The Gold Coast Bulletin

WOMAN IN UTE BARREL

Homicide investigat­ion with armed man at large

- KATE PARASKEVOS, THOMAS CHAMBERLAI­N AND AMANDA ROBBEMOND

POLICE are investigat­ing how a young woman ended up dead in a barrel in the back of a ute on the Gold Coast yesterday.

It is understood a man escaped police in a black ute when officers approached him on a property at Buccan, Logan.

The car was tracked and found a short time later at Stapylton. When the car was searched, the body was found.

“We don’t know the identity of this person and we may not know that until (today) or possibly the next day,” Detective Superinten­dent Mark White said.

POLICE are investigat­ing an alleged murder after a young woman’s body was found in a barrel in the back of a ute on the Gold Coast.

Detective Superinten­dent Regional Crime Co-ordinator for the South Eastern Region Mark White said police were responding to a report of a missing person in Buccan, Logan, when they came across the body around 1.30pm yesterday at Stapylton.

“We don’t know the identify of this person and we may not know that until (today) or possibly the next day,” he said.

“We’re considerin­g this investigat­ion a homicide. We’ve set up an investigat­ion centre at Logan. We have a number of detectives from Logan, the Gold Coast and the homicide Investigat­ion Unit conducting inquiries in relation to that.”

It is unknown how long the young woman has been missing.

“As you can appreciate there’s a fairly intensive forensic examinatio­n occurring as we speak ... for the next 24-48 hours,” he said.

It is understood a man fled police in a black ute yesteday afternoon when officers approached him on a property at Buccan.

The car was tracked and found a short time later at Stapylton. When the car was searched, the body was found.

A crime scene was set up in Silky Oak Cres at Staplyton.

Police continued to hunt the man late last night after he fled in a silver late model Holden Commodore sedan bearing the registrati­on 966WKB.

The man is believed to be armed.

Damien Smith of Silky Oak Cres said he had seen the black ute parked near his house in the small gated community.

“The ute had like a burnt bonnet on it or something wrong with the front end,” he said. “It was strange. Then all the police turn up and we’re thinking, ‘what’s going on’?”

 ?? Main pcture: KATE PARASKEVOS ?? Police vehicles outside the gated community in Stapylton where the body was found and a silver Commodore (inset) similar to the one used by the man to flee.
Main pcture: KATE PARASKEVOS Police vehicles outside the gated community in Stapylton where the body was found and a silver Commodore (inset) similar to the one used by the man to flee.

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