Murder charge laid after woman allegedly stabbed to death in front yard

Emergency services were called to a home on Chestnut Place in The Gap about 4.20pm (5.20pm AEDT) yesterday after a neighbour found the 79-year-old with “serious stab wounds” in the front yard.

She was unresponsive and declared dead.

Detective Acting Inspector Mick Jones said the “horrible” scene was confronting for first responders and members of the public on the street.

Witnesses told police a man was seen leaving the home and a large operation including the police helicopter and the dog squad was launched to search the area.

Jones said that background investigations led police to believe the man had made his way to the airport.

The Queensland Police Service was able to “scramble” a team and arrested a 40-year-old man about 6.25pm with the help of the Australian Federal Police, which has jurisdiction over the international airport.

“It was an excellent response by everybody involved,” Jones said. 

“It was a rapidly evolving situation which involved a number of police methodologies to locate that person in such a quick period of time.

“I think the important thing is that the residents of The Gap here can be safe and knowing that there’s no one outstanding and there’s no danger to anyone here in the community.”

Jones said it was unclear how the man made it to the airport and that he was in the area for “a period of time”.

“I have no knowledge that he tried to book a flight and I don’t know why he was at the airport,” he said.

The 40-year-old recently came to police attention due to a “completely unrelated matter” but he was not “well known” to them and was not subject to a domestic violence order, Jones said.

“Any incident of domestic violence is horrible and we’ll certainly be putting all our resources into wrapping this up,” he said.

Police allege the woman and man were known to each other.

The 40-year-old Victorian man has been charged with murder (domestic violence offence).

He has been remanded in custody and is due before Brisbane Magistrates Court today.