UPDATE: A man has been charged with the murder of his former partner after she was found stabbed to death in her Noble Park home.
The body of Suzie Ohia, 32, was found in a room at the back of the property on Monday night. The pair’s four children, aged from two to 12, were sleeping in the house when police arrived.
Bona Lual, 36, faced an out-of-sessions court hearing at Dandenong police station on Tuesday morning. Mr Lual, from Doveton, was charged with one count of murder and remanded to face the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Police will investigate whether Mr Lual was let into the property by one of his children.
Detective Senior Sergeant Steve McIntyre said it appeared Mr Lual had phoned triple-0 to report the stabbing while driving to Dandenong police station to hand himself in.
Ms Ohia was well known in Noble Park for working in a shop close to the rental property she had lived in for several years.
“She was just very nice and quiet. We’d wave to each other,” neighbour Diane said.
“(She) always kept to herself … was very loving to the kids.
“It’s such a shame. I just feel so sorry for the kids.”
A scooter and a pink-and-blue bike with training wheels were propped in the front yard, with friends and distant relatives of Ms Ohia collapsed on the ground nearby.
Many are believed to be from the same region of South Sudan.
Police believe Ms Ohia and Mr Lual were both at a party in Dandenong North on Monday night.
A steady stream of mourners started arriving shortly after 9am, wailing loudly as they shuffled towards the house.
When they arrived several collapsed on the footpath just inside the police tape. Some sat cross-legged on the ground outside, embracing each other.
