Major breakthrough in the hunt for the killer of the woman allegedly murdered and dumped in a bin as detectives swoop
Detectives from the Homicide Squad have arrested a man suspected of murdering an elderly woman and dumping her body in a wheelie bin.
Police arrested the 45-year-old man from Coolaroo in Glenroy, Melbourne’s northwest, at around 11.15am on Tuesday.
It can now be revealed that the suspect is believed to be a 67-year-old woman from Coolaroo.
Detectives believe the woman’s remains were placed in a garbage bin collected from her Hilgay Street home Tuesday by a garbage truck.
Workers at a landfill site on Cooper Street in nearby Epping found the body on Wednesday while moving green waste and alerted police.
A police spokesman said an investigation was underway into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The woman, who has not yet been officially identified, is believed to be an acquaintance of the 45-year-old man, who is currently being questioned by police.
Extensive CCTV surveillance continues to be in place in the Coolaroo area.
Police visited the Coolaroo home on Monday, where an officer was seen locking the house
Detectives would also like to get in touch with people who saw suspicious activities in the area around that time.
The arrest was the result of swift detective work that saw police trace the woman’s body from the landfill site to her home in Coolaroo.
On Saturday, the police were caught collecting pruning waste from plants and shrubs on nearby plots. Presumably, these types of pruning waste match the types of pruning waste found at the landfill.
Police also searched another brick house about 100 yards away, where they deployed a locksmith to gain entry the building around 1:00 p.m.
Detectives reportedly wanted to review surveillance camera footage from the home, which could be crucial to the ongoing investigation.
There is little CCTV in the area, which is largely occupied by government, so police are appealing to the public to provide any footage they may have.
The police would particularly like to get in touch with people who may have camera or dashcam footage taken between Sunday 23 June and Tuesday 2 July.
Police at Coolaroo home on Saturday
On Monday, a detective was found alone entering the house through the front door.
About 10 minutes later, he was seen closing an open window at the front of the house before leaving.
Apart from teams of media representatives, no one was seen visiting the premises on Monday.
There was also no one present to lay flowers, which is customary in similar tragedies.
A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia the community was still in shock after the suspected murder.
“We’ve never seen anything like this here. It’s just horrible,” the man said after stopping in his car to chat.
The scene outside the house was completely different from the community’s reaction to the death of Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani.
Ms Madhagani’s body was also found in a wheelie bin on Mount Pollock Road in Buckley, west of Geelong, on March 8.
Her death caused an outpouring of emotion in the community, with friends gathering to pay their respects in Point Cook, where she lived.
The body of Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani was found in a bin in March
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or log on to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au