Slain mum knew her killer: Police
COOKTOWN MURDER
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POLICE are confident the person responsible for the murder of a Cooktown mum was likely known to her.
Donna Louise Steele, 42, was last seen at the IGA Supermarket in Cooktown at midday on Wednesday. A female body was found in the early hours of Sunday morning in a creek 20km from the town which is currently being forensically examined.
Police believe it’s the body of the missing mother-of-two. It was discovered by the owner of a nearby property submerged in Isabella Creek, a popular fishing spot at Leggett’s Crossing on Endeavour Valley Rd.
Steele, a well-known member of the ‘tight knit’ community, was reported missing by her partner, who works away from town, after he arrived home on Thursday.
Detective Inspector Geoff Marsh from the Far North District Crime Squad was pleading for anyone who saw her after midday on Wednesday to come forward. She was driving a ‘fairly new’ white Toyota Hilux.
“Her children (two boys aged 8 and 10) come home from school at around 4.30pm and mum wasn’t home," he said.
“So there is a period of 3.5 hours that we’re interested in if anyone saw her or her vehicle travelling in the Cooktown area.
“A lot of people have come forward to assist us…. unfortunately we are yet to find that piece of information that will assist us, and get closure.”
Police are yet to establish a motive in relation to the crime.
“At this stage there is nothing to suggest it is a random attack or random event - we’re confident that this is a known person to her.”
The lack of CCTV footage in the town was providing ‘an investigate block’ for detectives, according to Marsh.
“There is very limited CCTV in Cooktown, and even at the store it is within the store and nothing on the streets,” he said.
“With that being said, a lot of properties within rural Queensland have upgraded their own security to include CCTV so we’d like people in the Cooktown area who have CCTV to examine it for us to see if there is any movements or suspicious vehicles on that Wednesday afternoon, or into Thursday and even Friday.
“If they’ve got CCTV that hits the road that would be great.”
The Cooktown community was ‘in absolute shock’ following the tragic event.
“Cooktown is a small coastal community, very tight knit community, they all know each other,” he said.
“It has devastated the small community and we’re hopeful that will embolden people to come forward with information that they may have been reluctant to do so previously.
“This is a tight community, they will know which car she owned, they obviously know who she is, and if there was someone that seen her (Wednesday) afternoon we’re very interest to talk to them.”
Anyone with information can contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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