Popular.com

Melbourne, Australia, May 4, 1942.

The discovery was made by Harold Wilson, Victoria Court, Victoria Avenue, an employee of the Bleak House Hotel,

shortly before 7 a.m. at the corner of that thoroughfare and Beaconsfield Parade. Gibson was on his

way to the hotel to work, and passing the entry to two small lock-up shops which are part of the hotel

building, he saw what he believed to be someone asleep. He shook the body, but getting no response

struck a match and saw it was that of a woman, practically nude, lying with her head against

the door of one of the shops. Her clothing, which had apparently

been torn from her, was lying on either side and under her. Gibson roused the licensee of the hotel,

and the police were immediately informed. A local doctor who was called examined the deceased and expressed the

opinion that death had occurred three or four hours before the time the body was found by Gibson.

Soon after the report of the finding of the body was received at Russell Street, a team of detectives and a police

photographer went to the scene and began preliminary investigations. Later in the morning, the

identity of the deceased was determined to be that of Mrs. Ivy Violet McLeod, Victoria

Parade, East Melbourne.

Prior to that, she had acted as a hostess at a well-known city cafe.

Inquiries revealed that she had left her place of employment at East Melbourne,

where she resided at 5 p.m. on Saturday,

but her subsequent movements prior to the attack, which caused her death

at Albert Park, have not yet been ascertained. As over a pound in cash was found with other

property in her handbag lying near her body, the police promptly discarded any idea that robbery

had been the motive of the attack.

...