Anger at horrific killing of woman

THE woman found dead in a Melbourne park after a horrific bashing has been identified as 25-year-old Courtney Herron.

Homicide squad Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said extreme violence was inflicted on Ms Herron and it’s not known if there was one or more attackers.

“The level of violence involved here was extreme in my view,” he said yesterday.

“This was a particularly, particularly horrendous attack.” Investigators believe Ms Herron was bashed just hours before her body was found about 9.25am on Saturday by dog walkers.

Insp Stamper said the attacker tried to conceal the body. He said there was no evidence as yet that it was a sexually motivated crime or if a weapon was used.

Ms Herron had been couch surfing and sleeping rough for some time while struggling with drug and mental health issues, Insp Stamper said.

The last confirmed sighting of her was on May 14 at St Albans when she came into contact with the police.

Her family have been told of her death.

Police have already made progress in their investigations.

“We’ve spoken to a number of rough sleepers who were in that area at the time,” Insp Stamper said. “They have been helpful with us in building that picture.”

Ms Herron’s death has again sparked anger in Melbourne, with police and the premier calling for men’s attitudes to women to change.

“This is a terrible tragedy,” Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters yesterday. The Premier, who delivered Australia’s first royal commission into family violence last term, said while the state had made significant progress on violence against women, there was more to be done.

“This is not about the way women behave, this is not

THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE INVOLVED HERE WAS EXTREME IN MY VIEW. THIS WAS A PARTICULARLY HORRENDOUS ATTACK

about where women what hour,” he said.

“This is most likely about the behaviour of men.” Insp Stamper said he was “angry” when these crimes occur.

“I’m a father of a daughter, and you know, so, I feel it just the same as everyone else, when it happens,” he said.

Members of the public have started to lay floral tributes at the site where Ms Herron’s body was found, which is a short distance from Princes Park, where aspiring comedian Eurydice Dixon’s body was found on June 12 last year. The death is the latest in a series of women killed and dumped on Melbourne’s streets since Ms Dixon’s rape and murder. are at