Cops: Man Killed Partner, Tried to Blame Kangaroo
NT Police
Australian police say an initial report of a vehicle striking a kangaroo in the Northern Territory has instead led to a homicide investigation, with a man now charged over the death of his partner.
Authorities allege a 33-year-old man told emergency services that the Jeep he and his 27-year-old partner were travelling in had hit a kangaroo on a remote Outback highway early Sunday morning, and that the woman had stopped breathing. When police arrived, they found her dead inside the vehicle with visible injuries to her face. The man was also found with injuries.
Investigators quickly became suspicious at the scene. Northern Territory Police Acting Commander Mark Grieve said officers formed the view that the woman had likely been assaulted rather than killed in a wildlife collision, and the death was treated as suspicious from the outset.
Police say they have not found any evidence supporting the claim that a kangaroo was involved. They also noted damage to the front of the vehicle, but are still trying to determine whether it was old damage or more recent. Further information gathered during the investigation led police to conclude the woman may have been assaulted by the man earlier that morning.
The couple had reportedly been travelling together from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast toward the Northern Territory since April 1. Investigators believe they were stopped on the side of the Barkly Highway for several hours before emergency services were called at about 5:50am. Police estimate the alleged assault occurred around 1:30am.
An autopsy is underway to establish the exact cause of death.
The accused, identified as Blayze James Noble, had been in custody since Sunday and was formally charged with murder on Thursday night.
The victim has been named as Christine Marshall Hunter. Her family has expressed deep shock and grief over her sudden death. Her younger sister, Jazmyne Lecerf, described her as caring, protective, and someone whose presence could brighten any room.
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