We count every known death due to violence against women in Australia:
70 by December 31.
If you are using the research from this project, please credit the work of the researchers who do this heartbreaking and difficult work. They are the Counting Dead Women Australia researchers of Destroy The Joint. Thank you.
Destroy The Joint and Counting Dead Women Australia also thank the many journalists in Australia who continue to report responsibly on the epidemic of violence against women and whose work is used here as reference.
Our register for 2012 now stands at 70.
70
December (nd):
Deborah Balbi (38) was found dead at her home in Maylands. Death was initially ascribed to methamphetamine overdose, despite a long history of violent abuse by her partner, Michael Johnson (41). He was arrested charged with her murder in 2015 and he pleaded innocence. In May, 2017 he changed his plea to guilty. https://tinyurl.com/wt6677v http://tinyurl.com/n64htxg SA
69
December 29:
Edith Dunn (83) found dead in her Gladstone home. Husband Daniel Dunn (84) found not guilty of murder by reason of mental incompetence. https://tinyurl.com/u8b6ry3 http://tinyurl.com/lre23sx SA
68
December 28:
Kwementyaye Nelson (22) died at Alice Springs as a result of injuries received on December 25. Her husband Sebastian Kunoth-Kelly (19) convicted of manslaughter. https://tinyurl.com/wag77rj NT
67
December 22:
Stavroula Konidaris (84) and Triandafillo Konidaris (81) shot dead in their Yarraville home, which was then set alight. Grandson Ross Konidaris (25) found not guilty die to mental impairment. http://tinyurl.com/l3m7lwl VIC
66
December 20:
Delys Weston (62) and her partner Gavin Mooney (69) bludgeoned to death at their Mountain River home. Weston's son, Nicolau Francisco Soares (28) found not guilty by reason of insanity. http://tinyurl.com/jvmfxzm TAS
65
December 20:
Ricky Lee Hart (24) stabbed to death in her father's south Fremantle unit. Her father, Kelvin Hart (43), charged but found not guilty of murder or manslaughter, due to lack of intent. http://tinyurl.com/lbkk9ht WA
64
December 18:
Tracey Holloway (51) bludgeoned to death by her partner Bradley Stinson (57) in Maylands. https://tinyurl.com/tknmlle http://tinyurl.com/m8ot4pf WA
63
December 16:
Meagan Wilton (31) and Benjamin Eyles (34) shot in their home at Hamilton. Patrick Daley (59), Ms Wilton's ex-partner, then attempted unsuccessfully to take his own life and was later found guilty of both murders. https://www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au/.../Wilton... http://tinyurl.com/koktnud TAS
62
December 15:
Michelle Reynolds (34) beaten and strangled to death in a motel room, her bound body hidden in bush in Bonville. Partner Wayne Jones (41) found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/my9vvs5 NSW
61
December 12:
Cheryl Ardler (41) disappeared from Cranebrook, NSW. She was reported missing in early 2013 and in 2016, the NSW Coroner ruled Ms Ardler had most likely been murdered and referred the case for reinvestigation. In May 2018,her remains were found in bushland. On April 12 2019 her ex-partner, Dennis French (39) was charged with her murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced in 2021 to 10 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of seven. Ernest Brown handed himself in to police in 2022 and in March 2024 was sentenced to 1 year 11 months as accessory. https://tinyurl.com/2jp9uf6x https://tinyurl.com/y6s5z54f NSW
60
December 11:
An unnamed woman (28) killed by drug overdose. Levi Mulipola (41) arrested in November 2014 and charged with manslaughter. http://tinyurl.com/lmaoakk NSW
59
December 7:
62-year-old woman, who is not named for cultural reasons, bashed to death with a waddy at Mirrambooka. Shannon Bert Thomas (42), known to the victim, pleaded guilty to murder. http://tinyurl.com/knu86tb WA
58
December 5:
Rebecca Elizabeth Wild (16) killed by Jose Enzo Omonte-Extrada (19). http://tinyurl.com/k7r9nkl SA
57
December 5:
Jessie Leigh Fullerton (22) killed by Jose Enzo Omonte-Extrada (19) when she went to the aid of Rebecca Wild (see above). http://tinyurl.com/k7r9nkl SA
56
November (nd):
Unnamed woman (39) beaten to death by the roadside between Broome and Derby. Her partner, Neil David Lele (42) found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/kokrtof WA
55
November 19:
Helen Curtis (58) shot 5 times outside her home in Footscray. Partner Phillip Bracken (45) found not guilty of murder, claiming self-defence. https://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/.../helencurtis... http://tinyurl.com/nutamc4 VIC
54
November 12:
Liselotte Watson (85) battered to death at her home on Macleay Island. Steven Fennell (na) found guilty of murder in 2016; the conviction was quashed in 2019. https://tinyurl.com/uaojd7f QLD
53
November 10:
Sarah Cafferkey (22) was stabbed to death, her body encased in concrete in a wheelie bin by Steven Hunter (47), known to Ms Cafferkey, at his home in Bacchus Marsh. http://tinyurl.com/lvlcgj7 VIC
52
November 8:
A 41 year old woman (unnamed for cultural reasons) bashed to death by her partner in Meekathara. Neil Narrier (38) sentenced to life imprisonment, 18 years minimum. He had 17 prior convictions for violence against the deceased. http://tinyurl.com/lvbe864 WA
51
October 4:
Sargun Ragi (23) stabbed to death by her estranged husband in her 'safe house' in Kew. Her husband Avijit Singh (31) set fire to her body, and was found dead at the scene. http://tinyurl.com/bs7rgvr VIC
50
October 3:
Elissa Burnett (32) shot by her recently separated ex-partner Lachlan O’Rourke (42) after she called at his home to collect some possessions. O’Rourke then took his own life by shotgun. https://www.courts.qld.gov.au/.../cif-burnett-ea-20150708... http://tinyurl.com/mnefkyx QLD
49
October 1:
Katrina Coker (30) strangled by her partner Richard Webb (32) at their home in Whyalla. http://tinyurl.com/kzrw22q SA
48
September (nd):
Jessie Wilson (24) battered and strangled to death and dumped by the side of a road at Hillier. Dwaine Francis Airey (41) found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/myet8sp SA
47
September 27:
Angelia Moore (34) found battered to death in a car in Cleveland. Ex-partner David Hunt (45) found guilty of her murder. https://tinyurl.com/vfbaoha http://tinyurl.com/lxgkh9c QLD
46
September 22:
Jill Meagher (29) murdered by Adrian Bayley (41) at Brunswick. http://tinyurl.com/len8qq2 VIC
45
September 13:
Kim Lien Huynh (54) bashed and stabbed to death at her home in Cabramatta. Her husband Tony Thao Do (59) found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/njdd3mh NSW
44
September 4:
Erin Crabtree (18) was found dead at her home in Maudsland. Her mother, Maree Crabtree (51), was arrested in January 2018 and charged with the murder of Erin and that of her brother Jonathan (26) in July 2017. In March 2021 she was committed to stand trial. In March 2024 the trial over Jonathan's death was postponed pending new evidence. Erin's death has not yet gone to trial. No further details are available at present. https://tinyurl.com/mvfb5mnu https://tinyurl.com/75zmn9xj QLD
43
September 3:
Sarahjane Dower (26) found dead in her burnt out car, after being missing from Ayr for 2 days. Her ex-partner Kynan Watego Devenna (30) found guilty of murder in July 2015. http://tinyurl.com/med5kg5 https://tinyurl.com/2wwu74at QLD
42
August (nd):
Phaea Lightfoot (57) shot at her Wanneroo home. Her partner Robert Anderson (59) found guilty of murder. https://www.abc.net.au/.../robert-jeffrey.../6486646 http://tinyurl.com/kmkdtda WA
41
August 23:
Adriana Donato (20) stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend James Stoneham (21) at Riverside Park. http://tinyurl.com/kvyyrkr VIC
40
August 19:
Leisl Smith (23) missing from her Wallarah home. Police murder investigation continues. Ex-partner James Church (48) was charged with murder on October 19 2018, pleading not guilty in May 2022. In July he took his own life the day before the verdict was due to be handed down, meaning that the judge could not hand down a verdict. The NSW Attorney General has sought departmental advice. https://tinyurl.com/r88z53s5 https://tinyurl.com/2v8xrjxb NSW
39
August 17:
Angela Karen Dean (37) stabbed to death by her partner Charles Warradoo (42) at Archer River. http://tinyurl.com/kqo2h33 QLD
38
August 15:
Angela Maree Hallam (31) and her boyfriend Joshua Eric Newman (21) found stabbed to death and set on fire at her Ravenswood home. Ms Hallam’s ex-partner Marco Rusterholz (49) was found guilty of murder. Ms Hallam was the target, Mr Newman was ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’. http://tinyurl.com/kqnqd6d TAS
37
August 9:
Jessica Ann Kupsch (29) bashed and kicked to death at the Penny Royal Motel, Launceston. Partner Matthew Patrick Tunks (39) found guilty. https://www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au/.../Kupsch... http://tinyurl.com/kyt57na TAS
36
July 31:
Aimy Aiton (31) stabbed to death at her home at Narara. Her partner Michael Aller (46) later handed himself in to police. He was found not guilty of murder due to mental illness, but guilty of manslaughter. http://tinyurl.com/m9r2d8e NSW
35
July 16:
Rachael Yeo (31) stabbed to death by ex-husband Paul Mulvihill (46) at her North Curl Curl apartment. http://tinyurl.com/lxws9y4 NSW
34
July 15:
Natasha McCarthy (28) stabbed to death by David Jepsen (36), believed known to her, at Mackay. http://tinyurl.com/kgnbytr QLD
33
July 10:
Gail Lynch (55) missing, believed murdered, in Warwick. In October 2015 her ex partner Ian Hannaford (58) was found guilty of her murder https://tinyurl.com/yx2qs3b7 QLD
32
July 5:
Cindy Masonwells (33) stabbed to death and her husband Scott Maitland (35) shot dead in Cairns, their bodies dumped in scrublands. Brandon MacGowan (43), known to the couple, found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/mgp9rry QldQLD
31
June 28:
Roxanne Jones, aka Gilbert (38) stabbed to death at her home, her body left in bushland. Her son Horace Jones (19) found guilty of murder https://tinyurl.com/svm9qz8 http://tinyurl.com/lx67ngt QLD
30
June 25:
Veronica Messina (62) strangled and her body dumped in bushland near Kalgoorlie. Her boarder, Paul Banbery (53) pleaded guilty to her murder. http://tinyurl.com/lu8v2fk WA
29
June 6:
Nickesha Bundabar (14) bashed to death by her partner Karlton Attwood (21) in bushland at Newman. http://tinyurl.com/mtww7y4 WA
28
May 18:
Michelle Roberts (47) bashed and stabbed to death after refusing sex. Neighbour Andrew Sumpton (49) found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/ksznyhk QLD
27
May 15:
Kirsty Ashley (35) stabbed to death in her home in Alice Springs. Her estranged husband Darren Ashley (46) has been convicted (05/06/14) http://tinyurl.com/kx6bbuh NT
26
May 10:
Colleen Ayers (33) strangled at her parents' home at Lakesland and buried in garden. Rachael Simmons (aka Evans) (24) has pleaded guilty to murder and Michael Duffy (34) found guilty of manslaughter. Both were known to Ms Ayers. http://tinyurl.com/n78ehce NSW
25
May 9:
Noni Zischke (55) found bashed and stabbed to death in her home in Bracken Bridge. Her husband Trevor Zischke (53) charged with her murder, declared mentally ill and will not face trial. http://tinyurl.com/lafq27e QLD
24
May 4:
Debra Martin (43) beaten to death by ex-partner Adam Kennedy (24) at his Bowraville home. http://tinyurl.com/ks3ygz9 NSW
23
May 3:
Dan 'Selina' Lin (21) bashed to death in her Bundoora home. Mother-in-law Huajiao Zhuang (51) found guilty of murder. Ms Lin’s murder has been linked to ‘honour’ and ‘dowry’ killings. http://tinyurl.com/mysgs3t VIC
22
April 29:
The bodies of Preetika Sharma (35) and her children aged five and three, found suffocated in their Glen Waverley home. Husband and father Nilesh Sharma (36) hanged himself. http://tinyurl.com/n7zvxzu VIC
21
April 23:
77-year-old Margaret Nicole Foran murdered in her Newnham home. Her son William (53) found not guilty due to insanity. https://www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au/.../Margaret... http://tinyurl.com/k6jjlvb TAS
20
April 20:
Allison Baden-Clay (43) reported missing from her home in Brookfield. Her body was found 10 days later. Her husband, Gerard Baden-Clay (43), found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/mwbutv4 QLD
19
April 7:
Rebecca Ward (25) stabbed to death by her partner Robert Rosewood (38) at their home in Pegs Creek. http://tinyurl.com/meqvm93 WA
18
April 2:
Ottilia Aranyi (75) strangled in her Yarralumla home. Her son Gabor Aranyi (33) found not guilty due to mental impairment. http://tinyurl.com/n8whb9r ACT
17
March (nd):
Patricia Gay (55) missing from her Malmesbury home. Her remains found in December, 2014. Police investigations of suspected murder continue. http://tinyurl.com/kx7zxrn VIC
16
March 27:
Paula Conlon (30) stabbed to death in her Macgregor home. Her partner, Aleksander Vojneski (29) has been found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/letvj94 ACT
15
March 8:
Jenoa Sutton (27) was found dead in the bathtub at her home in Lithgow. A post-mortem examination found she died of a head injury and drowning. In February 2020, after ongoing, extensive enquiry, police arrested Rodney Dempsey (50) in Katoomba and charged him with murder. In February 2023 he pleaded guilty. https://tinyurl.com/ydjtztdf https://tinyurl.com/3s5yu7jhNSW
14
March 8:
Alice Springs police are investigating the death of a 42 year-old female overnight. 48 yr old partner charged. http://tinyurl.com/luogt6y NT
13
March 7:
Hilary Bradley (69) Bill Bradley (70) stabbed to death at their Coconut Grove home. Son Thomas Bradley (40) found not guity of murder due to mental impairment. http://tinyurl.com/m4ykmwq NT
12
February (nd) :
Nicolle Bates (29) stabbed and beaten to death, her body found in a shallow grave. Her former partner Bradley Harvey (42) found quilty of manslaughter. http://tinyurl.com/k2o3ho5 WA
11
February 22:
Kurukulasuriya Silva (50) bludgeoned to death by her husband Sampathawaduge Silva (51) in their Willetton home. http://tinyurl.com/om2qb74 WA
10
February 12:
Julie-Anne Trennery-Rogers (35), 5 months pregnant, killed in home shooting at Goroke. Michael Kelly (47), who was known to Ms Trennery-Rogers, pleaded guilty to unintentional killing. http://tinyurl.com/ch55n4l VIC
9
January 22:
Rebecca Doran (40) shot in the head at her Burnett Heads home. Her partner Stephen Casey died later of self inflicted wounds in hospital. Suspected murder-suicide. http://tinyurl.com/m7he9tt https://tinyurl.com/sdp3cfe QLD
8
January 18:
Tina Greer (32) was last seen at the property of her boyfriend, Les Sharman (58). Next day, Sharman told Ms Greer’s family she was missing. Her car was found abandoned in Swanfels but her body has not been found. Police believe Ms Greer was murdered by Sharman, who died in a car crash in 2018, and that he arranged for her body to be disposed of. In May 2022 a coroner ruled that an inquest was not in the public interest. Ms Greer's daughter petitioned for the ruling to be reversed. In December 2023 a coroner found that that Mr Sharman was responsible for Ms Greer's probably violent death. http://tinyurl.com/mrxbufht https://tinyurl.com/28bu3vxz QLD
7
January (nd):
May Baldwin (91) died in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in January 2012. Her granddaughter Alaine Sturniolo (36) was remanded in custody in November 2018 and in May 2021 was found guilty of her murder. In October 2016 her appeal against her sentence was dismissed. https://tinyurl.com/h3wf9r9t https://tinyurl.com/rbduznpb WA
6
January 16:
Leoni Felix (32) stabbed and battered to death at her home in Auburn by her husband, Mandaswamy Shankaranarayana (40), who later took his own life while in custody awaiting trial. http://www.coroners.justice.nsw.gov.au/.../felix... NSW
5
January 16:
Julie Betty Kuhn (73) smothered by her partner Herbert Erickson (81) at home in Armadale. Partner admitted to 'mercy killing' and attempted suicide; took his own life 3 weeks later. http://tinyurl.com/k8kg5qw WA
4
January 15:
Shahnaz Qidwai (65) bashed to death in her home at Henley. A tradesman working at her home,Tony Halloun (35) found guilty of murder. http://tinyurl.com/m6r532u NSW
3
January 10:
Felicity Bundock (42) was found dead at her home in Waratah West,Newcastle (NSW). Ms Bundock was suffocated by her former partner Gavin Cook (39), who then texted relatives to alert them. He wrote a suicide note and then shot himself in the head. An inquest in August 2012 found that Ms Bundock had suffered years of domestic violence at the hands of Mr Cook. https://tinyurl.com/y2ke2568 NSW
2
January 10:
Penny Galanopoulos (33) killed in her home at Mordialloc and house set on fire. Investigations continue. In February 2024 a $1m reward was posted for information leading to an arrest. http://tinyurl.com/47c34vvd https://tinyurl.com/rl4joon VIC
1
January 7:
Bettina Gregory (42) stabbed to death at Koowanyama. Her partner Lawrence Raymond (42) sentenced to eight years' jail for manslaughter. https://tinyurl.com/yx4mcz3z QLD
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