Nine years to the day after her stabbing death, coroner acts on Shandee Blackburn
A coronial investigation into the stabbing death of a woman outside her regional Queensland home will be reopened following a request by the state’s attorney-general
Shandee Renee Blackburn, 23, was stabbed multiple times in a frenzied attack metres from her door as she returned from a late shift at Harrup Park Country Club, Mackay, just after midnight on February 9, 2013.
The request from Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman asked for further consideration given ārecent issues raised regarding the forensic evidence and testing of evidence in this caseā, a Coroners Court of Queensland spokesperson said on Wednesday.
āThe Central Coroner has re-opened his investigation ā¦ he is yet to make any determination as to whether he will re-open the inquest.ā
It follows Health Minister Yvette DāAth telling parliament that she would write to Ms Fentiman to consider a request to reopen the matter.
āBased on the claims made regarding forensic evidence and whether such evidence could lead to new findings, I believe there is sufficient public interest and questions to be addressed to warrant me writing to the attorney-general,ā she said last December.
Ms Blackburn had just returned to Mackay after living on the Gold Coast for a short time, a 2019 inquest into her death was told.
Her ex-boyfriend John Peros, who was acquitted of her murder following a 2017 trial, told the inquest he was not aware Blackburn had returned to Mackay until after her death.
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However the inquest found āMiss Blackburn died due to injuries sustained in an incident involving violence with Mr John Peros who used a bladed instrumentā.
āI do not make any statement, nor can it be inferred, that Mr John Peros is guilty of any offence, nor civilly liable for something,ā Central Coroner David OāConnell stated in the findings dated August 2020.
āThese are inquest findings that I make, and this is not a criminal trial, nor a civil action.ā
The coroner did not find ānew or fresh and compelling evidenceā that was not already known by police, and said there was nothing to support āany suggestion that Mr Peros should be re-chargedā.
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