CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses content that may be distressing to some readers.
Melbourne woman Elly Warren‘s body was found in Mozambique by locals under disturbing circumstances almost seven years ago. After a long fight by her family, her death has finally been labelled a homicide by local police.
The 20-year-old was tragically found dead by fishermen in the coastal town of Tofo in 2016. She was found lying face-down on the sand, with her underwear around her knees, and police reports at the time labelled her death as “violent”.
Elly was an aspiring marine biologist and had been volunteering in a conservation program. She was due to be returning home in two days.
The local police finally ruling her death as homicide has come as a relief to her family, who have been fighting to have her death investigated for years.
“They have suspects,” Paul Warren, Elly’s father, told 9News.
“We’re hopeful now, we’re probably more hopeful than we’ve ever been that somebody might be charged.”
Mozambique police’s decision comes after a Victorian coroner told the AFP to “move heaven and Earth” to get the Warren family answers. While it’s a move in the right direction, the Warren family have mixed feelings.
Paul, for his part, said he was grateful for the push because he felt the AFP hadn’t done enough to help him, and that he was left to investigate Elly’s death on his own — which he did, by travelling to Tofo to find answers.
According to news.com.au, forensic tests revealed Elly died from asphyxia after inhaling sand into her lower airways, and that she had no drugs in her system.
However, the sand found in her airways was a golden yellow — the kind found at the beach, not the black sand around the toilet block where she was found.
Elly’s body appeared to have been moved, and the fisherman who found her reportedly took a photo which indicated a struggle had taken place.
Retired homicide detective Charlie Bezzina has been investigating Elly’s death alongside Paul, and he says he has no doubt was the result of a murder.
“This is a murder. This was a homicide that needs to be investigated appropriately with the federal police looking over the shoulder of the Mozambique authorities,” he told 9News.
A three-day hearing will be held in the Victorian coroner’s court to examine Elly’s death this week, from Tuesday.
Her family are hoping the inquest also finds that Elly was murdered, and that it results in changes to the way the AFP handles deaths of Aussies overseas.
