They seemed like the epitome of a perfect marriage. Now one lies in the morgue and the other faces life behind bars, accused of killing her after a family Christmas gathering.
John Beres, 63, posted the photo of himself and his wife Yvonne on social media in 2017.
A friend commented that it was a beautiful photo of the couple.
A more disturbing picture of the couple emerged on Thursday when Beres was charged with his wife’s murder.
A photo taken by news crews outside their home in Langwarrin, in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, showed him being led away by police in handcuffs.
Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, he had had to clean up after what had most likely been a pleasant Christmas gathering with the couple’s three children.
The alleged killer appeared for a brief hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday evening, hours after calling Triple Zero to report an “assault” on his 59-year-old wife.
The court heard that Beres, who is in custody for the first time, was vulnerable due to his age and health.
John Beres, 63, posted this photo of himself and his wife Yvonne on social media in 2017
He suffered from type 2 diabetes and regularly required medication for problems with his knees and back. The era reported.
He confirmed that he was taking daily painkillers to treat pain resulting from two back surgeries – in 2020 and 2021.
“It is a normal dose that I take every day,” he told the court.
His wife had been an administrative manager at a local real estate consultant.
Emergency services responded to the Wood Duck Court home around 6:30 a.m. Thursday after receiving Beres’ call.
Officers were unable to save Ms Beres, who was reportedly found with stab wounds in the house.
Police arrested Beres on the spot and later charged him with one count of murder.
It is understood that the couple had only recently moved to the neighborhood from nearby Mount Eliza.
Victoria Police Homicide Squad Detective Dean Thomas told reporters the pair had just received their family for a Christmas Day gathering hours before the incident.
The police lead John Beres out of his house in handcuffs
Wood Duck Court became a crime scene amid assassination attempts
He said the couple’s three adult children were left devastated by the alleged murder after they were among those celebrating Christmas at the property.
‘The family of the [alleged] “The victim has been spoken to and they are obviously very upset that we are here on Boxing Day,” he said.
‘They are very upset and distraught.
“We have to remember that there are a number of family members affected by this, and there will be a number of friends as well.”
The interactions between those who attended the meeting will be the focus of the investigation.
Police confirmed there was no history of domestic violence between the couple.
Forensic teams found a weapon in the house, but the detective would not confirm what killed Ms Beres.
Ms. Beres had been an administrative manager for a local real estate consultant
It is not yet known whether Mr Beres called the police immediately after his wife’s death or whether the alleged altercation had occurred some time before police and paramedics arrived.
Neighbors described Mrs. Beres as a sweet woman who enjoyed gardening and walking her foster greyhound.
“Something like this happening on this quiet, friendly street is really shocking, especially at this time of year,” neighbor Martine Casagrande told The Age.
“It’s hard to believe something like this happened.”
Mrs Casagrande, whose property is adjacent to the Beres family home, said the couple had celebrated with friends in their backyard earlier this week and appeared to be in good spirits.
“There was laughter and chatting and everything seemed very normal before Christmas…a pleasant, pleasant feeling,” she said.
‘They always say hello and chat when they walk past. There haven’t been any disruptions, it’s been very peaceful, you couldn’t imagine anything like that.”
Anyone with dashcam footage, CCTV footage or information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.