Deceased/Not Found AUSTRALIA - Ms Lesley Trotter, 78, Homicide, Brisbane, 28 Mar 2023

[TootsieFootsie]

'Tough going': gruelling search for Qld woman's body

The hunt for the body of retired teacher Lesley Trotter could take months, Queensland's police warn, as they prepare to sift through tonnes of landfill.

www.perthnow.com.au

Investigators had "strong evidence" Ms Trotter died the night she disappeared, police said.

Her body was hidden a wheelie bin, which was collected the next day then taken to a Nudgee transfer station and dumped in a pit, along with rubbish from another 22 trucks.

"They've done an extraordinarily good job of isolating the areas that have to have to be searched and now the tough job starts of searching those areas thoroughly."

It will be an agonising wait for her devastated family who have begged for privacy.

"While the family continue to support each other at this difficult time, they ask to be allowed the space to grieve in private," the family said in a police statement.

 

[SLouTh]

This seems now to be so much more than just a recycling altercation or argument gone wrong….. (although that may still be the underlying causative factor) and much more sinister… imo

This is what stands out to me ….

Investigators had "strong evidence" Ms Trotter died the night she disappeared, police said.

And..

Her body was hidden a wheelie bin, which was collected the next day then taken to a Nudgee transfer station and dumped in a pit, along with rubbish from another 22 trucks.

'Tough going': gruelling search for Qld woman's body

The hunt for the body of retired teacher Lesley Trotter could take months, Queensland's police warn, as they prepare to sift through tonnes of landfill.

www.perthnow.com.au

So to me, this implies LT was deceased before the morning’s bin rituals may have even commenced….

And hidden to me means that the perp tried to hide her body rather than just throwing it in a bin after the altercation in anger or whatever … much more sinister than an impulsive action IMO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

In an earlier report I'm almost sure that it said that blood was found in her unit

 

[CharlesDawkins]

Was the bin lid still open when it was collected? If not, Lesley likely would not have fallen in.

Lesley was 5'3"/162cm tall.

A standard 240L green waste bin is 3'5"/106cm tall.

If a bin was out by the road ready for collection, it likely had at least some rubbish in it, making the capacity even smaller/shorter.

I asked my wife who is the same age, weight and height as Lesley to try falling into one of our standard bins. No way! to fit her in the body would have to be dismembered. the missus would have stood up in the bin at least 2 foot out of the top. then there is the weight also. even a small person is not an easy lift, and then the perpetrator would have to jump up and down on top of her to make sure she fitted in (that would be a sight to behold to anyone watching!)( much like I climb into my green waste bins occasionally ( and you need a step ladder as well to do it, so that is an additional item)( and a couple of times I have nearly broken a leg climbing said step ladder and hopping into the top of the full bin, just trying to fit yet more green waste into any already full bin- and never really succeeding). PS this was not spousal abuse- the missus just stood next to the bin and I measured her height above the bin, then she leaned over and tested the centre of gravity - and no way was it so aligned that she could tip accidentally into the bin. So Lesley could not have been in one piece to have been placed inside an average refuse bin. Which means dismemberment- and most of the FBI files from america talk of chain saws and electric saws to effect this- yet another piece of equipment to be added to the step ladder needed to get the lid down and conceal the contents. The reality of fitting a body into the bin.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

This one doesn't seem to be behind a paywall

'Tough going': gruelling search for Qld woman's body

The hunt for the body of retired teacher Lesley Trotter could take months, Queensland's police warn, as they prepare to sift through tonnes of landfill.

thenewdaily.com.au

Page says it's Live.

Same as one that was behind a paywall I think.

Anyway I hope everyone can read it

 

[CharlesDawkins]

I'm not sure I totally believe they don't have a suspect.
Maybe they're putting that out there to keep someone off guard.

Maybe they have spoken to someone of interest.

they've interviewed residents. most unit holders know who the troublemakers are. my brother in law chairs the body corporate management committee for a large 22 level unit block on the Gold Coast. The committee are forever receiving complaints about other unit holders breaking the rules (the commonest being keeping yap dogs in a unit when their body corporate rules stipulate NO DOGS. There is little the committee can do apart from file the complaint away. So you may rest assured that the police will have a name- they just don't have the evidence to haul him in (and I say him as your average female would not be capable if lifting a body into a bin

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I'm very sure I could fit in my bin, especially if I was sitting down or crouching.
There have been plenty of whole bodies found in wheelie bins.

No need for dismembering unless your bin is one of the teeny kind that units often have.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

they just don't have the evidence to haul him in (and I say him as your average female would not be capable if lifting a body into a bin

There are easier ways to put things in bins without any lifting at all.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I'm not ruling out that the perp could be a woman.

 

[SLouTh]

In an earlier report I'm almost sure that it said that blood was found in her unit

This maybe what you have remembered Tootsie.??

Massingham earlier said forensic samples — reportedly including blood — were taken from Trotter’s unit complex and a neighbouring unit complex.

Tragic update in search for Queensland woman after grim wheelie bin revelation

Family raised the alarm after the 78-year-old went missing from her Brisbane home.

7news.com.au

 

[Marg944]

This seems now to be so much more than just a recycling altercation or argument gone wrong….. (although that may still be the underlying causative factor) and much more sinister… imo

This is what stands out to me ….

Investigators had "strong evidence" Ms Trotter died the night she disappeared, police said.

And..

Her body was hidden a wheelie bin, which was collected the next day then taken to a Nudgee transfer station and dumped in a pit, along with rubbish from another 22 trucks.

'Tough going': gruelling search for Qld woman's body

The hunt for the body of retired teacher Lesley Trotter could take months, Queensland's police warn, as they prepare to sift through tonnes of landfill.

www.perthnow.com.au

So to me, this implies LT was deceased before the morning’s bin rituals may have even commenced….

And hidden to me means that the perp tried to hide her body rather than just throwing it in a bin after the altercation in anger or whatever … much more sinister than an impulsive action IMO

Another comment in the media is "placed in a general waste wheelie bin"

"investigations had so far determined Trotter’s body was placed in a general waste wheelie bin"

‘It’s incredibly important we find her’: Police hold hope for more clues on Lesley Trotter’s body

 

[CharlesDawkins]

Yes agree… and are there ever just “coincidences“ when you look at foul play???

However, the financial side is going to be pretty messy for a while now I would think??
The sale may fall through due to her possible murder, and depending on if she has already settled her new unit, or not ??
It will take a while for her executor to sort it all out I would think??? And possibly now that there is a Police Investigation everything will be frozen until her case is resolved??

So if it was done for financial gain they are going to have a long wait while it is all sorted out ….


All MOO

L will probably have to take out Letters of Administration or if he was named in any Will (probate)- so there is going to be a big delay

 

[SLouTh]

Another comment in the media is "placed in a general waste wheelie bin"

"investigations had so far determined Trotter’s body was placed in a general waste wheelie bin"

‘It’s incredibly important we find her’: Police hold hope for more clues on Lesley Trotter’s body

Yes Massingham did use that word last week to describe that they knew that dear LT was in a bin on the 28th…

It is JMO, however I think the “hidden“ could be new information released today … possibly even letting the perpetrator know, that Police know, that despite having tried to conceal her body … the perpetrator has failed in that respect …

IMO

 

[CharlesDawkins]

This seems now to be so much more than just a recycling altercation or argument gone wrong….. (although that may still be the underlying causative factor) and much more sinister… imo

This is what stands out to me ….

Investigators had "strong evidence" Ms Trotter died the night she disappeared, police said.

And..

Her body was hidden a wheelie bin, which was collected the next day then taken to a Nudgee transfer station and dumped in a pit, along with rubbish from another 22 trucks.

'Tough going': gruelling search for Qld woman's body

The hunt for the body of retired teacher Lesley Trotter could take months, Queensland's police warn, as they prepare to sift through tonnes of landfill.

www.perthnow.com.au

So to me, this implies LT was deceased before the morning’s bin rituals may have even commenced….

And hidden to me means that the perp tried to hide her body rather than just throwing it in a bin after the altercation in anger or whatever … much more sinister than an impulsive action IMO

as I rolled over in my sleep last night, I thought- I know exactly where I am between 12am and 5am- namely sound asleep (well maybe just attempting to sleep seeing us oldies suffer from insomnia- a common complaint in us over 75s!!!). And if I do wake on bin day when the sparrows are up (PS there are no sparrows let in Brisbane just a very noisy flock of corellas etc), I might just take out the last bag from the house bin to the wheelie I put out the night before. So when the police first stated that was killed between 12am and 5am I sort of raised my eyebrows a little bit. and we never ever leave our doors unlocked in our area- far too many instances of intruders (even my Asian neighbour once had several intruders at 2am in the morning going through her valuables in the very bedroom she was sleeping in- and she raised a huge scream that the whole neighbourhood heard and woke up to. Another point! No mention of any noise as a person was being killed. We had a murder in our street 10 years ago and the mother let out a scream that carried for miles and we all rushed out with weapons in hand. Was this a super silent murder! no-one goes down without a fight! the usually scream the house down!

 

[SouthAussie]

Is there a way to post the Courier Mail article? I am a subscriber and sharing the link doesn’t normally work for non subscribers.

As Tootsie said, the TOS say that we can paraphrase the salient content in our own words, and post the link.
We can't copy and paste from subscriber only articles.

Some people will be able to read the article, if you post the link.

 

[SLouTh]

This maybe what you have remembered Tootsie.??

Massingham earlier said forensic samples — reportedly including blood — were taken from Trotter’s unit complex and a neighbouring unit complex.

Tragic update in search for Queensland woman after grim wheelie bin revelation

Family raised the alarm after the 78-year-old went missing from her Brisbane home.

7news.com.au

And there was this report of blood being found ….

and blood was later found at a nearby unit block’s bin area.

‘It’s incredibly important we find her’: Police hold hope for more clues on Lesley Trotter’s body

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has given an update on the missing retired teacher’s investigation, saying the search would be tough going.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

 

[SouthAussie]

I'm very sure I could fit in my bin, especially if I was sitting down or crouching.
There have been plenty of whole bodies found in wheelie bins.

No need for dismembering unless your bin is one of the teeny kind that units often have.

Sarah Cafferkey comes to mind.
Put in a wheelie bin, and covered with concrete.

 

[SLouTh]

when the police first stated that was killed between 12am and 5am I sort of raised my eyebrows a little bit.

Yes I was surprised by that as well … and to be totally honest I thought the narrowed down time of 5-7am was more likely ….

However, I was thinking that an altercation occurred during the recycling activity, at the location of the rubbish bins … either in the lane or on Maryvale Street itself….

Now, todays news has made me think it may have been more of a premeditated event rather than impulsive ….

All MOO

PS Welcome to the thread.

 

[kiwi50]

How interesting it would be to talk to every resident in the complex, and ask each one whom they suspect.
I’m curious as to how they ’know’ she was in a bin, did a resident see someone struggling with something heavy, or did the rubbish truck camera see a body if they were able to replay tapes.

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes I was surprised by that as well … and to be totally honest I thought the narrowed down time of 5-7am was more likely ….

However, I was thinking that an altercation occurred during the recycling activity, at the location of the rubbish bins … either in the lane or on Maryvale Street itself….

Now, todays news has made me think it may have been more of a premeditated event rather than impulsive ….

All MOO

PS Welcome to the thread.

The thing I find interesting is that the police want any video/info from midnight till midday. 12am - 12pm.
Especially from 5am to 7am.

I think there must be some kind of proof of life up until midnight.

And I was wondering about the "till 12pm". Perhaps they think a perp might have been checking periodically to make sure the bin was emptied, that no-one had discovered Lesley after she was placed in the bin, that police were not there, that the perp hadn't left anything behind ... or something like that.

I read (or heard video) in a link that Lesley's family stopped by at around 1pm, door unlocked, looked like Lesley had just stepped out for a minute. So, I don't think the 12pm is related to their visit (as a cut off time).