Dumped in bag at Kangaroo Point cliffs – but Constance Watcho’s death remains a mystery
Family of an Aboriginal mother whose remains were found in a bag are devastated after a coroner was unable to determine the cause of Constance Watcho’s death.
The 36-year-old was last seen in South Brisbane in November 2017.
About 10 months later her remains were found at the bottom of a cliff at Kangaroo Point.
Handing down her findings in the Brisbane Coroners Court on Thursday, Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher said the place and cause of Ms Watcho’s death remained unknown.
The precise circumstances of the death of the mother-of-10 were unknown but suspicious, Ms Gallagher found.
Her finding was based on Ms Watcho’s remains being partially disarticulated, the manner of their disposal and the length of time between when she was last seen and her remains found.
She made the finding alongside the possibility Ms Watcho died from some other unknown cause.
Ms Gallagher said three people of interest were identified through the exhaustive police investigation and the inquest.
“However, given the lack of compelling evidence and the weight of the evidence available to me, I am unable to identify any person as a person who was involved in the death of Constance May Watcho.
“Based on the state of decomposition at the time her remains were found, what caused Constance’s death may never be known and caution must be exercised in drawing inferences from the circumstances and largely unreliable evidence available.”
Ms Gallagher recommended the police commissioner ensured the investigation into Ms Watcho’s death remained open to allow for timely investigation, review and monitoring of any new information that may come to light.
Mervyn Riley said the family were devastated the case had not been solved.
“We aren’t going to stop fighting this,” he said outside court.
“We are going to keep going – not for us, for her children because her children need closure. We didn’t get that today.”
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