‘Senseless’: Tragic details emerge after apparent murder-suicide on Parramatta River
A Sydney father accused of killing his six-year-old daughter in the Parramatta River on Saturday before taking his own life had rented a charter boat several times before the tragedy.
Officers received a triple 0 call from a passerby who saw the man floating face down in the water.
The 47-year-old man was found floating at Hen and Chicken Bay in Concord, in Sydney’s inner west, shortly before 11.45am on Saturday.
The man was seen on a rented boat with his six-year-old daughter before his body was found.
After the man’s body was found, the little girl could not be found, leading to a large-scale search by the police.
Shortly after 5.30pm on Saturday, about seven hours after the alarm went off, police found the little girl’s body on a waterbed.
Police suspect the incident was a murder-suicide, NSW Police Superintendent Joseph McNulty told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
He announced that police officers found a suicide note at the scene.
“There are a lot of facts that need to be clarified,” he said.
“Just to uncover the reasons for this is a complex investigation.”
He said the incident was “appalling” and police were working “much harder to prepare a report for the coroner”.
“We looked at the evidence at this person’s home address and uncovered a lot of data to examine,” he said.
“We are trying to make sense of this senseless crime.”
A maritime industry source told The Daily Telegraph the father had been renting a motor vehicle from Cabarita Point Marina three times a week leading up to the death.
“He appeared with a woman and a child and at least once more alone in early June,” they said.
About 45 minutes after the first triple-0 call on Saturday, a concerned friend called emergency services due to “concerns for the welfare of the child and the man.”
The friend told the Telegraph the man had previously said he was suicidal.
Police said the father sent messages to his friends saying he was going to kill his daughter before committing suicide.
NSW Police Superintendent Christine McDonald said the incident was “an absolute tragedy for the family and the community on every level”.
While the remains of the two men have not yet been officially identified, the child’s mother has been notified and is assisting police with the investigation.
He was not accused of any wrongdoing.
“Officers are providing support to the child’s mother as investigations continue,” he said.
Inspector McDonald said police would investigate whether the incident was related to domestic violence.
“Whether this was an accident or intentional will form part of our investigations,” he said.
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