Locals certain: It

IT IS unlikely the two victims at Cherry Tree Creek will ever see justice.

The initial murder-suicide theory – that Vicki Arnold killed her best friend and then herself – has been scorned by Atherton locals and writers for 30 years.

“The town reacted to it as they never believed it was a murder-suicide,” former Atherton Mayor Jim Chapman said.

“Most believed they were murdered.” He remembers the best friends as well known locals.

“Both the girls were well known; Vicki was an accountant and well liked in church circles and things like that,” he said.

“They had both been here quite a while – it wasn’t like they were strangers.”

A third coronial inquest in 2011 detailed a litany of police errors during the investigation, and delved into the background of Julie-Ann’s husband Alan Leahy. “There is no doubt the Leahy family were in a parlous financial state when the women went missing,” Queensland coroner Michael Barnes wrote in his findings, released in 2013. The inquest heard that a $120,000 life insurance policy was taken out for both Mr and Mrs Leahy.

“Alan Leahy dissembled and feigned ignorance about the insurance policy and its details,” Mr Barnes said.

It was also alleged in the inquest that Mr Leahy had sexual contact with Julie-Ann’s juvenile half sisters.

“There are in my view a number of aspects that could be considered to indicate Mr Leahy had a motive to kill his wife.”