Tas: Man charged over deaths of elderly relatives

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2006
Tas: Man charged over deaths of elderly relatives

HOBART, Aug 31 AAP - A man has been charged with the bashing murder of two elderly
relatives in a Launceston house.

The bodies of a couple, an 88-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman, were found in their
house in Abbott Street, Newstead, a suburb of Launceston, about 9pm (AEST) yesterday.

A 43-year-old Newstead man has been charged with two counts of murder and will appear
in the Launceston Court of Petty Sessions at 11.30am (AEST) today.

The man and woman had been bashed with a weapon and were dead when police arrived,
Launceston CIB Detective Acting Inspector John Parker said.

Police would not confirm the relationship between the couple and the charged man, or
the weapon used, but ABC Radio reports the couple was bashed with an axe.

Detectives are forensic officers are at the scene.

AAP jrd/goc/srp

KEYWORD: DEAD 2ND LEAD

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