ROO-DUNNIT

Man Who Blamed Woman’s Death on Kangaroo Charged With Murder

Police found the woman sitting dead with “visible facial injuries” in a mangled jeep on the side of the road.

A 33-year-old has been charged with murdering his 27-year-old partner after claiming she died when their vehicle struck a kangaroo. Emergency services received a call around 5.50 a.m. Sunday in Australia’s Northern Territory from the man, who reported his partner had stopped breathing following a supposed wildlife collision on the highway. Responders found the woman deceased inside a Jeep Cherokee and bearing “visible facial injuries,” while the man appeared to have sustained “some injuries” himself. Investigators have since revealed that on-scene evidence, such as the fact that the Jeep appeared to have been stationary nearby since 1.30 a.m., prompted officers to suspect that, in fact, an assault had occurred earlier in the morning. “At this point in time, we haven’t been able to locate any evidence of that particular [kangaroo] strike occurring,” he said. Autopsy results are pending. The couple had reportedly departed Queensland around 1 April, traveling over four days toward the Northern Territory. Police charged the man on Thursday night. He is expected to appear in court on Friday.