Queensland police have charged a 48-year-old man with domestic violence murder after human remains believed to be those of missing Toowoomba woman Jana Armstrong were discovered in bushland by a group of hunters.
Discovery and Arrest
The remains were found by members of the public hunting pigs on Esk-Hampton Road at Redbank Creek around 10:40pm on Saturday. Police attended the scene late that night and declared a crime zone. Detective Acting Inspector Brian Collins said investigators believe the remains are those of Armstrong, though formal identification is pending.
Hours after the discovery, police arrested Armstrong's former partner at a home on West Street in Harristown. He was later charged with one count of domestic violence murder and is due to appear at Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday.
Background of the Case
Armstrong, a 30-year-old mother of a four-month-old baby, was reported missing from a suburb in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, on Tuesday 7 July. Police released footage of her wearing a green-and-white striped Country Road shirt, jeans, and thongs. Her white Hyundai was found dumped on Wednesday morning.
Collins said the former partner was found in Armstrong's home with the baby when police located the vehicle. The baby is now in the care of Armstrong's sister, Faith Isaacs.
Police Appeal and Investigation
Police are urging 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 dashcam or CCTV footage. A postmortem examination will determine the cause of death.
Collins said no domestic violence protection order was in place, but all prior police interactions will be examined. He added, "I don't think there's anything police could have done to prevent this."
Family's Grief
Faith Isaacs told the ABC, "I plan to just look after her son, love him as much as she loved him. She was so loved. She was just the most caring, calm and loving person." In a social media post, Isaacs wrote, "Losing my beautiful sister in this way is something I will never be able to understand or put into words. I promise you, Jana, your beautiful baby boy will always know exactly who his mummy was."
