Forensic investigators have returned to the Melbourne home where a mother’s decomposed body was found in a bath tub eight months after her murder.
Mother-of-four Sarah Gatt, 40, was found dead in the bathtub of her Lambeth Street, Kensington home on January 3, when police noticed a foul stench coming from the house.
The homicide squad was seen packaging new evidence when they returned to the home on Wednesday.
Forensic investigators have returned to the Melbourne home where Sarah Gatt’s decomposed body was found in a bath tub eight months after her murder
Forensic investigators (pictured) returned to the Melbourne home on Wednesday where a mother’s decomposed body was found in a bath tub eight months after her murder
Investigators previously discovered a wheelie bin at the home, which they believe might have been used for the future disposal of Ms Gatt’s body.
Police are also probing whether domestic violence played a role in the Melbourne mother’s suspected murder.
Three men and two women were questioned by the police after Ms Gatt’s body was discovered but no charges were laid.
All five people remain persons of interest, the police said on Wednesday.
Sarah Gatt (pictured), 40, was left rotting inside the bathtub of her Melbourne home for more than eight months after she was bashed and murdered, police say
Ms Gatt’s body is believed to have been in the bath tub (pictured) since April last year
The homicide squad was seen packaging new evidence when they returned to the home on Wednesday
Police believe Ms Gatt was killed in a violent assault in April last year, and her body was deliberately concealed in the apartment ever since.
Homicide Quad Detective Inspector Tim Day said ‘conscious steps’ were taken in the months after her death to make it look like she was still alive.
Ms Gatt’s next-door neighbour Phil Nelson said he saw a man visit Ms Gatt’s home and collect her mail in the months following her alleged murder.
Police believe Ms Gatt (pictured in her youth) was killed in a violent assault in April last year, and her body was deliberately concealed in the apartment ever since
Police stumbled upon her corpse (pictured) in January after they noticed a foul stench coming from her home in Kensington, in Melbourne’s north-east, while working an unrelated job
Forensic testing on the badly decomposed body found Ms Gatt likely died between April 20 and 24 following a violent attack within her home (pictured)
Mr Nelson said the last time he saw Ms Gatt was in December 2016.
He said he saw a man collecting the mail and visiting her home from about June last year.
‘They said she died in April. The week before the Christmas just passed – that’s eight months after her being murdered – he and another person were going in and out of that house three times in that week.
‘He told me Sarah had been put away – she’d gone to jail before – and that she was put in for psych reasons and wasn’t expected to come out too soon.’
Detective Inspector Day said a number of ‘stories’ about Ms Gatt’s death were being circulated.
Someone is believed to have been living at the home sporadically while Ms Gatt’s body decomposed in the bath tub, police said.
Ms Gatt’s family said they hadn’t seen her in almost 18 months before her unrecognisable body was found.
‘I lost my daughter in that way and I still think I should have went to see her, but when she doesn’t want to see you, she won’t,’ Mr Gatt said.
Police wouldn’t draw on speculation that someone pretended to be Ms Gatt (pictured right, recent image) after her death, but said a number of ‘stories’ about her were being circulated
Her father Victor Gatt (pictured with stepmother Cheryl Gatt) said she was a good student and aspiring model before she turned to a life of drugs when she was about 17-years-old
Homicide Squad boss Detective Inspector Tim Day (pictured), said the cover up of Ms Gatt’s death is ‘disturbing and concerning’
Detective Inspector Day said the cover up of Ms Gatt’s death was ‘disturbing and concerning’.
He added: ‘There are people out there who know what happened to Sarah and we are urging them to come forward and speak to police.’
Police said Ms Gatt’s four children were not living with her at her home.
Police confirmed on Wednesday Ms Gatt was not reported missing before the discovery of her body.