The family of a young woman who was brutally stabbed eleven times in a shocking and seemingly motiveless attack outside their prestigious Melbourne home has been left utterly devastated as harrowing new details of the incident emerge.
Victim Identified as Recent Private School Graduate
The victim has been formally identified as Leija Michael, an 18-year-old recent graduate of Melbourne's elite Ruyton Girls' School. She is the daughter of the highly respected ear, nose and throat surgeon, Dr Philip Michael, and his wife Merja Michael.
Ms Michael was returning to her family's Miller Grove home in the affluent suburb of Kew in the early hours of Wednesday morning after an evening out with friends. It is alleged she was ambushed at approximately 1am by an 18-year-old male known to her, who had been concealing himself in bushes near the property.
Life-Threatening Injuries and Stable Recovery
She sustained multiple stab wounds during the vicious assault and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Medical professionals initially assessed her injuries as life-threatening. Authorities now report that Ms Michael is in a stable condition, having received treatment for wounds to her upper and mid-body.
Daily Mail understands the alleged attacker was a recent graduate of the neighbouring Trinity Grammar School. Tragically, the young man later took his own life. His body was discovered more than 350 kilometres away in Antwerp, in western Victoria, at around 6.15am on Wednesday.
Weapon Recovered and Police Investigation
A 20-centimetre kitchen knife was recovered from a garden at the scene of the attack. Victoria Police detectives have returned to the Kew street to canvass the area for clues and to establish a motive for the merciless stabbing.
Superintendent Wayne Cheesman described the incident to Nova radio, stating the teenager was 'minding her own business' when she was attacked. 'She gets dropped off at her residence in Kew and there's a male who is known to her, also of similar age, who approaches her in the driveway and stabs her multiple times,' he said. 'She was just a young girl walking home in the safety of her own driveway.'
Connected Private School Network
It is understood the victim and the alleged attacker may have initially met through the closely connected Ruyton and Trinity private school network. These neighbouring Kew institutions charge annual fees ranging from $27,000 to $45,000.
In an official statement released on Thursday, Trinity Grammar School expressed it was 'profoundly saddened by this terrible incident'. The statement continued, 'Our thoughts are with the young woman as she recovers, and the families involved. Out of respect for the ongoing police investigation and the privacy of those involved, we are unable to comment further at this time.'
Community in Shock and Mourning
The normally quiet and close-knit street has been plunged into grief and disbelief. Friends and neighbours gathered throughout the day, with some seen carrying food parcels between homes in a show of support.
Ms Michael's older sister, Mia Michael, was seen emerging from the family mansion on Thursday for the first time since the attack. By Thursday morning, blood spatter that had been visible on the family's Porsche, the driveway, and the front gate had been cleaned away, removing the most visceral reminders of the violence.
One shaken neighbour told Daily Mail, 'It's been a very long night. We haven't had any sleep.' Another resident added, 'We're all extremely upset. It's a very tight-knit street.' A security guard was also stationed at the main entrance of Ruyton Girls' School on Thursday, where Ms Michael recently completed her Year 12 studies.
Superintendent Cheesman reflected on the profound sadness of the case, questioning, 'How an 18-year-old boy can, for whatever reason, think it's acceptable to approach someone he knows and stab her multiple times is really sad.' The investigation by Victoria Police remains active as they work to piece together the full sequence of events.
