NSW: Rachelle Childs' death a homicide: inquest

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2008
NSW: Rachelle Childs' death a homicide: inquest

SYDNEY, Aug 5 AAP - The NSW government is expected to offer a reward to help find Rachelle
Childs' killer after a coroner found the Sydney woman was murdered.

Changes in the way police handle suspicious deaths in the first two days have also
been recommended after the inquest at Glebe Coroners Court.

The charred, partially-clad body of Ms Childs, 23, was discovered in roadside bushes
at Gerroa, on the NSW south coast, in June 2001.

Ms Childs was last seen alive driving towards Bargo the night before her body was found.

Deputy State Coroner Jane Culver today found she had been murdered.

"Any possibility of accidental death is unlikely," she said.

Ms Culver found that the cause of death was undetermined due to the condition of the body.

It is understood the NSW government will later today offer a reward for information on the case.

Ms Culver said one vital piece of evidence was missing.

"Rachelle Childs' killer has not yet been apprehended," she said.

"I urge the public to continue their calls (to Crime Stoppers)."

Ms Culver also made several recommendations about the way investigations of suspicious
deaths are handled by NSW Police in the first 48 hours.

"The police investigation in the early period following Ms Childs death unfortunately
did not capture some items of evidence which are no longer available to the current investigating
police," she said.

"To avoid a similar situation occurring ... it is recommended that the NSW Police Force
conducts a review of its procedures regarding the notification to the Homicide Unit of
suspicious deaths and the subsequent investigation of such matters."

Speaking outside the inquest, Ms Childs' father Graham Childs urged anyone with information
about the final few days of his daughter's life to come forward to police.

He said information had been received as late as last week and there were people out
there who assumed police had information, which wasn't the case.

"The pieces of the puzzle are there," he told reporters.

"All you need is one little piece of evidence."

Mr Childs said he welcomed the reward, but it shouldn't be necessary to get a member
of the public to come forward.

"I'm not optimistic. I've grown more frustrated," he said.

"I'm still hopeful."

"My greatest fear is that we do find this murderer and that greatest fear is we find
out because he's done this to somebody else."

AAP kd/pbc/evt/jm/de

KEYWORD: CHILDS

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