Murder victim Karlie Pearce-Stevenson's identity stolen, mobile phone used after death

Updated

Murder victim Karlie Pearce-Stevenson's bank account was used to access almost $100,000 and her phone used to contact family to make it look like she was still alive, police have revealed.

Key points: Almost $100,000 went through Karlie Pearce-Stevenson's bank account before it was closed this year

Her phone was used to make it appear she was still alive, police say

Someone involved in the fraud likely involved in Karlie's murder

The woman's bank account was accessed on hundreds of occasions after she was last seen alive late 2008, Detective Superintendent Des Bray of the Major Crime Investigation Branch told reporters in Adelaide.

Police also said her mobile phone was used to send text messages to family members to fool them into thinking she was alive and well.

Det Supt Bray also confirmed Ms Pearce-Stevenson was last seen alive in Canberra in December 2008.

Police had previously reported she was last seen driving on the Stuart Highway near Coober Pedy in South Australia in November 2008.

Ms Pearce-Stevenson's remains were found in the Belanglo State Forest in New South Wales in 2010.

Her daughter Khandalyce's remains were found near the side of a highway at Wynarka in South Australia earlier this year.

"People we believe may be the offenders and others have taken over Karlie's identity, her telephone, her bank accounts, her Centrelink and family payments," Det Supt Bray said.

"We need to determine if the people involved in the frauds are involved in the murder and it is most likely that one or more may be involved in some way.

"It's clear that some of the people involved in the frauds knew without doubt that Karlie and Khandalyce were dead and continued with their role.

"In respect to what we know about the suspects involved in the financial aspects of the bank account transactions, Centrelink fraud and the use of the phone, I can say that we know that at least one offender was a male. There may have been more, and at least two are females.

"Those suspects either resided at, or are associated with or were listed in connection with, properties at Davoren Park, Hillbank, Holden Hill and Charnwood in Canberra."

Woman posed as Karlie to change bank records

Det Supt Bray also revealed that a woman posed as Ms Pearce-Stevenson during a bank visit in 2010 and at Centrelink later that same year.

Police said a member of her family sent money to her bank account and it was later withdrawn.

They said almost $100,000 went through the bank account before it was closed earlier this year due to inactivity.

Police revealed that a woman who went into a credit union branch in 2010 was possibly the same person who later attended a Centrelink office in Adelaide, producing identity papers to pose as Karlie.

"It appears that in June 2010 a woman in a wheelchair impersonating Ms Pearce-Stevenson attended Australian Central Credit Union at Elizabeth to update banking records," police said in a statement.

"In December 2010 a woman claiming to be Ms Pearce-Stevenson also attended a compulsory interview with Centrelink at Salisbury.

"Detectives are investigating if it was the same woman on both occasions."

Police also said a bank card was used several times at the Royal Adelaide Hospital during 2010 and later used, in March 2012, at Charnwood in Canberra.

Phone used to mislead family: police

Detective Superintendent Bray said the victim's mobile phone was kept and used, including to contact the young woman's family.

"We believe that the phone was kept by the offenders and used to provide some proof of life and to mislead family, friends, law enforcement by suggesting that Karlie was still alive because of activity on her phone," he said.

He said the message bank was accessed from time to time.

"We know ... some of the SMSs were sent to family members, again to suggest Karlie was still alive and that on at least a couple of occasions that we know of a female falsely represented herself to be Karlie in communication with family," he said.

Detective Superintendent Bray said the last confirmed sighting of the young woman before her death was in Canberra.

"We believe Karlie and Khandalyce were killed at different times and different locations but we can't say any more about that at the moment," he said.

"They were both violent and deliberate deaths."

The circumstances of Khandalyce's death are unclear, along with when a suitcase containing clothing was dumped about two kilometres from Wynarka in South Australia.

A death notice was printed on Tuesday in the Northern Territory News for the two murder victims.

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Angel and her little girl's story

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Khandalyce Kiara Pearce is born in Alice Springs in 2006.

The little girl's mother Karlie Jade Pearce-Stevenson was also born in Alice Springs.

In 2008 the pair moved away from their family and began to travel.

Pearce-Stevenson had planned to find work.

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The mother and daughter were seen driving on the Stuart Highway near Coober Pedy on November 8, 2008.

They were last seen alive in Canberra in December 2008.

Ms Pearce-Stevenson was 20 and Khandalyce was aged two.

Her family raised the alarm and contacted Northern Territory Police on September 4, 2009, to make a Missing Person Report.

That report was closed on September 10 after it was believed Ms Pearce-Stevenson was safe and did not want family contact.

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The skeleton of a woman is found in the Belanglo State Forest in August 2010 near where serial killer Ivan Milat dumped the bodies of his seven backpacker victims in the 1990s.

Milat was convicted for his crimes in 1996 and remains in jail.

The unidentified woman was named "Angel" by NSW Police as she was found with a T-shirt bearing an 'Angelic' motif across the front.

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A passing motorist finds a suitcase and bones near the side of the Karoonda Highway about two kilometres west of Wynarka, in South Australia's Murray Mallee, in July 2015.

Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the motorist was driving along the highway when their attention was "drawn to something on the side of the road".

"They stopped, had a look behind some bushes, and found what we now know to be the skeleton of a young child," he said.

A suitcase and scattered clothes were found nearby.

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A Crime Stopper caller on October 8, 2015, names Khandalyce as possibly being the little girl found near the suitcase.

The caller had not seen the child or Ms Pearce-Stevenson for some time and believed they were missing.

Police discover Khandalyce was immunised at 18 months but there was no further record of her receiving medical treatment or being enrolled in school.

Officers locate a witness who had seen the pair at Marion Shopping Centre in Adelaide in November 2008.

She had taken photos of Khandalyce wearing a pink dress. That dress was found with the remains in the suitcase.

A blood sample from Khandalyce's medical records was analysed by Forensic Science South Australia and conclusively matched the DNA profile extracted from the skeletal remains near the suitcase.

Blood samples from Ms Pearce-Stevenson medical records were also used to develop a DNA profile. This was sent to police in NSW, who confirmed that they matched that of "Angel".

Khandalyce Kiara Pearce is born in Alice Springs in 2006.The little girl's mother Karlie Jade Pearce-Stevenson was also born in Alice Springs.In 2008 the pair moved away from their family and began to travel.Pearce-Stevenson had planned to find work.The mother and daughter were seen driving on the Stuart Highway near Coober Pedy on November 8, 2008.They were last seen alive in Canberra in December 2008.Ms Pearce-Stevenson was 20 and Khandalyce was aged two.Her family raised the alarm and contacted Northern Territory Police on September 4, 2009, to make a Missing Person Report.That report was closed on September 10 after it was believed Ms Pearce-Stevenson was safe and did not want family contact.The skeleton of a woman is found in the Belanglo State Forest in August 2010 near where serial killer Ivan Milat dumped the bodies of his seven backpacker victims in the 1990s.Milat was convicted for his crimes in 1996 and remains in jail.The unidentified woman was named "Angel" by NSW Police as she was found with a T-shirt bearing an 'Angelic' motif across the front.A passing motorist finds a suitcase and bones near the side of the Karoonda Highway about two kilometres west of Wynarka, in South Australia's Murray Mallee, in July 2015.Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the motorist was driving along the highway when their attention was "drawn to something on the side of the road"."They stopped, had a look behind some bushes, and found what we now know to be the skeleton of a young child," he said.A suitcase and scattered clothes were found nearby.A Crime Stopper caller on October 8, 2015, names Khandalyce as possibly being the little girl found near the suitcase.The caller had not seen the child or Ms Pearce-Stevenson for some time and believed they were missing.Police discover Khandalyce was immunised at 18 months but there was no further record of her receiving medical treatment or being enrolled in school.Officers locate a witness who had seen the pair at Marion Shopping Centre in Adelaide in November 2008.She had taken photos of Khandalyce wearing a pink dress. That dress was found with the remains in the suitcase.A blood sample from Khandalyce's medical records was analysed by Forensic Science South Australia and conclusively matched the DNA profile extracted from the skeletal remains near the suitcase.Blood samples from Ms Pearce-Stevenson medical records were also used to develop a DNA profile. This was sent to police in NSW, who confirmed that they matched that of "Angel".

Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, crime, law-crime-and-justice, wynarka-5306, adelaide-5000, sa, alice-springs-0870, bowral-2576, canberra-2600

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