A male suspect has been formally accused of committing a homicide seven months following the discovery of a deceased mother’s body in the Brisbane River.
The victim, Crystal Beale, a resident of Brisbane, Australia, was found lifeless by a passerby in the Brisbane River in Yeronga, a suburb of the city, at 5:40 am on February 22.
On the night of her demise, Crystal had dinner with her ex-partner and son in southern Brisbane. They were together until approximately 9:30 pm, at which point Crystal exited a vehicle in Brisbane’s West End.
Security footage captured Crystal, aged 49, wearing beige sandals and a white dress at a restaurant. This footage is believed to be the last sighting of Crystal on the evening she was discovered deceased.
Following an extensive investigation, authorities from Dutton Park Criminal Investigations Branch and the Homicide Investigation Unit have pressed charges against a man for the alleged murder of the 49-year-old victim.
A police statement revealed that the operation, named Xray Saba, aimed to reconstruct the events of the fateful night and Crystal’s life leading up to the alleged crime.
Allegedly, on the evening of February 21, Crystal left a family gathering at a restaurant in Sunnybank and traveled with a 49-year-old man from West End, known to her, to West End. Her final known location was when she exited the vehicle at 9:30 pm on Ryan Street, West End.
The investigation involved meticulous scrutiny of over a thousand hours of CCTV footage and numerous appeals for information to seek justice for Crystal.
Authorities claim that the man from West End murdered Crystal and disposed of her body in the Brisbane River. After thorough investigations, a search warrant was executed at an address on Equestrian Drive in Maudsland, resulting in the arrest of a 49-year-old male who has been charged with murder and misconduct with a corpse. He is set to appear before the Brisbane Magistrates Court.
Detective Inspector Wayne Francis emphasized the devastating impact such crimes have on families, friends, and the wider community. He stressed the relentless efforts made by investigators over the past seven months to provide closure and justice for Crystal.