constables noticed the ute about 8pm and followed it through town at a safe distance.

"They lost sight of the ute, but found it when they returned to the police station on Spicer Street - parked in the back car park.

"The driver then pointed what was thought to have been either a shotgun or high-calibre rifle at the two officers, forcing them to duck for cover.

"A police source said the two officers shouted at the man to drop the weapon before the gun shot rang out.

"The man was later found with a fatal wound to the head.

"He is yet to be formally identified.

"Police said he was a former brother-in-law of Mr Foot, with media reports suggesting the tragic murder-suicide was motivated by a bitter custody battle with Mr Foot's ex-wife, Amanda Hoolahan, for the couple's 18-month-old son."

From The Queensland Times...

Dad Makes Disturbing Discovery

"Perth, Australia - Baby twins have died in an apparent murder suicide bid in Perth's east.

"Police allege a woman killed two seven-month-old twins before attempting to take her own life at a house in Flintlock Street, Cloverdale on Monday afternoon.

"Major crime squad detectives were called to the home about 3.30pm (WST).

"`The father came home and discovered his partner and two seven month-old twins unconscious in the house,` a WA police spokesman said.

"The man called an ambulance which took the infants to hospital where they were later declared dead.

"`At this stage it is being treated as a homicide and forensic officers are at the address,` the police said.

"The woman remains in hospital in a serious condition.

"Police would not reveal the cause of death."

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald...

Murder/Suicide Down Under

"Adelaide, AU - A MAN called U.S. police and confessed to killing his wife in a suspected murder suicide at Ingle Farm.

"Elizabeth Police forced entry into the Derrilin Rd house about 2.30pm after being alerted to the call from New South Wales Crime Stoppers.

"Chief Inspector Peter Duance confirmed two adults in their 30s were dead inside the house.

"News of the suspected murder suicide shocked friends of the couple.

"It's believed they have a daughter, 14 and a son, 10. Police collected the children from school and took them to counsellors.

"A friend outside the home said the couple, who had immigrated from south India, had `a good, strong relationship`.

"`When you are living away from your country it's important to have a strong relationship,` Arun said.

"He was alerted to the tragedy by friends, who called to tell him something had gone wrong at the house.

"Arun said the woman had been in Australia for at least two years, and rented the Ingle Farm house for one. She studied nursing before finding work as a registered nurse at an Ingle Farm aged care home.

"Her husband and two children joined her about five months ago."

From AdlelaideNow.com.au...

Cops Foil Murder/Suicide Down Under

"A driver who leapt from the Hawkesbury River Bridge in front of a woman passenger and two children yesterday may have been planning a murder-suicide.

"Police are investigating whether the children may have been drugged when the man ran from his car and jumped after he spotted police.

"A woman passenger in the car also climbed the railing but was rescued by police. There is no suggestion the woman was involved in any plot to kill the children.

"Police driving along the F3 became stuck in a line of traffic caused by the car as it was driven slowly towards the bridge about 9.30am.

"As they followed, the car slowed to a stop and the male Asian driver, 40, from Cabramatta, left the car and jumped off the bridge.

"His 43-year-old female Asian passenger also climbed the railing and there were fears she too would jump. She was taken to be interviewed by police, along with the boy and girl, aged between 10 and 12, who had remained in the back seat of the car when the man jumped."

From the Daily Telegraph (AU)...

Classic M/S Down Under

"A man who fatally gunned down a woman working at a service station in Sydney's southwest has been found dead at a nearby home.

"The murder-suicide was the result of a domestic dispute, police said, with the 40-year-old man believed to be the partner of the woman, aged in her 20s.

"Officers discovered the dead man with a gunshot wound about 8.30pm (AEDT) on Tuesday after evacuating neighbours and repeated attempts to contact him failed.

"The woman was shot in the chest in broad daylight while working at a PB petrol station on the Hume Highway at Casula about four hours earlier."

From THE AGE...

UPDATE: "Bitter" Divorce Preceded Killing (More...)