In a devastating turn of events, a young mother’s tragic death has left her family grieving deeply and sent shockwaves through the community, following what authorities are calling a “horrific crime.”
On Saturday night, wildlife hunters stumbled upon what police suspect are the remains of 30-year-old Jana Armstrong, roughly 50 kilometers south of Toowoomba in dense brushland.
Although the remains have yet to undergo official identification, investigators are confident they belong to the young mother, who welcomed a baby boy earlier this year.
Armstrong had been missing for four days, last seen at her residence in Toowoomba, a city situated west of Brisbane.
By Sunday, police revealed they had detained Armstrong’s former partner, aged 48, who now faces charges of murder connected to domestic violence.
Jana’s heartbroken sister posted a tribute to her on Sunday morning.
“Losing my beautiful sister in this way is something I will never be able to understand or put into words,” Faith Isaacs wrote on social media.
“I promise you, Jana, your beautiful baby boy will always know exactly who his mummy was, how deeply you loved him and just how incredibly special you were.”
‘This is a horrific crime’
Queensland Police Detective Acting Inspector Brian Collins said locals “would be horrified that a young lady, a 30-year-old with a four-month-old child, has had her life taken.”
“This is a horrific crime,” he said.
No relevant domestic violence protection order was in place in the relationship, Collins said, but added that all interactions with police before the death would be examined.
“I don’t think there’s anything police could have done to prevent this at all.”
A post-mortem examination is yet to be completed and police have so far not issued any statements as to the cause of death or whether a weapon was involved.
The man charged with murder will appear at Toowoomba Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.