Homicide police at Jill Meagher's home

Homicide detectives and forensic experts have gone to the home of missing woman Jill Meagher this afternoon after police revealed they were investigating if her handbag had been planted in a Melbourne laneway.

The team of officers arrived after midday (AEST) in forensic outfits and carrying cameras as they entered the apartment in suburban Brunswick where Ms Meagher, an ABC radio employee, lives with her husband Thomas.

A police spokeswoman told AAP the search was a routine part of the ongoing investigation.

Detectives are using a passer-by's discovery of Ms Meagher's handbag on Monday morning as a major lead in their inquiries following her last sighting - at Brunswick's Bar Etiquette on Sydney Road early on Saturday.

Police say she had intended to walk home, less than a kilometre away, at about 1.30am or 2am (AEST).

Her handbag was found in a nearby laneway off Hope Street, not far from where she lives on Lux Way.

Earlier today Victoria's police chief said they were investigating the possiblity that the handbag was planted after a weekend police search failed to find it.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said officers had searched the area thoroughly over the weekend before the bag turned up on Monday morning.

"There was an extensive search on the weekend that did not find that handbag," he told ABC radio on Tuesday.

"That handbag's turned up on the Monday. Either police have missed that or someone has placed the bag back at the location."

The bag, found near a car, had Ms Meagher's personal identification, but not her missing mobile phone.

Mr Lay said police conducted a search of the missing woman's phone and bank records over the weekend, contrary to media reports.

Homicide detectives are also investigating claims of attempted abductions from the streets close to where Ms Meagher was last seen.

A number of women have come forward through a Facebook page, set up to find Ms Meagher, to tell of recent scares in the same area, including an alleged attempt by a man to pull a woman into a car.

Detective Inspector John Potter said while the claims were "a line of inquiry we're following", many had not been reported to police.

"We have to be meticulous here rather than jump to conclusions," Det-Insp told the Nine Network on Tuesday.

Police believe Ms Meagher's phone has been switched off and her bank accounts not accessed since she was last seen, leading to fears she has met with foul play.

Det-Insp Potter said police remain in contact with the woman's husband, Tom Meagher, who reported his wife missing on Saturday after she failed to return home.
Read More @ Source



Criminal Stories Here

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Homicide victim found at vacant Everett house

Image
EVERETT -- Police on Wednesday were canvassing the View Ridge-Madison neighborhood in Everett after a man was found dead there the night before. A neighbor spotted the man on the ground outside a vacant house at 22 Madison St. He called 911 about 6:20 p.m. The man had obvious signs of trauma to his torso, police said. He looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s. The Everett Major Crimes Unit is investigating the death as a homicide, Lt. Robert Goetz said. Detectives declined to say more about how they believe the man may have died. There are no identified suspects or motives. Detectives received a search warrant around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday and collected evidence at the scene. They returned Wednesday afternoon to look for clues in the daylight, Goetz said. The victim's identity had not been determined as of late Wednesday afternoon. The body was turned over to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office. Anyone with information is asked to call 425-257-8450. Rikki King: 425-
Keep reading

Manslaughter charges possible in boy's death

Image
Published: Thursday, August 23, 2012, 5:55 p.m. MONROE -- Detectives believe a 7-year-old Monroe boy's parents should face second-degree manslaughter charges in connection with his January overdose death. Monroe police this week wrapped up their probe into the boy's Jan. 30 death and forwarded the case to prosecutors to decide if his parents should face criminal charges. Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Lisa Paul likely will begin reviewing the case in the coming days. She doesn't expect to make a charging decision in the near future, however. "It's quite an extensive investigation, and I want to review it thoroughly before I make any decision," she said. The boy, identified as "A.J." in court papers, ingested a lethal amount of salicylates, a chemical common in aspirin and other over-the-counter drugs. The medical examiner declined to conduct an autopsy on the boy, making it difficult to determine how the drug ended up in the boy's system. A
Keep reading