Murder trial for parents of 'starved' twins

PARENTS charged with the starving murder of their 18-month old twins almost five years ago will face trial in July.

The mother, 34, and the twins' 33-year-old father will stand trial on two counts each of murdering the toddlers, a boy and a girl, and for failing to provide them with the necessities of life on July 22.

Crown prosecutor Michael Byrne SC told a trial review in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday he expected the hearing to run for at least two weeks and possibly three.

He told Supreme Court Justice Peter Lyons he expected a psychiatric defence would be raised on behalf of the children's mother.

Mr Byrne said expert witnesses would be called to give evidence at the trial, including a general practitioner, pathologist, paediatrician and psychiatrists.

Barrister Soraya Ryan, on behalf of the toddler's mother, said she would seek a pre-trial direction relating to the Crown's particularisation of the murder charge levelled at her client.

Mr Byrne said he expected the half-day pre-trial hearing would examine how the Crown would particularise when the "intent" to murder was formed in the lead-up to the children's deaths.

It is alleged the twins were starved to death at the couple's home on Brisbane's southside between December, 2007 and 2008.

At a committal hearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court in November, 2009, it was revealed the decomposed bodies of the toddlers were found on June 16, 2008.

A post-mortem examination found they died of malnutrition and weighed just 3.6kg and 4kg.

It heard the children lived at the small single-storey home with the couple and their three brothers and a sister - aged between three and 11 - at the time of their deaths.

The couple cannot be named under Queensland law to protect the identities of their children.

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Inquest into cold case murder begins

Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans who were murdered in 1974. Source: The Sunday Telegraph

THREE men who have been identified by police as "persons of interest" in the brutal cold case murder of Sydney nurses Wendy Evans, 18, and Lorraine Wilson, 20, will give evidence when an inquest opens today.

A police investigation into the case has spanned almost four decades since the women's disappearance in 1974 and the gruesome discovery of their bodies dumped in bushland at Murphys Creek, near Toowoomba, two years later.

Check back here for rolling updates of the inquest

A pre-inquest conference in Brisbane in December identified persons of interest Desmond Roy Hilton, Allan Neil Laurie and Terrance James O'Neill would be called to give evidence when it opened before State Coroner Michael Barnes in Toowoomba today.

Counsel assisting the Coroner Craig Chowdhury also identified now deceased Allan John Laurie, Wayne Hilton, Donald Laurie, and Larry Charles as persons of interest in the case.

An inquest in 1985 ruled the women met with "foul play" after their bodies were found in bushland on June 26, 1976 with skull fractures and marks consistent with being bound with the cord of a venetian blind.

Mr Chowdhury said a significant amount of material had since become available to police investigating the murders, including a number of witness statements taken between 1988 and 2005; the most recent in October.

He said at least 28 witnesses would be called to give evidence, including one who recalled seeing two women crying out for help as they were "manhandled" into a green-coloured EJ Holden.

Mr Chowdhury said much of the new evidence had never been previously reported to police.

Another witness would share a conversation she had with a stranger who gave a detailed account of the women's deaths at a Toowoomba pub in 1989, he told the court.

Another witness would recall seeing a man cleaning blood from a car on a suburban Toowoomba street when he was just 10-years-old.

A retired police officer involved in the original investigation would also give evidence, Mr Chowdhury said.

He said the court had a duty to investigate the deaths on behalf of "the two murdered girls, their families and the public of Queensland".

"It's a tragedy a lot of material that has come out wasn't available to the original investigation at the time," he said.

A $250,000 reward remains in place for information on the killings. Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Ex-bouncers guilty of double murder

FORMER security workers Vladimir 'the Russian' Garcia and Cameron Andrew Stewart have been found guilty of the brutal murders of husband and wife Alexander and Sue Davie.

The Davies were found murdered on May 5, 2009 in two separate locations.

Mr Davie was found in a toilet cubicle of a Burleigh business he had been patrolling.

His hands were tied behind his back with zip ties, he had been beaten, stabbed 10 times and the word "dog" was written in blood on the stall door.

Mrs Davie was located on the bed in their Robina home, beaten with a hammer and stabbed.

The jury went out to deliberate at 11.45am Wednesday and returned with the verdict about 11am Thursday.

In 2006, Stewart and Cameron were employed by SSS Security, until Mr Davie, their employer, accused them of stealing guns.

Later the same year both men spent six months in remand for an unrelated crime, for which they blamed Mr Davie.

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Leahy to turn self in for double murder

DOUBLE MURDER: Alan Leahy and (inset) Vicki Arnold (left) and Julie-Anne Leahy. Source: The Courier-Mail

ALAN Leahy has flown into Cairns to turn himself in to police.

In a 22-year murder mystery, the Perth-based carpet layer has until midnight to hand himself in over the alleged killing of his wife and her best friend.

Wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt, Leahy was met at Cairns airport by his lawyer before driving off pursued by a press pack.

Mr Leahy was ordered by state coroner Michael Barnes to surrender to police by today.

The bodies of Vicki Arnold and Julie-Anne Leahy were found on August 9, 1991, with gunshot wounds at Cherry Tree Creek, in north Queensland.

EVIDENCE: The car in which bodies of 1991 murder victims Vicki Arnold and Julie-Anne Leahy were found.

A police investigation and two coronial inquests found Ms Arnold bashed her best friend and shot her twice before turning the gun on herself.

Two weeks ago however, state coroner Michael Barnes declared it was more likely the pair were killed and ordered Mr Leahy to surrender to police.

- additional reporting by Rikki-Lee Arnold

MURDERED: Julie-Anne Leahy and Vicki Arnold.

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Reward to solve suspected murder

A reward has been issued for missing Malmsbury woman Patricia Ann Gay. Picture: Police Media Source: Supplied

POLICE are offering a $100,000 reward to help solve the suspected murder of a 55-year-old woman from central Victoria.

Patricia Ann Gay disappeared 12 months ago from her property in the small town of Malmsbury about 100km northwest of Melbourne.

Detectives said the disappearance was "suspicious" and are offering the reward in the belief that people in the area know what happened

Ms Gay was wearing pyjamas when she was last seen by her daughter about 10.30pm on Sunday, March 11 at her Malmsbury property.

She was reported missing the next morning.

Ms Gay was being treated for a number of medical conditions and needed at least one type of drug "virtually constantly".

Homicide Detective Inspector Michael Roberts said the reward was offered for information which led to a conviction.

"A number of stages of the investigation caused us to believe that (she has been murdered)," Det Insp Roberts said.

He said Ms Gay had only lived in Malmsbury "for weeks" after moving from Broadmeadows.

"As far as the circumstances surrounding her disappearance go, it might have been to do with medication, we’re not 100 per cent sure at this stage," he said.

"There was medication and some personal belongings that were left behind. As a result of some inquiries that were done, the situation became a lot more suspicious.

"She needed that medication, virtually constantly. So to leave it behind is suspicious in itself and some of the other items of a personal nature that she left behind also gave rise to some suspicion with investigators, in line with a number of other things they’ve followed up.

"I don't want to go into these details because it will affect the outcome of the investigation."

Det Insp Roberts said her five children and large extended family were today holding a memorial – on the one year anniversary of her disappearance.

"Her family are struggling. Someone would have seen or heard something. No matter how small the information, we urge them to come forward," he said.

Ms Gay is 152cm tall, about 70kg, with short brown hair, a fair complexion and blue eyes.

Anyone with information about her disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au

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Man charged with murder after fight

HOMICIDE detectives have charged a 29-year-old man following the death of a 25-year-old man in Orbost last night.

It is alleged the two men were involved in a verbal altercation in Reed St, Orbost, about 6pm.

The 25-year-old man Orbost man suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Orbost Hospital where he later died.

Samual Morrison, from Orbost,  was charged with one count of murder.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at the Sale Magistrates’ Court on Monday, February 25.

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