A 51-year-old man has been arrested following the fatal stabbing of a woman in her seventies in Canberra's inner-north. Emergency services responded to a residence on Dryandra Street in O'Connor at approximately 8:45 am on Thursday after receiving reports that a man had stabbed a relative.
Victim Dies En Route to Hospital
ACT Ambulance Service paramedics provided treatment to a woman at the scene who had sustained critical injuries. Despite their efforts, she succumbed to her wounds while being transported to the hospital. The victim has been identified as a 71-year-old woman.
Additionally, a man in his seventies sustained injuries during the incident and was taken to a medical facility in a stable condition.
Suspect in Custody
A 51-year-old man was apprehended at the scene and subsequently transported to the hospital under police guard. Detective Acting Inspector Chris Watson from ACT Policing's Homicide Squad confirmed that officers are still searching for the weapon used in the attack.
A large crime scene has been established around the home to preserve evidence. Inspector Watson stated, "That's to protect the integrity of the scene at the moment. There's a lot of through traffic and we're just preventing any contamination."
Relationship Confirmed
Inspector Watson confirmed that the woman and the alleged attacker are related, though he refrained from providing further details about their relationship, noting that "not all family members are aware of what's occurred."
Formal charges are expected to be filed at a later date. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.
