Australia Australia- Melinda Freeman, 27, Fatally assaulted @ home, 4 October 1991 *$1Million reward*

[dotr]

Reward offered to help solve cold case murder of Melinda Freeman in 1991 (9news.com.au)
By Chanel Zagon
Feb 23, 2022
''A $1 million reward has been announced to help solve a cold case murder of a woman found dead after attending a family reunion in Melbourne 30 years ago.
Melinda Freeman, aged 27 at the time, was found dead by her husband in her Whittlesea home on October 4, 1991.
Ms Freeman and her husband had earlier been to a family reunion to welcome her sister back from overseas.''

''In 2018, police received an anonymous tip from a person about Ms Freeman's death.
Homicide Squad detectives want to speak to the person again and have appealed for them to contact police.
"We're really keen to speak to the person who submitted anonymous information in 2018.,"

"It is never too late to tell us what you know and any piece of information, no matter how insignificant you might consider it to be, could be exactly what investigators need."
Any information given will be treated as confidential and may be given at any time to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.''

Melinda Freeman was found dead inside her Whittlesea home in 1991. (Victoria Police)
Her husband and baby returned at 11.30pm to find the front door wide open.
The mother had been bashed to death and the house ransacked, with her body found lying on the top storey landing.

 

[dotr]

Feb 23 2022
$1m reward on offer to help solve cold case murder of Melinda Freeman | 9 News Australia - YouTube

 

[annpats]

Was the husband cleared of any involvement?

Melinda and her husband had earlier been to a family reunion, but at some point he must have gone out again, as it states he returned home at 11.30pm.
Melinda was murdered in the time he was gone.
That's suspicious, and a real coincidence, no?

Did he arrange something?

If he was innocent, then maybe someone was watching the house?

Who had motive?

The house being ransacked gives makes me think it was a burglary, but
Whittlesea is a quiet, safe suburb 40km from Melbourne. So, very unusual.

Maybe the murderer was searching for some money while he was there, but having killed her, surely he'd want to escape as soon as possible?

MOO.

 

[Lemony]

A long time coming!

A man has been arrested and charged with murder more than 30 years on from the horrific bashing death of Melinda Freeman in her home.
“Detectives from the Homicide Squad have today charged a man as part of their investigation into the 1991 death of Melinda Freeman in Whittlesea,” Victoria Police said in a statement on Wednesday.

“A 63-year-old Greensborough man was arrested in Greensborough this morning and subsequently interviewed by police.

“He has been charged with murder and will face Melbourne Magistrates today"

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/police-charge-63yearold-man-with-murder-in-relation-to-the-1991-bashing-death-of-melinda-freeman/news-story/c4755a67db218ead6b637c4a955743fa

 

[Shadow@light]

I remember this case when it happened, finally it has been solved, hopefully Justice will be served.

Melinda Freeman was studying for her exams for May Kay Cosmetics Consultant, I think it was for Group Supervisor she could had just started , my flatmate was nearly studying all the time as Mary Kay had different levels, also about the product and presentation (which you cannot get now in Australia)
IMO, You did group parties with Host like you would do back years ago like, Avon, Tupperware, Fifth Avenue Collection, etc, often a lot of things in Mary Kay were paid in Cash if you had a group booking you could have Three hundred or more Australian Dollars as all the group had to pay on the arrived collection before you banked it before transfer.
Many fingers pointed a close family member, I will wait and see justice served and closure for Melinda Freeman's family.
Yet it if it was not a family member, IMO from what I know from former Flat mate
It was said in the news the house was was secured when her husband left, but the door was left opened, staged to look like a burglery, but if it was someone not close to her, and a person she slightly knew IMO could been after the money or they thought she had money.
A simple knock on the door regarding payment or asking about a brochure ordering book for spouce or family member, Melinda Freeman would unlocked the door not knowing sadly of the danger she let in.
Australia was a place you would answer and open the doors .Whittlesea was considered a safe quiet country area , (well in my opinon, was country area ) not like today, there was no regular Trains out there in 1990's only a few buses)
Crime was unheard off in Whittlesea before Melinda's Murder.
After Melinda Freeman's Murder, my former flat mate stopped doing Mary Kay so did others, most kept it close to family and friends.

 

[wallyworld]

According to the Daily Mail, her husband has been charged with Melinda's murder.

The husband of a doting mum has been charged with her murder more than three decades after she was supposedly found dead by him.

Melinda Freeman was just 26 when her body was found in her home on Yea Road, Whittlesea, about 40km north-east of Melbourne on Friday, October 4, 1991.

Her body was found in the upstairs hallway of the home she shared with her husband, Craig Freeman, and infant son.
She had been brutally assaulted in a crime that went on to baffle detectives for decades.

On Wednesday, Victoria Police arrested gardener Freeman, 63, in his Greensborough home and later charged him with his wife's murder.

Identity of alleged killer of young mum 'murdered at home' is REVEALED

 

[sunspun]

Was he a suspect back when it happened?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Husband charged with murder in 34-year-old cold case mystery

Melinda Freeman was bashed to death inside her Whittlesea home in 1991 while her husband said he was out playing cards.

www.theage.com.au

The Age

Husband charged with murder in 34-year-old cold case mystery​

 

[wallyworld]

Was he a suspect back when it happened?

Apparently so.....

Craig Freeman, Melinda’s husband, has remained a person of interest, though no charges have been filed. A 1997 coroner’s inquest revealed that Craig had been having an affair with a close friend of Melinda’s at the time of her death. Despite family suspicions, Coroner Jacinta Heffey delivered an open finding, stating there was insufficient evidence to support claims that Craig was responsible, dismissing them as “impressions, conjecture, and speculation.”

Melinda Freeman

Twenty-seven-year-old Melinda Freeman was a devoted mother to her nine-month-old son, Brent, and came from a close-knit family. Described as a doting parent with aspirations to build a career in th…

crimeimmemorial.com

 

[dotr]

Wondering if the victim's ''close friend'' who was having an affair with her husband, was named and/or implicated in the murder? speculation.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Ftruecrimeaustralia%2Fpolice-courts-victoria%2Fman-charged-with-murder-over-1991-death-of-melinda-freeman%2Fnews-story%2F0af64baee5e687afcda6c78156d5d785&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=LOW-Segment-1-SCORE

Nov 5, 2025 #BREAKINGNEWS #7NEWS
There's been a bombshell breakthrough in a cold case mystery that's haunted a Melbourne family for more than three decades. Young mother Melinda Freeman was found dead inside her Whittlesea home in 1991, today, her husband faced court charged with murder.

 

[sunspun]

Apparently so.....

Craig Freeman, Melinda’s husband, has remained a person of interest, though no charges have been filed. A 1997 coroner’s inquest revealed that Craig had been having an affair with a close friend of Melinda’s at the time of her death. Despite family suspicions, Coroner Jacinta Heffey delivered an open finding, stating there was insufficient evidence to support claims that Craig was responsible, dismissing them as “impressions, conjecture, and speculation.”

Melinda Freeman

Twenty-seven-year-old Melinda Freeman was a devoted mother to her nine-month-old son, Brent, and came from a close-knit family. Described as a doting parent with aspirations to build a career in th…

crimeimmemorial.com

Wonder what made them arrest him all these years later... did anyone collect the reward?

 

[dotr]

Wonder what made them arrest him all these years later... did anyone collect the reward?

rbbm Maybe the anonymous tip helped to narrow it down?

Husband faces court 34 years after murder of Victorian mum Melinda Freeman

www.9news.com.au

''In 2018, police received an anonymous tip-off about Mrs Freeman's death.
A $1 million reward was offered by police in 2022 for information leading to the arrest and subsequent conviction of anyone responsible for her death.''