Police in South East Queensland have initiated separate homicide investigations following the discoveries of deceased individuals in Buccan, Bellbird Park, and Belivah. These incidents, occurring between January and February, have led to charges being laid in the Bellbird Park and Belivah cases, while a man was arrested in connection with the Buccan death.
Buccan Incident: Woman Found Deceased, Man Arrested
On Monday, January 12, a 46-year-old woman was found deceased with injuries at a property on Waterford Tamborine Road in Buccan, south of Brisbane. Police had responded to the address around 2:30 AM to conduct a welfare check.
The woman had been reported missing from Ashgrove at approximately 1:00 AM on the same day. She was last seen at 7:00 PM on Saturday, January 10, in The Gap after dropping off a relative.
A crime scene was established at the Buccan property. The male resident of the address, a 36-year-old man from Logan, was not present when officers arrived. Initial police investigations suggested the deceased woman was the man's carer, and police indicated they were working to confirm the exact nature of their relationship.
The man was later arrested in Kempsey, New South Wales, in the early hours of Monday morning.
A post-mortem examination was anticipated to determine the cause of death.
Bellbird Park Incident: Woman Charged in Homicide Investigation
Police initiated a homicide investigation on February 19 after the body of 42-year-old Katherine Sanowski, from Springfield, was discovered at a residence on Beryl Court in Bellbird Park, Ipswich. The discovery followed police responding to reports of a street disturbance around 11:30 AM, which involved property damage and a person interfering with traffic.
Investigators believe Ms. Sanowski's body had been in the home for approximately two weeks, with an estimated death date around February 5.
Ms. Sanowski did not reside at the Bellbird Park address but was known to the 34-year-old resident, Logan Valentine Edwards. Authorities reported no prior instances of domestic violence between them, and Ms. Sanowski had not been reported missing.
Ms. Edwards was taken into custody at the scene and transported for medical assessment.
She was subsequently charged with one count of murder, categorized as a domestic violence offense.
Ms. Edwards was scheduled to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on March 17 and remains remanded in custody. Police appealed for public assistance and relevant CCTV footage as part of the ongoing investigation.
Belivah Incident: Double Murder Charges Following Family Deaths
Police commenced an investigation after a 38-year-old woman and her one-year-old daughter were found deceased at their residence in Belivah, south of Brisbane. Authorities stated the victims sustained critical injuries from an edged weapon.
The discovery occurred on a Thursday, following police response to reports around 7:30 AM of an injured 38-year-old man with a neck wound entering a supermarket in Bannockburn. Police investigations indicated the man had traveled from the Belivah home and was involved in a car incident, reportedly being struck by a black utility approximately 300 meters from the residence after witnesses observed him running covered in blood. A blood trail was marked from the house along the footpath.
Upon attending the Belivah address, officers located the bodies of the woman and child, establishing two crime scenes. The injured man, believed to be part of the family unit residing at the house, was hospitalized in serious condition under police guard. No existing domestic violence orders involving the couple were reported.
The man was subsequently charged with two counts of murder, categorized as domestic violence offenses (one against the woman, one against the child).
He was scheduled to appear via video link at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, March 18, while continuing hospital treatment. Police stated there was no ongoing threat to the community and appealed for public information or dashcam footage.