Police ‘confident’ Lake Cargelligo triple murder suspect Julian Ingram is still alive and may be receiving help | New South Wales

Police are “confident” triple murder suspect Julian Ingram is still alive and believe he has help from people he knows in the area, a week after three people were shot dead in a small New South Wales town.

NSW deputy police commissioner Andrew Holland said investigators were confident Ingram, 37, may have had help from people he knew in the community, given temperatures of over 40C recorded in the area.

“He needs to have access to food and water,” Holland told reporters Thursday, then added that Ingram may have stored such supplies in the area.

Ingram, also known as Julian Pierpoint, is suspected of shooting dead his pregnant ex-partner, her new boyfriend and his aunt at Lake Cargelligo, about 450km west of Sydney, last Thursday. He was later seen leaving town in a white single-cab Ford Ranger.

At the time of the attack, he was on bail in connection with domestic violence allegations from his ex-partner Sophie Quinn.

A witness reported seeing Ingram at Hope Mountain, about 70 kilometers from Lake Cargelligo, and police said they were following leads in other areas of the area.

Speaking at Lake Cargelligo, NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon said the search was being conducted in “extraordinary circumstances”.

“This is the fifth day of temperatures above 40 degrees, but our police are unwavering,” Lanyon said.

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“What we saw at Lake Cargelligo is a terrible tragedy that should not have happened. Domestic and family violence continues to be a scourge on our society.”

Holland said he believed Ingram, a brushcutter who worked for the local council, was still alive because of his “experience locally in the area”.

“He worked for the council, he worked towards Mount Hope in that area,” he said.

“He is aware of where water sources are and where hidden holes such as caves are. We need to work on these places systematically.”

Some of the properties in the Mount Hope area where the observations were made are larger than 400,000 acres.

Quinn, 25, was pregnant with a boy when she was shot in a car on Bokhara Street at around 4.20pm on Thursday. Her partner, John Harris, was also in the car with her and was also killed.

Police were later called to reports of another shooting on nearby Walker Street and found Nerida Quinn, 50, and Kaleb Macqueen, 19, shot in the driveway. Sophie’s aunt Quinn died at the scene, while Macqueen was injured.

Lanyon told reporters on Thursday that Ingram’s bail conditions would be part of the police investigation.

Last year alone, police charged more than 32,000 people with domestic and family violence assaults, he said.

“I want to make sure that not only are you safe, but that you feel safe. That’s why you will continue to see a significant police presence until we can bring Mr. Ingram to court,” he said.

national in Australia domestic violence counseling service on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national number. domestic violence helpline Call 0808 2000 247 or visit: Aid to Women. The domestic violence hotline in the US is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be reached at: www.befrienders.org.