Queensland police have charged a 48-year-old man with murder, after a body believed to be that of his former partner, Jana Armstrong, was discovered in bushland by a group of hunters. Armstrong, a 30-year-old mother of a four-month-old child, was reported missing in Toowoomba on Tuesday.
The remains, which are yet to be formally identified, were found in steep terrain on Esk-Hampton Road at Redbank Creek about 10.40pm on Saturday. Police investigators believe they are those of Armstrong, and a crime scene was declared. The area had not been previously searched by police.
Detective Acting Inspector Brian Collins said the discovery was a horrific crime that would horrify the community. Armstrong was last seen wearing a green-and-white striped Country Road shirt, jeans, and thongs. Her dumped white Hyundai was found on Wednesday morning, and her former partner was found in her home with the baby.
The 48-year-old man was arrested and charged with one count of domestic violence murder after police executed a search warrant at a home on West Street in the Toowoomba suburb of Harristown. He is due to appear at Toowoomba magistrates court on Monday.
Police are calling for anyone who was in the area between Toowoomba and Esk, specifically on the New England Highway and Esk-Hampton Road, between 10.30pm on 7 July and 1.30am on 8 July to provide any dashcam footage or CCTV footage from homes with cameras that capture the roadway. A postmortem examination will determine how Armstrong died.
Armstrong’s family, including her sister Faith Isaacs, have expressed their grief and shock at her death. Isaacs said she would care for Armstrong’s baby and ensure he knew who his mother was. Armstrong’s death has also raised questions about domestic violence, with Collins saying that all interactions with police before the death would be examined.
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