Discovery of woman’s body is second death linked to man charged with 31-year-old woman’s murder

Police believe the discovery of a woman’s body at a Melbourne apartment is linked to a woman’s death at a separate unit, with a man facing murder charges.

Police are investigating a potential double murder after the body of a second woman was found in Melbourne’s CBD.

Officers were called to a La Trobe Street apartment on the evening of December 27 after a 31-year-old Chinese woman was found dead.

A 22-year-old man from Huntingdale in Melbourne’s southeast was subsequently charged with murder, robbery and theft after a public appeal and an extensive police search.

Police revealed on Saturday they went to another CBD apartment on Friday as part of their investigation into the Chinese woman’s death.

They found the body of a 51-year-old Docklands woman in an apartment on Waterside Place.

Detectives were yet to determine the exact circumstances of the death, but were treating it as suspicious and believed it was linked to the death of the first woman, police said.

Officers believe both women knew the Huntingdale man, and detectives weren’t looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths.

Police urged anyone who witnessed suspicious activity around the Docklands apartment or who had CCTV between December 27 and 29 to come forward.

‘I understand there is a lot of concern and anxiety from the community, particularly those who reside in the CBD and surrounding suburbs, following the death of both these women this week,’ crime command Detective Acting Superintendent Dean Thomas said.

‘At this stage there is nothing to indicate we are looking for any further victims, and we have a man in custody who was known to both women.

‘He has been charged in relation to the death of the 31-year-old woman who was located at the Latrobe Street apartment and our enquiries are ongoing in terms of what connection he has to the second death.’

Police were ensuring the women’s families had access to support services, and officers thoughts were with them at what was a devastating time, Det. Thomas said.

The Huntingdale man was on Friday remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court in May.