How common recycling habit that millions of Australians do may have led to retired teacher’s possible murder as cops find blood near her complex’s bins: ‘People were unhappy’
- Blood found near bins woman would often rummage through
- Going through bins to sort recycling ‘upset’ some residents
- Police confirm death, cannot rule out recycling habit as cause
The missing person case of a retired teacher has taken a turn after blood was found near bins that she would regularly rummage through to sort recyclables.
Queensland Police believe Leslie Trotter, 78, died sometime between midnight on March 27 and 12pm the following day after finding blood near her unit complex bins in the west Brisbane suburb of Toowong last Friday.
Ms Trotter would regularly sort through her building’s bins to find things she could recycle, a practice that left some of her neighbours ‘really unhappy’, police said.
Police said Ms Trotter leaving rubbish on the ground and in the driveway as she rummaged through the bins to find and sort recyclables had caused ‘some angst among some people’.
Detectives could not rule out if this habit was what lead to her death or reveal how they know she has died, but believe they are closing in on where her body may be.
Lesley Trotter, 78, is understood to be dead but Queensland Police could not confirm how they know she has died
Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham confirmed there ‘had been some complaints made with respect to’ her recycling habit.
‘It is well known that if residents put their bins out and there was recycling in the general waste bin then she would want to correct that,’ he said in a press conference.
‘There were some people that were unhappy about that process.
‘We have not ruled out that this activity is in some way linked to her death.
‘I think part of the concern was … the transferring of the recyclables into the recycling bins, in doing that activity, sometimes people’s trash would be left on the roadway or outside the general waste bin.’
Ms Trotter, who loved to hike and go to the gym, told family she was excited about starting a new chapter in her life by moving into a retirement village in the near future.
Det Supt Massingham confirmed blood had been found in the bin area but could not confirm whether or not it was relevant to the case.
‘There have been some forensic samples taken from the unit complex and also some other unit complexes in the street,’ Det Supt Massingham told the Courier-Mail.
‘We don’t know the relevance of it at this stage, whether it relates to her disappearance or not.’
Blood, unknown to be relevant to the case, was found nearby bins at Ms Trotter’s Toowong unit complex (pictured) would rummage through to sort recycling, a habit that ‘upset’ some
The samples are currently undergoing forensic investigation to determine if they are relevant to Mr Trotter’s disappearance.
Police currently have two crime scenes at the complex, one inside her unit and one just outside where the bins were stored.
He then called on anyone with dashcam footage or relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A missing person’s case was launched on March 28 after Ms Trotter’s brother arrived at her apartment to find it unlocked and her phone and wallet left behind.
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