Homicide detectives from NSW police are investigating the death of a woman, whose body was found in bushland on Sunday afternoon in Sydney’s western suburb of Werrington.
The woman’s body was discovered partially naked and lying face down in a reserve roughly fifty metres from residential homes by a passer-by, who immediately contacted police.
Detective Superintendent Trent King told reporters on Sunday that the deceased woman was “potentially middle-aged” and that she had been at the “quite isolated” reserve “for a period of time”.
“We are in the infancy in this investigation, the scene is currently being examined by specialist police,”Superintendent King said. “I don’t have any information on injuries at this stage.”
“Until we identify the cause of death, a death is unexplained. And certainly, in this circumstance, we feel it necessary to take it to the highest level until we can disprove that situation.”
“There were some items around the body, but not wrapped,” he continued. “So, other clothing items and other rubbish. Now, at this stage, I don’t believe it [the body] was wrapped.”
Superintendent King said homicide detectives were called in to help establish a cause of death.
“We’re hoping, certainly in the next couple of days, through both the post-mortem examination as well as the examination today, that we will have further information,” he said, adding that a police tent over a blue tarpaulin blanketing the ground near where the body was found was “certainly part of the crime scene.”
“We’re not discounting anything at this stage in relation to that aspect of it,” he said. “I don’t have any information of what’s underneath.”
Superintendent King said the Missing Persons Unit is assisting the investigation, while forensic officers from Strike Force Dowerin are canvassing the area with the assistance of PolAir.
Nepean detectives and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad are also assisting with the investigation, door-knocking in the area to investigate the incident.
Overnight, a second crime scene was established by police at a unit block on Parkes Avenue in Werrington roughly half a kilometre from where the body was found. According to Nine News, forensics processed this second scene to gather evidence from the unit that was the home of the deceased woman.
Longtime resident Bridget Cooper told the ABC she had always felt safe and had been “upset” to hear about what happened.
“I’m shocked, I’ve lived here for 50 years and never had any problems, so can you image the shock,” she said. “Nothing, absolutely nothing. It’s amazing that things happen but then again you don’t know when it’s all happened — whether it was brought here or happened here, we don’t know.”
NSW police have urged anyone with information about this incident to contact St Marys Police or Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au
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