POLICE PROBE WHY ELDERLY WIFE’S BODY ALLEGEDLY NEXT TO CAR IN THE GARAGE
NEW INVESTIGATION DETAILS OF WOMAN’S GRISLY DEATH: EXCLUSIVE ALEXANDRIA UTTING REPORT
POLICE are probing whether Max Beever, the elderly Gold Coast man charged with his 81year-old wife’s murder, attempted to put her body into a car in their Gold Coast garage following her death.
Police will allege Robyn Beever was dragged from the bedroom of her Varsity Lakes home and found in the garage of the property near the back of a car, the Bulletin can reveal.
They will also allege she was strangled with a belt or a pair of jeans and that an axe was found near her body.
It is believed Mrs Beever also sustained facial injuries.
Mr Beever, 82, was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital to receive medical treatment after the body of his wife was discovered last week.
He was later charged with murder, accused of killing Mrs Beever as early as 6pm on Wednesday.
She was not found until 1.30pm on Thursday when police and emergency services were confronted with a “bloody scene” at the Gerona Circuit property. A family member alerted police.
It is understood the Beevers retired to the Gold Coast from New Zealand. Mr Beever worked as a sawmill supervisor for more than 25 years, the Bulletin understands.
He is getting medical treatment at hospital until well enough to be transferred to a remand prison.
On Friday, the couple’s children released a statement via their father’s lawyer Jonathan Nyst, of Nyst Legal, saying he has their love and “unwavering support”.
They said their parents were “devoted to each other”, having met 60-plus years ago.
Relatives said the couple met at the age of 20 and had been deeply committed to each other into their 80s.
“Robyn and Max met when they were just 20 years old, and they have been together as a loving couple ever since, for more than 60 years,” the family said. “They were devoted to each other and, in their later years, the primary concern of each of them very obviously was the welfare of the other.”
The family was “absolutely devastated by this entirely unexpected and deeply tragic turn of events, and in particular the awful loss of their mother”.
“Their greatest concern now is for their aged father, who is not in good health, and has not been for a number of years,” the statement said.
“He has their unwavering love and support, they are fully committed to his welfare.”
No domestic violence history between them has been alleged. It is understood Mr Beever has Parkinson’s disease and Mrs Beever had been diagnosed with dementia.
Mr Beever is expected to apply for bail in the Queensland Supreme Court in coming days. He was unable to apply for bail in the Southport Magistrates Court due to the serious nature of the charge.
“From what I have seen to date he will be definitely defending the charge,” Mr Nyst said on Friday.
Gold Coast detective Inspector Chris Ahearn, from the criminal investigation branch, said on Friday several motives were being considered.
He described Mrs Beever’s death as a “tragic incident, with a tragic outcome”.
Inspector Ahearn said there were various “avenues of inquiry being examined to try and determine the reason for this lady losing her life”.
“The focus of our investigation is what went on and what led to her death,” he said.
Mr Beever is expected to appear in court on March 5.