Karlie Pearce-Stevenson could have been dumped at notorious Belanglo Forest to throw police off track

Updated

Murdered woman Karlie Pearce-Stevenson may have been dumped in Belanglo State Forest as a deliberate distraction to throw investigators "off track," police say.

Key points: Karlie Jade Pearce-Stevenson's remains found in Belanglo State Forest

Remains found near to where serial killer Ivan Milat's victims were found

Police say the site may have been chosen to distract investigation

Her remains were found in the New South Wales forest in 2010 while the remains of her young daughter, Khandalyce Kiara Pearce, were found dumped more than 1,100 kilometres away alongside a SA highway earlier this year.

SA Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray was asked on 891 ABC Adelaide about suggestions Ms Pearce-Stevenson may have been killed elsewhere and dumped at Belanglo as a ruse.

The forest is notorious as the former stomping ground of serial killer Ivan Milat, who was convicted in 1996 over the murders of seven young people in the area.

His nephew, Matthew Milat, was also sentenced in 2012 for killing his 17-year-old friend with an axe in the forest.

"The forest is infamous and it's a reasonable theory to suggest the person [murder suspect] could have disposed of the body in the forest to throw us off track," Superintendent Bray said.

"But it hasn't, and we're convinced that Karlie's death has nothing to do with the previous crimes associated with the forest."

Since the identification of the victims, police said an enormous amount of information had been received including 30 calls from SA residents and another dozen calls from other states to Crime Stoppers.

Earlier on Thursday, Superintendent Bray said police were not willing to speak about the circumstances of the mother and daughter's death and where they might have died.

They were really good people, salt of the earth people ... she [Karlie] was a normal everyday sort of kid. Pearce-Stevenson family friend

"We're not 100 per cent certain and if we were to speculate it might not be a good thing," Superintendent Bray said.

"It's really important that we put out information that's correct.

"It's going to take us a little while to unravel the mystery but I'm very confident, the way the investigation's heading, we will get a result on this."

Superintendent Bray said Karlie left Alice Springs in 2008 with her daughter to travel and find work.

They were last seen in November of that year, driving on the Stuart Highway near Coober Pedy.

He said their movements after that were a mystery.

Police believe they also travelled to Darwin, Adelaide and throughout the Murray and Riverland districts.

"Karlie and Khandalyce travelled extensively from Darwin through central Australia, Adelaide, probably through Victoria, Canberra and the Riverland," Superintendent Bray said.

"So what we need is friends and associates to come forward."

He asked owners of motels, hotels and caravan parks to check their records to see if the mother and daughter stayed at their business anytime since 2006.

A friend of the family said he used to live near the family in Alice Springs when Karlie was still "only a little kid".

"They were really good people, salt of the earth people ... she [Karlie] was a normal everyday sort of kid," he said.

"It's just been a sad state of affairs for the whole family."

Karlie was named "Angel" by police after her unidentified remains were first found in 2010 after being found with a T-shirt bearing an "angelic" motif across the front.

People have returned to a roadside shrine near Wynarka where Khandalyce's bones were found to leave flowers.

A local council has offered to cover the costs of bringing the remains of the mother and daughter home to central Australia and to pay for their funerals.

Homicide squads across the country 'connected'

Superintendent Bray said SA Police had been working with the NSW homicide squad since the start of their investigation into Khandalyce's bones, which were found near a suitcase alongside the Karoonda Highway near Wynarka in the state's Murray Mallee.

"All the homicide squads across the country are very connected with one another. We know each other well and work well together."

There was no backslapping. It was a sigh of relief and determination to arrest the people responsible. Detective superintendent Des Bray

He said police connected the dots to Karlie after establishing the identity of her child.

"That [Belanglo Forest 'Angel'] is a pretty famous case," Superintendent Bray said.

"We knew the description of that roughly matched [Khandalyce's mother], so we talked."

The breakthrough in discovering the victims' identities came after police received a Crime Stoppers call that gave Khandalyce's name as possibly being the girl found near the suitcase.

Police immediately started checking with state and commonwealth agencies to find records of Khandalyce.

"We were able to identify that Khandalyce had been immunised but had no other medical treatment and hadn't enrolled in school.

"Anybody who has kids knows the kids are going to doctors and getting scripts ... so we thought we were on to something."

Police then received a second phone call from a witness who had taken photos of Khandalyce at Marion Shopping Centre in Adelaide, wearing the same pink dress found in the suitcase near her remains.

Superintendent Bray spoke of the sense of relief investigators felt after identifying the victims, which was "tinged with knowledge" it would bring "terrible sadness" to the family.

"There was no backslapping. It was a sigh of relief and determination to arrest the people responsible," he said.

"You see young mums, young kids. You just wonder how anybody could do that to them."

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill praised police and forensic staff for their work on the case.

"You can only be but amazed at the skill and dedication of our forensic scientists, our police, our detectives in piecing together such a difficult jigsaw to solve at least the identity of the victim, in this case the little girl and her mother," he said.

"I express my thanks on behalf of the people of South Australia for the work that they've done."

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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, police, wynarka-5306, sa, adelaide-5000, bowral-2576, nsw, nt

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