The Northern Territory police are currently awaiting the results of an autopsy following the death of a 27-year-old woman from Sunshine Coast, who was discovered on the Barkly Highway near Tennant Creek on Sunday.
Law enforcement officials reported that the woman’s partner claimed their vehicle had collided with a kangaroo, although investigators have not found any evidence to support this assertion. They are examining whether the damage observed on the front of the car was already present prior to the incident. The woman’s 33-year-old partner is in custody as part of the ongoing investigation.
According to police, they received an emergency call at approximately 5:50 AM on Sunday from the woman’s partner, who stated that she was not breathing following the alleged kangaroo collision near Barkly Homestead on the highway.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Acting Commander Mark Grieve of the NT Police revealed that first responders discovered the woman deceased in the vehicle, with noticeable facial injuries. He indicated that authorities are treating her death as suspicious while awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death.
The woman’s partner has been taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated assault but has not yet been formally charged. Commander Grieve mentioned that additional information has led investigators to believe that the deceased may have been a victim of an assault carried out by her partner earlier that day.
Police have also shared an image of the vehicle in which the woman was found, highlighting visible damage to the front. “Investigations are ongoing to ascertain when this damage occurred—whether it was pre-existing or recent,” Commander Grieve stated. “At this moment, we have not identified any evidence supporting the collision with a kangaroo.”
On Wednesday, a police spokesperson noted that investigators suspect the couple had been traveling from Gympie, Queensland, in the days leading up to the woman’s death, passing through areas such as Ban Ban Springs, Emerald, Winton, Cloncurry, Mount Isa, and Camooweal. “We are collaborating closely with our counterparts in Queensland to gather any relevant history on the couple and to trace their movements from Queensland into the Northern Territory,” the spokesperson added.
