Lankan-born woman's death - Sydney police look for clues

Sydney police is conducting further investigations into the death of Sri Lankan-born IT graduate Amesha Rajapakse, who was found dead in a Creek in Westmead, is said to be the “nicest laid back person ever without a worry in the world”.

Sahan Rajapakse, the brother of drowned woman Amesha Rajapakse, falls to his knees in despair as police give him the tragic news that his younger sister is dead.

Investigators and police officers at the apartment block in Westmead. Pix: Courtesy Daily Telegraph

Amesha’s father talks to police at the scene.

Sahan Rajapakse and his father (centre) with family members

The 31-year-old woman of Sri Lankan origin was found dead in a Western Sydney creek at Westmead on Tuesday night.

Distraught Sahan Rajapakse, the brother of Amesha Rajapakse, and his father talk to the media on arrival at the scene.

Police said her death was puzzling because of where her body was found but said there were no marks or obvious signs of injury on her body. “The location she was found was puzzling; it was hard to get to,” a homicide detective said. “But we really don’t know one way or the other,” he added.

Investigators have seized footage from CCTV cameras. The complex has put on extra security patrols with the hundreds of residents, especially women in fear after the grisly discovery.

Amesha’s death is being investigated by a newly-formed police strike force, Strike Force Mandaring, which is trying to piece together her last movements.

A woman appeared agitated and concerned as she left the foyer of a Sydney unit block just 12 hours before her body was found in a Sydney creek on Wednesday morning.

Homicide detectives and local police are trying to establish whether Amesha Rajapakse’s death is suspicious after the 31-year-old’s body was found in water behind a set of Westmead unit blocks.

Building manager Tom Hailey said security footage captured the woman pacing back and forth in the foyer of a building inside Monarco Estate about 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

“It looked like she was concerned about something; she appeared agitated. She kept going from back to the front of the foyer,” Hailey said. He added that residents told him they heard a “blood-curdling scream” about 6.30 a.m. on Wednesday just before police arrived at the Bridge Road unit block.

A man at the scene cried, “Please, please let me see her face”, a short time after Amesha’s body was found. Wearing muddied shoes, he fell to his knees as he hugged relatives in heavy rain.

Officers were seen searching the man’s pockets before he got into a police car and was driven from the estate along with another distressed man.

Hailey said relatives of Amesha had spent the previous night searching for her after she failed to return home to her seventh-floor unit. Up to 40 police, including divers and public order and riot squad officers, spent much of the day scouring the muddied creek and searching the grounds of the unit complex.

Police said they would not be able to determine what caused Amesha’s death until they received initial autopsy. They are appealing for anyone with further information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Amesha’s brother, Sahan Rajapakse said his sister had gone out to buy food around 7.30 p.m. but never returned. The pair lived at the Absolute Waterfront Apartments Monarco Westmead with their father. Amesha was last seen pacing the foyer of her unit block looking agitated and using a thin scarf to keep the secured door open as she came in and out.

She was reportedly found with a scarf around her neck in a swollen creek in a hard-to-get to area on the other side of a large wall. Shehan said he called Amesha on her mobile phone from work on Tuesday but their father answered.

“I ask where Amesha is, he (my father) said she still not come. He said he would tell my sister that I called. Then I did not get a call so I called in an hour,” he said.

“That day (Tuesday) I called on her mobile (which her father answered). She went to get milk and butter. I said that’s fine use the gift cards.” He said the last conversation he had with her was on Monday was “nothing special”.

“She’s my little sister the day before Monday I bought some takeaway food (for her),” he said. “She is the cleverest. She got a lot of achievements. Her whole world was her family and close relatives.”

Amesha had migrated to Australia in 2009 and was an IT graduate. She was unmarried. Police were awaiting a post-mortem report to determine if her death was suspicious.

The victim’s family members were interviewed at Parramatta police station in the hope of providing vital clues. They were too upset to comment as they left the station.

One staff member at the unit block said Amesha’s brother was a “complete mess”. He said police were knocking on almost every door of the 500-unit block, and half a dozen detectives and more than 20 uniformed officers remained at the scene at 6pm.

They will continue to canvass the area today. According to the building manager, Amesha had left the complex at 7.30pm on Tuesday. “All I can take from that is she didn’t have her access card,” a staff member said.

It is not known if it was the same scarf found around her neck. The 31-year-old woman had inquired only two weeks ago about access to the gym and swimming pool of the up-market block, which has two-bedroom units renting for more than Australian dollars 1,000 a week. “She was the nicest, most laid-back person ever,” the staff member said. “She didn’t seem to have a worry in the world.”

With police unable to confirm if the death was suspicious, the female residents of the unit block were terrified. “A lot of women are extremely concerned,” the staff member said.

After heavy rain the creek was running high and police working on the scene were up to their waists in water.