WHY WAS HE OUT
Fugitive murder suspect was on wanted list for parole breach
THE teenage girl believed to have been murdered and stuffed in a barrel was in a relationship with a man twice her age who was wanted by police for breaching parole. A massive manhunt across south-east Queensland was continuing last night for Zlatko Sikorsky after the gruesome discovery of a young woman’s body on the northern Gold Coast on Wednesday.
LARISSA Beilby told friends she was fearful of her violent boyfriend and tragically fled one dangerous man only to end up with another – fugitive Zlatko Sikorsky.
The Gold Coast Bulletin
can reveal 16-year-old Larissa had been living in transitional accommodation at Sandgate, in Brisbane’s north after fleeing a man, not a boyfriend, who had left her feeling threatened.
But she ended up with 34-year-old Sikorsky – a man more than twice her age, with a criminal history, including armed robbery and extortion.
The Gold Coast Bulletin
has been told that Sikorsky was on a return to prison warrant prior to the police incident unfolding.
The teen is now feared murdered and dumped in a barrel hidden under a tarp in a ute, after police made the gruesome discovery on Wednesday.
A manhunt to find Sikorsky involving specialist police units continued last night.
It is understood that Larissa expressed concerns to friends that her new boyfriend Sikorsky might discover her young age and claimed that he had a gun.
The schoolgirl was reported missing on June 15, but got in contact with friends and family three days later.
Police concerned for her safety discovered her bank card had been used at a McDonald’s restaurant.
CCTV footage from the restaurant led them to a black ute, which they tracked to a Buccan property on Wednesday. Officers knocked on the door of the Buccan property, but a man, believed to be Sikorsky, ran out the back door and fled in the ute.
The Buccan property – an acreage fringed by bushland – had a series of cameras set up, including one hidden in trees and others blending into a shed.
It is understood footage from those cameras could form an important part of the police investigation.
The black ute was dumped at a mobile home park at Staplyton where police later uncovered the barrel in a rear tray.
A witness came forward yesterday claiming she saw an arm hanging out of the barrel in the back of the ute prior to police discovering the body.
Sikorsky is believed to be travelling in a silver 2014 Holden Commodore with a sunroof and Queensland registration 966 WKB.
Police have warned the public not to approach him and said he might be armed, possibly with a shotgun.
Sikorsky’s father said people needed to “wait for police to do their job”.
“Hopefully all of this is nothing but rubbish,” he said.
“My son, he is a decent person,” he said.
Logan CIB Detective Acting Inspector Scott Fur- long confirmed Sikorsky was an associate of Ms Beilby.
But he said that he wouldn’t comment further in relation to the body found and said it had not been positively identified.
“I don’t know the relationship, we know that they are associated, however we don’t know the exact relationship between Larissa Beilby (and Sikorsky),” he said.
Insp Furlong said police believed Sikorsky was within the Logan and Gold Coast area and travelling alone. He warned the public not to approach Sikorsky.
“We have information that he has access to fire-
HOPEFULLY ALL OF THIS IS NOTHING BUT RUBBISH. MY SON, HE IS A DECENT PERSON. ZLATKO SIKORSKY’S FATHER
arms,” Insp Furlong said.
Sikorsky’s criminal history includes robbery and extortion offences.
He had pleaded guilty to 14 charges and received a five-year prison term when sentenced in September 2016. He had already served 594 days in custody, which was declared as time served, with his parole eligibility date set for October 2016.
Sikorsky has run a cleaning business and previously travelled around Queensland for work.
His online profile says he attended St Laurence’s College in South Brisbane.
Larissa’s family was originally from Adelaide.
She moved to Queensland with her father and sister in 2012.
The girls’ mother died when they were young.
She had been attending Craigslea State School in Brisbane’s north and had been employed at McDonald’s.