Murder, rape charges laid over three-decade cold case
Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast late on the evening of March 29, 1994.
The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning.
She had been severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die, police have previously alleged.
Her belongings were stolen and the weapon used in her alleged murder was never found.
Ms Mizzi travelled to the area the previous day in a bid to earn some money to support her children, who were at home being cared for by a friend.
Witnesses saw her speaking to an unknown man on Brighton Rd before the pair walked towards Blanche St.
A short time later, local residents reported hearing a woman scream three or four times.
A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat on Thursday and has since been charged with murder and two counts of rape.
The arrest and charges highlight how detectives remain committed to holding violent offenders to account no matter how many years have passed, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said.
"It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers," he said.
"If there are people out there who have information about a crime such as this, no matter how many years have passed, I can assure you that it's never too late to come forward."
The man charged with Ms Mizzi's murder is expected to face Melbourne Magistrates Court for the first time later on Thursday.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Arrests made as women's rights rally draws opposition
Four people have been arrested as protests in Melbourne's CBD turned scrappy. Tensions began to flare mid-morning between police and masked protesters in black believed to be rallying in opposition to a nearby demonstration for "women's sex-based rights". Some members of the media were also caught in the fracas outside the state's parliament house and surrounds as cameras and other equipment were targeted by masked activists. Victorian Police said pepper spray was used and four arrests were made, including a man in his early 20s who hit an officer with an umbrella. Two protesters were charged with allegedly possessing flares and a fourth for failing to move on. Three officers were injured, Victoria Police said, though none needed to be taken to hospital. A group of about 80 gathered to counter-protest a scheduled Women Will Speak demonstration against Victoria's anti-vilification laws. Roughly 50 attended the Women Will Speak rally, cordoned off and guarded by police, where "restore women's sex-based rights" was among the slogans adorning banners. The two groups were separated with water-filled barriers and a heavy police presence, a decision made by police after "disruptive behaviour" in April when similar protests took place. Riot unit and mounted police were among the officers deployed on Saturday. At one point during the rally, photographer Luis Ascui tried to intervene to stop a colleague's camera equipment being damaged by a protester. "They have a right to protest, but they don't have the right to attack us when we're doing a job," he told AAP. A neo-Nazi group was also reportedly planning on crashing the rally but it was unclear if any individuals turned up. Four people have been arrested as protests in Melbourne's CBD turned scrappy. Tensions began to flare mid-morning between police and masked protesters in black believed to be rallying in opposition to a nearby demonstration for "women's sex-based rights". Some members of the media were also caught in the fracas outside the state's parliament house and surrounds as cameras and other equipment were targeted by masked activists. Victorian Police said pepper spray was used and four arrests were made, including a man in his early 20s who hit an officer with an umbrella. Two protesters were charged with allegedly possessing flares and a fourth for failing to move on. Three officers were injured, Victoria Police said, though none needed to be taken to hospital. A group of about 80 gathered to counter-protest a scheduled Women Will Speak demonstration against Victoria's anti-vilification laws. Roughly 50 attended the Women Will Speak rally, cordoned off and guarded by police, where "restore women's sex-based rights" was among the slogans adorning banners. The two groups were separated with water-filled barriers and a heavy police presence, a decision made by police after "disruptive behaviour" in April when similar protests took place. Riot unit and mounted police were among the officers deployed on Saturday. At one point during the rally, photographer Luis Ascui tried to intervene to stop a colleague's camera equipment being damaged by a protester. "They have a right to protest, but they don't have the right to attack us when we're doing a job," he told AAP. A neo-Nazi group was also reportedly planning on crashing the rally but it was unclear if any individuals turned up. Four people have been arrested as protests in Melbourne's CBD turned scrappy. Tensions began to flare mid-morning between police and masked protesters in black believed to be rallying in opposition to a nearby demonstration for "women's sex-based rights". Some members of the media were also caught in the fracas outside the state's parliament house and surrounds as cameras and other equipment were targeted by masked activists. Victorian Police said pepper spray was used and four arrests were made, including a man in his early 20s who hit an officer with an umbrella. Two protesters were charged with allegedly possessing flares and a fourth for failing to move on. Three officers were injured, Victoria Police said, though none needed to be taken to hospital. A group of about 80 gathered to counter-protest a scheduled Women Will Speak demonstration against Victoria's anti-vilification laws. Roughly 50 attended the Women Will Speak rally, cordoned off and guarded by police, where "restore women's sex-based rights" was among the slogans adorning banners. The two groups were separated with water-filled barriers and a heavy police presence, a decision made by police after "disruptive behaviour" in April when similar protests took place. Riot unit and mounted police were among the officers deployed on Saturday. At one point during the rally, photographer Luis Ascui tried to intervene to stop a colleague's camera equipment being damaged by a protester. "They have a right to protest, but they don't have the right to attack us when we're doing a job," he told AAP. A neo-Nazi group was also reportedly planning on crashing the rally but it was unclear if any individuals turned up. Four people have been arrested as protests in Melbourne's CBD turned scrappy. Tensions began to flare mid-morning between police and masked protesters in black believed to be rallying in opposition to a nearby demonstration for "women's sex-based rights". Some members of the media were also caught in the fracas outside the state's parliament house and surrounds as cameras and other equipment were targeted by masked activists. Victorian Police said pepper spray was used and four arrests were made, including a man in his early 20s who hit an officer with an umbrella. Two protesters were charged with allegedly possessing flares and a fourth for failing to move on. Three officers were injured, Victoria Police said, though none needed to be taken to hospital. A group of about 80 gathered to counter-protest a scheduled Women Will Speak demonstration against Victoria's anti-vilification laws. Roughly 50 attended the Women Will Speak rally, cordoned off and guarded by police, where "restore women's sex-based rights" was among the slogans adorning banners. The two groups were separated with water-filled barriers and a heavy police presence, a decision made by police after "disruptive behaviour" in April when similar protests took place. Riot unit and mounted police were among the officers deployed on Saturday. At one point during the rally, photographer Luis Ascui tried to intervene to stop a colleague's camera equipment being damaged by a protester. "They have a right to protest, but they don't have the right to attack us when we're doing a job," he told AAP. A neo-Nazi group was also reportedly planning on crashing the rally but it was unclear if any individuals turned up.
West Australian
9 hours ago
- West Australian
Arrests made as women's rights rally draws opposition
Four people have been arrested as protests in Melbourne's CBD turned scrappy. Tensions began to flare mid-morning between police and masked protesters in black believed to be rallying in opposition to a nearby demonstration for "women's sex-based rights". Some members of the media were also caught in the fracas outside the state's parliament house and surrounds as cameras and other equipment were targeted by masked activists. Victorian Police said pepper spray was used and four arrests were made, including a man in his early 20s who hit an officer with an umbrella. Two protesters were charged with allegedly possessing flares and a fourth for failing to move on. Three officers were injured, Victoria Police said, though none needed to be taken to hospital. A group of about 80 gathered to counter-protest a scheduled Women Will Speak demonstration against Victoria's anti-vilification laws. Roughly 50 attended the Women Will Speak rally, cordoned off and guarded by police, where "restore women's sex-based rights" was among the slogans adorning banners. The two groups were separated with water-filled barriers and a heavy police presence, a decision made by police after "disruptive behaviour" in April when similar protests took place. Riot unit and mounted police were among the officers deployed on Saturday. At one point during the rally, photographer Luis Ascui tried to intervene to stop a colleague's camera equipment being damaged by a protester. "They have a right to protest, but they don't have the right to attack us when we're doing a job," he told AAP. A neo-Nazi group was also reportedly planning on crashing the rally but it was unclear if any individuals turned up.
Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Perth Now
Arrests made as women's rights rally draws opposition
Four people have been arrested as protests in Melbourne's CBD turned scrappy. Tensions began to flare mid-morning between police and masked protesters in black believed to be rallying in opposition to a nearby demonstration for "women's sex-based rights". Some members of the media were also caught in the fracas outside the state's parliament house and surrounds as cameras and other equipment were targeted by masked activists. Victorian Police said pepper spray was used and four arrests were made, including a man in his early 20s who hit an officer with an umbrella. Two protesters were charged with allegedly possessing flares and a fourth for failing to move on. Three officers were injured, Victoria Police said, though none needed to be taken to hospital. A group of about 80 gathered to counter-protest a scheduled Women Will Speak demonstration against Victoria's anti-vilification laws. Roughly 50 attended the Women Will Speak rally, cordoned off and guarded by police, where "restore women's sex-based rights" was among the slogans adorning banners. The two groups were separated with water-filled barriers and a heavy police presence, a decision made by police after "disruptive behaviour" in April when similar protests took place. Riot unit and mounted police were among the officers deployed on Saturday. At one point during the rally, photographer Luis Ascui tried to intervene to stop a colleague's camera equipment being damaged by a protester. "They have a right to protest, but they don't have the right to attack us when we're doing a job," he told AAP. A neo-Nazi group was also reportedly planning on crashing the rally but it was unclear if any individuals turned up.
