Woman's Body Found on Mt Roland

[Overlandman]

From ABC News
Woman's body found near summit of Tasmania's Mount Roland; man in custody
A man is in police custody after the suspicious death of a woman at Mount Roland in Tasmania's north-west.

Police found the body of a 44-year-old South Australian woman about 200 metres from the summit at 2:00pm, several hours after she was reported missing.

They said her death was suspicious and a man, also from South Australia, had been taken into custody.

The man has not been charged.

Police are refusing to comment on the nature of the relationship between the two people or the cause of death but are asking anyone who saw suspicious activity in the Mount Roland area to come forward.

[Overlandman]

Update from ABC.
Pretty Sad, may she rest in peace.
Noticed on the News tonight, police had closed the track while the investigation was in process.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-13/h ... ection=tas

Police have charged a South Australian man with murdering his wife while on holiday in Tasmania's north-west.

Police said the 63-year-old man and his 44-year-old wife walked up Mount Roland on Wednesday and her body was found 200 metres from the summit on Thursday.

They said the victim had trauma injuries but it was unclear how they were inflicted.

Inspector Kim Steven said an air search for the woman was launched when South Australian police flagged concerns for her welfare.

"There's some contact between family members that created concern for her welfare that led us to this area," he said.

"I believe there were some social media interaction that raised those concerns."

A police helicopter has spent the day ferrying officers to the summit to gather more forensic evidence.

The man was arrested at the East Devonport caravan park and treated in hospital before being taken into custody.

He will appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court tonight.

Mount Roland is about 1,200 metres high and the walk is a three-to five-hour return trek.

[Tortoise]

I'm not advocating all sorts of suppositions, assumptions etc etc. I'm just surprised nobody has said anything about this.

Is it too close to home? Are we keeping it as low key as possible for those visiting Tas? It's very surreal for me, hard to take in that it actually happened. I now look at Roland - something I do most days - with quite a mix of feelings.

[Scottyk]

Always best to tread carefuly when police are still investigating I think.
Will be interesting to hear what happened as events come to light. Very sad

[Davo1]

I'm not advocating all sorts of suppositions, assumptions etc etc. I'm just surprised nobody has said anything about this.

Is it too close to home? Are we keeping it as low key as possible for those visiting Tas? It's very surreal for me, hard to take in that it actually happened. I now look at Roland - something I do most days - with quite a mix of feelings.

Yes Tortoise it sheds a different light on the rock.
I guess given time those feelings will pass but as someone else said it is a sad day.

Davo1

[Nuts]

Not a lot to say I guess? Tragedy in a bush setting.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern- ... 7219435315

[Overlandman]

Court Update

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... 7303597313

A SOUTH Australian health executive accused of killing his wife while on holiday in Tasmania has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Kerry Michael’s body was discovered on a walking track at Mt Roland, near Sheffield, in the state’s North-West, on February 12 this year.

Robin Michael, 63, today appeared in the Devonport Magistrates Court via video link from Risdon Prison, where he has been held in custody since his arrest on February 13.

He pleaded not guilty to one count of murder.

The case will now move to the Supreme Court in Burnie for a directions hearing on June 9 before it goes to trial.

The couple had been exploring Tasmania for about six weeks when Mrs Michael, 44, died.

She had suffered trauma to the head.

[Overlandman]

I guess we wont hear to much more about what happened

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-29/i ... as/6581092

Alleged wife killer, Robin Michael, found dead in Tasmania's Risdon Prison

A South Australian man on remand for murder has been found dead in Tasmania's Risdon Prison.

Robin Michael, 63, of Belair in SA, was on remand charged with murdering his wife Kerry Michael on Mount Roland in Tasmania's north-west in February.

Police released a statement saying initial inquiries indicated there were no suspicious circumstances.

A statement from Corrections Minister Vanessa Goodwin said prison authorities were holding an internal review and family members had been notified.

Last week, a man died in a prison van while being transferred form Launceston to Hobart.

Dr Goodwin said she was "deeply concerned" another death had occurred.

"Consequently, I have requested urgent advice from the Tasmania Prison Service on what immediate actions are being taken in response to this latest incident," the statement said.

"I will also be carefully considering any recommendations from both the internal Tasmania Prison Service review and any recommendations from the coronial investigations into these incidents to make sure we are doing all we can to prevent deaths in custody."

Reports are being prepared for the coroner on both incidents.

An inquest into five suicide deaths at the prison in the 1990s prompted a $90 million redevelopment and an overhaul of prisoner welfare.

Helicopters used to collect evidence

In the case against Michael, police alleged he and his wife walked up Mount Roland in early February.

Ms Michael's body was found on a track 200 metres from the summit the following day.

Police said she had traumatic injuries but it was unclear how they were inflicted.

Mount Roland is about 1,200m high and the walk is a three-to-five-hour return trek.

A police helicopter ferried officers to the summit to gather more forensic evidence.

Michael was arrested at the East Devonport caravan park and treated in hospital before being taken into custody.

Michael appeared in court via videolink from Risdon Prison four times since the night of his arrest, including in April when he pleaded not guilty to murder in the Magistrates Court in Devonport.

His first appearance in the Supreme Court in Burnie was on June 9 and he was due to reappear on July 20.

Michael was a former health administrator who worked in Darwin and Adelaide.

No date had been set for his trial.