Police 'very close' to solving murder of 77-year-old Melbourne woman as they investigate 'dispute'

Posted September 11, 2019 18:31:12

Vicki Ramadan's sons remember her as 'independent and strong' woman. Video: Vicki Ramadan's sons remember her as 'independent and strong' woman. (ABC News)

Police have said they are closing in on a suspect for the brutal unsolved murder of 77-year-old woman Vicki Ramadan in her Melbourne home, but that they need the public's help to find "that last piece".

Key points:

  • Vicki Ramadan's sons said their mother "did not deserve to die" like she did
  • Investigators said she reported a dispute to police just before she died
  • Police said they were "confident" they were "very close" to solving her murder

Ms Ramadan was found dead in her Sydenham home by a neighbour on April 6.

On Wednesday, her sons fronted the media to ask the public to help them solve the murder of an "independent" and "strong" woman.

"All we can do is just sit here and wonder when the person or the persons are going to be caught," her son Dennis Ramadan said.

"Everybody wants closure.

"Nobody should die in the way my mother did. It was pretty horrendous. An elderly person that lived on her own. She did not deserve to die in that manner.

"She was very independent and very strong. She wouldn't take any — sorry for swearing — shit from anyone."

Police did not say how Ms Ramadan died or whether they had found a potential murder weapon, due to potentially contaminating witnesses.

"I know how she died but I can't say how," Detective Inspector Tim Day said.

However, the Inspector Day did reveal that Ms Ramadan went to her local police station in Keilor Downs on March 23 to report a dispute that she had with somebody.

He would not reveal what the dispute was about or who it was allegedly with.

However, he said Ms Ramadan's visit to the police station was now thought to be the last sighting of her alive.

"My understanding is that she was last seen at Keilor Downs police station," he said.

"So as a result police have a suspect in relation to it. Police believe they know what the dispute was about."

He said it is still unclear exactly when she was murdered but that it is possible she died on the very same day she made that police report.

Police confident they are 'very close' to answers

Police are now appealing to the public for any information from people who talked to Ms Ramadan about the dispute.

"Vicki was a well known member of her community and she had a close relationship with traders and neighbours in her area," Detective Inspector Day said.

"She would generate conversation wherever she went and would often stop and talk and have a coffee especially in the Watergardens area.

"We're hopeful that Vicki has discussed this dispute that she had just prior to her dispute with someone during one of those conversations."

He said police were "confident" that they were "very close" to providing Ms Ramadan's family with "some answers".

"We're just looking for that last piece."

Witnesses can remain anonymous.

Ms Ramadan's other son Edji Zenel urged those who killed his mother to turn themselves in.

"Come forward. Come forward. We want justice done," he said.

"We don't want members of the public being faced with somebody like that who could commit such a horrendous act.

"We're pleading to the public no matter how small you think this information could be, please provide it to the police. It might be the jigsaw puzzle that solves this crime.

"It's been tough. It's hard to come to terms with. We want answers and we don't want anybody going through the same type of pain we've gone through it.

"We always hear it. We always watch the news. It's always somebody else. But this time it's us."


Topics: law-crime-and-justice, police, community-and-society, crime, murder-and-manslaughter, sydenham-3037, vic, melbourne-3000