A secondary crime scene has been established in parkland opposite the area where the woman’s body was found. SES crews and detectives entered the heavy bushland in Bundoora Park to search the area about 7.30pm on Wednesday. A crime scene was established some time later. Access to the park via Fairway Drive has been cordoned off while police remain at the scene. The scene at Bundoora late on Wednesday night. Credit:Simone Fox Koob Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said at the scene that investigators had not ruled out the possibility the woman was sexually assaulted, but would not comment on the specifics as it was too early in the investigation.

"It's apparent, or it seems that the woman has been assaulted," he said. She was wearing sandals and her clothing appeared to be in disarray. She was yet to be formally identified on Wednesday night. A Bundoora resident walking to the tram at 6.50am said he came across the scene shortly after the woman was found. He said he saw another woman, who was still holding shopping bags, screaming hysterically as she was comforted by a tradesman who had discovered the victim. “I walked past the scene and one of the tradies was comforting the girl. Another [was] walking back and forth, and another one on the phone to the coppers," he said.

"I asked if they needed any help, they said, ‘Nah, nah, keep moving’. They didn’t want me to stick around and I didn’t see much, but they did make a comment, ‘It doesn’t look good.’ “The tradies did a really good job. There were people on the side of the road they were directing away from the scene. They did a really good job of not letting other people see. “The woman had shopping bags. I assume she walked past and probably saw it.” The victim was found directly outside the entrance to the shopping centre car park, opposite a row of about five brick townhouses, which back onto a large, grass reserve area. Investigators examine the woman's body found in Bundoora. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Behind the shopping centre is a quiet, suburban mix of modest homes as well as student housing blocks for the nearby La Trobe University. The woman's body was removed by forensic police at 4.40pm. Police search drains near where the woman's body was found in Bundoora. Credit:Simone Fox Koob A huge amount of resources have been thrown at the investigation, with dozens of detectives visiting the scene on Wednesday afternoon, as well as at least 10 SES volunteers. Investigators are expected to focus on CCTV footage from a BP service station on Plenty Road and security cameras outside the shopping centre.

Detectives will also examine footage of any 86 trams travelling from the city to Bundoora between 11pm and 1am. Just after 6pm, the group of about 30 detectives and SES personnel did a line search of the area between the tram stop where passengers get off the 86 line from the city, and the bushes where the body was found. Police and SES do a line search from a Bundoora tram stop to where a woman's body was found on Wednesday morning. Credit:Simone Fox Koob The search included parts of Main Drive, the grass area outside the shopping centre, nearby bushes and garden beds, and parts of the car park of the petrol station. Detectives were also interviewing residents of Main Drive, where a group of townhouses have balconies that overlook the crime scene.

Police said they would increase patrols in the area overnight. Detective Inspector Stamper said police were focusing on the time between 11pm Tuesday and 1am on Wednesday.

Police investigate in Bundoora. Credit:Chris Hopkins "We'd like anyone who may have been travelling on the number 86 tram, which runs from the city to Bundoora, particularly from the times between 11pm and 1am this morning to again, if they saw anything suspicious, if they saw anyone get off at this location to contact Crime Stoppers," Detective Inspector Stamper said. "A full canvass will be taken, all the local residents will be spoken to. "We really need the public's help with this one. We ask anyone who may have dashcam footage, CCTV footage or who has seen anything that could be a small piece in the jigsaw puzzle to contact Crime Stoppers." He would not say whether police believed it was a random attack, saying it was too early in the investigation to know.

Detective Inspector Stamper would not speculate on the circumstances of the attack or the victim's age. "What I can [do is] assure the community that we are all working really hard to get the answers," he said. "When we know more, we will provide more. But as always, our focus is on catching the perpetrators of these crimes." A section surrounding the shopping centre was cordoned off as detectives probed the scene. A woman's body lies under a tent as police question potential witnesses in Bundoora. Credit:AAP Forensic police arrived at the scene shortly before 11am.

Seth Cooper, 21, who lives in Main Drive, said he woke to the news on Wednesday morning that a body had been found across the road from his house. "I woke up this morning and my housemate sent me a link saying they'd found a body ... really close to where I live. It was a bit of a shock, it was pretty scary, " he said. Crime scene investigators speak to senior Victoria Police at the scene where a body was found in Bundoora. Credit:Chris Hopkins "They [police] didn't tell me much, they just asked for my details and what I heard, what I was doing last night. They said they found a body and they don't know the exact circumstances yet. Mr Cooper said the street was usually safe.

"It's just been a complete shock to me," he said. "I never expected this." Con Ippolito, who has four adult children and lives in nearby South Morang, came past about 8pm to lay a bunch of flowers at the site. He did not know the victim, but wanted to pay his respect to the woman who died. He has lived in the area for more than 20 years. “It’s a very, very quiet area, you never hear anything like this,” he said. “They didn’t deserve this.” With a large crime scene still taped off, he took the flowers home and was planning to return the next morning to lay them by the site where the body was found.