Australia Australia - Amesha Rajapakse, 31, Westmead, NSW, 26 Aug 2014

[PrimeSuspect]

I'm pretty sure I read that Amesha was Sinhalese Buddhist - not Sikh. Sikh people are typically from northern Indian I think, rather than Sri Lankan. Their cultures are quite different I think. The policeman in the turban in the Telegraph photo was Sikh, so maybe that's why you thought Sikh!

I'm looking at the pic of that policeman now, he looks quite striking, nice.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...akse-in-westmead/story-fni0cx12-1227039468200

The dad and a concerned lady in pic. Hmmm, not mother?

Edit: Not dad or mother. Unidentified as yet.

 

[MsAnais]

Religion and culture don't always run parallel to each other though. Buddhist's are usually extremely calm and accepting.

bbm. Now that is extremely true!

 

[Oddsocks]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sydney-Murugan-Temple/116547458404446?rf=101313293271133

Maybe off topic but this is a buddhist temple in westmead that I think is beautiful

 

[they'll get you]

I mean, the other possibility is that this was a completely random killing. It's dark at 7.30pm and she was walking alone. I don't know how busy it is around there though? If it's like inner-city Sydney there are people everywhere all the time. Is it like that in Westmead?

Westmead is adjacent to Parramatta, close to major Westmead Hospital. I drive to that hospital regularly and that complex is not on the main driving routes so not many vehicles. At that time of night, with the rain, I doubt there'd be many pedestrians.

 

[MsAnais]

View attachment 57671



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...akse-in-westmead/story-fni0cx12-1227039468200

The dad and a concerned lady in pic. Hmmm, not mother?

That's not her father. And we've heard nothing about her mother yet.....

 

[MsAnais]

This is the father, pictured next to her brother

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...akse-in-westmead/story-fni0cx12-1227039468200

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Thank you Isis and SA, i'm going off half cocked here.

She wanted to get back in so I'm thinking not self harm. I wonder if the scarf from the door was taken and used, someone from the building. jmo

 

[they'll get you]

Thank you Isis and SA, i'm going off half cocked here.

She wanted to get back in so I'm thinking not self harm. I wonder if the scarf from the door was taken and used, someone from the building. jmo

That's an interesting thought!

 

[SouthAussie]

Thank you Isis and SA, i'm going off half cocked here.

She wanted to get back in so I'm thinking not self harm. I wonder if the scarf from the door was taken and used, someone from the building. jmo

BBM Could be ... a commenter at the bottom of the Daily Telegraph article lives in that apartment complex, and has for years, and stresses how safe it is for females in the area. But evidently something is different about Amesha's case. And it is such a shame, as Amesha was just recently showing interest in using the gym and pool there - perhaps getting out a bit and enjoying herself, meeting new people, expanding her horizons ....

"The 31-year-old woman had inquired only two weeks ago about access to the gym and swimming pool ..... "

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...akse-in-westmead/story-fni0cx12-1227039468200

 

[they'll get you]

Religion and culture don't always run parallel to each other though. Buddhists are usually extremely calm and accepting.

I believe Buddhist is a beautiful, gentle religion, <modsnip>

 

[Xantara]

The brother mentioning that Amesha 'did not appear upset by their conversation at all' sounds like quite an odd thing to say, as reported. Sounds defensive too. What would even make him think she'd be upset about anything, let alone a conversation she had with him?
JMO

 

[Xantara]

http://www.teatime-mag.com/magazines/22-fr/

Found this article. If you scroll down, you come across names of Sahan Rajapakse and Amesha

 

[PrimeSuspect]

http://www.teatime-mag.com/magazines/22-fr/

Found this article. If you scroll down, you come across names of Sahan Rajapakse and Amesha

Excellent find Xantara!

 

[SouthAussie]

http://www.teatime-mag.com/magazines/22-fr/

Found this article. If you scroll down, you come across names of Sahan Rajapakse and Amesha

So Sahan has been here 10 years, and Amesha 5 years, plenty of time to assimilate into Aussie culture.

I wonder when the dad joined them. They apparently had only lived at those apartments for a short time, and the apartment is in someone else's name, according to MSM.

Maybe the dad had only joined them recently.

I wonder if this created changes for Amesha. Maybe she had to take care of her father and her life was somewhat more limited. She evidently was seeking outside interests that were close by (gym, pool) even though she apparently had not been able to use them in the 2 weeks since she inquired about access to them - otherwise I would have thought that the manager of the complex would have mentioned that in his comments.

And perhaps that is why the brother stayed in seemingly close phone contact with Amesha, and is so upset over her death. Maybe he was supporting Amesha through the possible changes to her lifestyle, due to possibly now caring for her father as her primary role?

And what other family members lived in the apartment - who are listed as the occupants? Maybe the couple seen in Daily Telegraph photos? And the 4th man seen in the 'photo of family members'?

Ms Rajapakse, her husband and other family members are believed to have lived at the unit block for only a few months and are not listed as the unit&#8217;s occupants.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...r-just-a-mystery/story-fni0cx12-1227038411749

imo

 

[Xantara]

JMO, but it could have been the case that there were financial issues or difficulties. Perhaps Amesha was not working, or could not find work since graduating... Originally I had assumed she worked, but I don't believe that's explicitly stated anywhere. The fact that the brother tells her to use 'gift cards' to buy milk and butter with???...

 

[butwhatif?]

I must say, given that it's such a brain teaser for police and there are no obvious physical injuries, suicide is something that crossed my mind too. Some msm reports are even outright saying that she drowned... It might explain why she left without an access card. The groceries thing was just an excuse to get out. Perhaps the pacing about in the lobby was as a result of her own anguish about what she planned to do, or perhaps there was some last minute indecision. Perhaps the scarf was put in the door to enable her to get back in, in case she had a last minute change of heart. The only thing I don't understand is how someone can drown in presumably not particularly deep water. There may have been water down there but I cant imagine it being a raging ? Unless someone with personal experience of that place can say otherwise?
Perhaps she had spoken about suicide to her family. Perhaps that is what drove them to look there? Although that is contradicted by the brother saying she appeared happy...
Just my own speculation...

BBM- I've got tons of personal experience with raging torrents in this area. All of the local creeks, canal's , storm-water tunells and waterways are linked together through North Parramatta, Parramatta, Westmead and Wentworthville and even a trickling stream can become a deadly during and after heavy rainfall or steady rain in the surrounding areas. That's where the danger is.

I didn't realise how misleading the overhead satelite view was until I mapped out the Nth Parra t/house where I used to live right next to a major canal/ storm tunnel.

Sydney water and the Parra council spent forever upgrading this catchment area (around 2004-2006-ish) which flows right into the parramatta river on the foreshore... but there were plenty of times when there was only a light drizzle where I lived but the canal was a seriously scary, raging because it carried all the rainfall coming from the North. Any waterway running south carries the greatest risk.

Even though the creek in question is so small that it doesn't show up on maps, it also runs south directly from Lake Parramatta and it looks like as though the Northmead reserves and creeks link up to that teeny tiny creekline too and it all gains momentum fast! (pic#3)

I think it was Xantara who posted about it 'bucketing down' on Tuesday night. The important question is where was it bucketing down? Westmead rainfall is collected at North Parramatta which is only about 1km away (or over 4km if you use driving routes with online mapping).

Tuesday is recorded as only 1.8mm rainfall, but Wednesday was a whopping 22.8mm, but I'm sort of half way between the two points and it might have been different in the heart of westmead.

I don't think there's anything odd about Amesha going out in the rain to get milk and butter. Residents who drive vs residents who walk or use public transport live in two very different worlds. We find and use shortcuts that motorists know nothing about, even if it takes us through some pretty seedy places. I've survived all these years without a licence and more people should be doing the same.


Coles is the closest, and it accept gift cards (mentioned by her bro) so it seems the most logical choice, but she wouldn't need to cross the creek.

A shortcut through the creek, across the UWS campus and crossing at Hawkesbury Rd would take her to the 'Friendly Grocer supermarket' that's on the cnr of Railway Pde and Hawkesbury Rd, but the coles is so much easier to acess and would have the lowest prices.

I've mapped out the closest Woolies and IGA, but they're further away in wentworthville and in the opposite direction the creek.

Station street in Wentworthville would be the likely place to do a full shop. It's kind of a hub for Punjab shops/stores and many of them are Sri Lankin ...The Udaya Supermarket is open till 10pm on weeknights but the coles is still closer and much cheaper for the basics.

None of these make any sense for a woman quickly ducking out at night to grab some milk and butter without a phone and using a scarf to jam the entry point as though she'd return in just a few minutes.

What does make sense is this:

Allwell Foods Pty Ltd
Supermarkets & Grocery Stores - Westmead, NSW

91a Bridge Rd, Westmead NSW 2145

We've been looking everywhere else and it was right there on site the whole time!

But it still doesn't explain how she ended up on the other side of the fence in the creek. Hmmm

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Great info there butwhatif? pics and a shop handy, excellent!

I'm confused about the scarf and door situation, did Amesha do this when she set off for the shops for the milk and butter at 7.30pm (when brother said he last saw her)? Or did she return with items (without being seen by family) and went out again and kept door ajar with scarf? Or did she return without the items, paced up and down and went off but then how did she have the entry door open without the card, or she buzzed herself in and then came out again later? :gaah:

 

[butwhatif?]

OT.....
For people who aren't familiar with the area and it's cultural diversity and who might think some comments are bordering on racist, this link breaks it all down based on results from the 2011 Census..

Westmead:

http://profile.id.com.au/holroyd/birthplace?BMID=10&WebID=210

 

[butwhatif?]

Hmmm...this is new

The Advertiser was told the woman was seen on CCTV pacing the block&#8217;s corridors last night.

&#8220;We have been having some trouble with our cameras but have identified when she left the building,&#8221; the building&#8217;s facilities manager said.

And....

Residents said the creek was a popular spot for children who used it as a shortcut to get to the adjacent sports oval or to look for lizards.

&#8220;To get there they have to jump a fence and go through a tunnel,&#8221; a resident said.

&#8220;Sometimes the kids use it as a shortcut to get to the oval and play.

&#8220;It&#8217;s usually dry.&#8221;

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...t-westmead-creek/story-fngr8huy-1227038432937