A woman has been killed and her husband has taken his own life in what police are treating as a family violence murder-suicide at a Campania property in Tasmania’s south-east.
Emergency services were called to the home on Native Corners Road shortly after 10am on Friday after a triple zero call was made by a family member after being contacted by a person at the residence.
Detective Inspector David Gill said paramedics and police found a man deceased outside the property and a woman deceased inside.
The married couple, both in their 60s, lived together at the residence.
Gill said the man appeared to have ended his own life using a knife and that no firearm was involved.
He declined to detail the woman’s injuries out of respect for the family.
“Our initial investigations indicate that the incident is confined to the residence only and there’s absolutely no evidence that any other person was involved in the incident,” Gill said.
The couple were not known to police and there were no family violence orders in place.
“I can categorically say that this couple were not known to police in any way, shape or form,” Gill said.
“There’d been no interaction at all.”
A crime scene was declared shortly after 11am and forensic investigators and scientists from Forensic Science Services Tasmania have been processing the scene.
It is expected the scene will be held until at least tomorrow afternoon.
Gill said the scene had a significant impact on first responders.
“The scene was extremely confronting to all the emergency services that attended,” he said.
“The images that they saw inside that residence will remain with them for their time and certainly assistance will be provided to those members in due course.”
Gill said the investigation was expected to take several weeks, with a brief of evidence to be prepared for the coroner who will determine the cause of both deaths.
Anyone with information who has not already spoken to police is asked to call 131 444 and quote report number 805568.
If you or someone you know is affected by family violence, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
