Police offer $250,000 to catch accused triple murderer Julian Ingram
Warning: This story contains names and images of deceased Indigenous people.
Police are offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of triple murder suspect Julian Ingram, as the search for the 37-year-old approaches seven weeks.
Ingram had been on the run since January 22, when he allegedly shot and killed his heavily pregnant ex-partner Sophie Quinn, 25, her friend John Harris, 32, and her aunt Nerida Quinn, 50, in the Mid-West NSW town of Lake Cargelligo. Ingram also allegedly shot 20-year-old Kaleb Macqueen, who was seriously injured but survived the attack.
An extensive search of Lake Cargelligo and its surrounding areas could not locate Ingram, also known as Julian Pierpoint, who was last seen leaving the town shortly after the shootings. He was seen heading north towards Euabalong, a nearby town of about 80 people where he grew up and lived until about a decade ago, locals said. Police are investigating whether he was helped to evade authorities.
In the days after the shootings, numerous Ingram sightings were reported, including in Mount Hope, an isolated town about an hour from Lake Cargelligo. Current exploration efforts are focused on Cargelligo Lake and surrounding areas.
“A $250,000 reward has been announced by the NSW government for information that may assist investigators in their efforts,” police said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
Police released Ingram on bail last November on domestic violence charges after he allegedly attacked Quinn around the time the pair broke up. Ingram was charged with stalking or intimidating with intent to cause fear or bodily harm and common assault.
Ingram denied the accusations. Police said he had not breached a domestic violence order for protecting Sophie Quinn before the shootings and was released on bail in November after not committing a violent crime for several years.
Interactions between local police and how Ingram, who never held a gun license in NSW, gained access to the firearm allegedly used in the shootings are the subject of an ongoing critical incident investigation overseen by the state’s police watchdog.
Ingram is considered an expert forester who worked as a brush cutter in the Midwest for several years, surviving with limited resources in isolated bush. He has not used his phone or accessed his bank accounts since the shootings.
There have been no confirmed sightings of Ingram since he was reportedly seen near Mount Hope on January 25. Many unconfirmed sightings were reported to police.
Support is available from: National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Domestic Violence Counseling Service From (1800RESPECT) 1800 737 732.
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