A pregnant woman found dead next to her partner who was allegedly decapitated before his severed head was spiked on a stick has been has been identified.
Athena Georgopoulos, 39, was allegedly killed alongside her 50-year-old partner Andrew at their Mount Waverley home in Melbourne‘s south-east just before 10pm on Monday night.
Sinister graffiti was also found scrawled outside the Mount Waverley unit where the couple were allegedly murdered.
Heavily armed police swarmed the Adrienne Crescent property at 9.55pm on Monday after a neighbour heard yells and called triple-0.
Police allegedly discovered the man’s mutilated body beside the dead a woman inside the unit in Melbourne’s southeast but pair have yet to be formally identified.
A 34-year-old homeless man with two large dogs was arrested shortly afterwards at nearby Westall train station about 1.40am on Tuesday, but has not been charged.
The station is just 6km from the small cream-coloured unit.
Detectives are now probing if the graffiti outside – which includes ‘U R Gay’, ‘Enough is Enough’, ‘Betrayal’ and ‘Karma’ – is linked to the horrific scene found inside.
A man was allegedly decapitated and his head placed on a stick alongside the body of a dead woman at a home (pictured) in Melbourne ‘s south-east on Monday
Sinister graffiti was also found scrawled outside the Mount Waverley unit where the couple were allegedly murdered, as homicide detectives scour the scene
Police are probing whether the graffiti is connected to the alleged murders, with multiple crime scene investigation officers on the scene
The apparently threatening messages were daubed on the walls in luminous yellow-green and black spray paint, as well as on the property’s fence.
Police are probing whether the graffiti is connected to the alleged murders, with multiple crime scene investigation officers on the scene.
Detectives have now revealed the man in custody is being quizzed over the deaths and was known to the dead pair, one of whom lived at the small unit.
Ms Georgopolous, who was five months pregnant when she died, and Andrew had been in a relationship.
Their next of kin have been informed and post mortems will be held on Wednesday for the dead pair. They are still trying to establish a link with the man in custody.
Detectives said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident at this stage, but said a weapon, although not a firearm, was used in the alleged murder.
The street has been cordoned off by police as homicide detectives continue their investigation.
The motive for the alleged killings are unknown but it has been reported drugs may be a reason.
Heavily armed police swarmed the Adrienne Crescent property at 9.55pm on Monday after a neighbour heard yells and called triple-0
Police allegedly discovered the mutilated body of the man and a woman inside the unit in Melbourne’s southeast but pair have yet to be formally identified
Detective Inspector Dean Thomas from the Homicide Squad said police received several calls regarding the incident at the address prior to the grim discovery.
‘Police were called at about 9.20pm in relation to a welfare check at the address based on some yelling that was heard from the property,’ he said.
‘A second call was then made that suggested it was perhaps more urgent than the first call and police arrived minutes later, and obviously they found the male and female inside the premises deceased.’
Det Insp Thomas said heavily armed specialist officers, assisted by the police helicopter, tracked the arrested man to the station, where he was taken into custody.
‘The person that we took into custody was in the company of two large dogs, I think that would look fairly obvious to people who may have been in the area,’ he added.
Det Insp Thomas added forensic crews and investigators would be at the scene most of the day, and counselling was being offered to those living in neighbouring units.
One neighbour said he did not know the people at the house and had never heard of any trouble or police attending the unit prior to last night.
‘It’s a quiet area,’ the man said.
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed investigators were probing the graffiti.
‘Police are aware of graffiti on the property in Mount Waverley where the bodies of two people were located last night,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Homicide Squad detectives will work to determine if the graffiti is relevant to the murder investigation.’
