TRAGEDY: Detective Sergeant Sol Solomon speaks to the media outside VATMI Recycling on Saturday; and above, a Facebook picture of Bendigo man Ross Streeter, who has been arrested in relation to Thursday’s double murder. Picture: PETER WEAVING
POLICE have arrested a Bendigo man over the double murder of his father and uncle at Natte Yallock on Thursday.
Ross Streeter was arrested just after 11.30am on Saturday.
Police were called to a house on Cambridge Street in Avoca after Rural Ambulance Victoria received a call to attend a man with self-inflicted injuries.
Paramedics found him near a water tower in Cambridge Street, Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said.
The 30-year-old was taken into custody and transported under police escort to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he remains in a stable condition with non life-threatening injuries.
The investigation into the murder of brothers John and Douglas Streeter is ongoing. The pair, both aged in their 60s, were found dead at their Natte Yallock sheep farm on Thursday. Both had received gunshot wounds.
Ross Streeter is Douglas’ son.
According to Ross Streeter’s Facebook page, he finished his education in Maryborough, Queensland, and has a young daughter. On August 12, a picture was uploaded to his page showing Streeter, his father and a woman in an embrace.
Homicide squad detectives and SES volunteers spent the weekend poring through rubbish at VATMI Recycling in Bendigo East, in the search for evidence relating to the double murder.
The site became an area of interest on Friday when a wallet belonging to John Streeter was found by a staff member.
Detective Sergeant Sol Solomon said other items had been discovered by the homicide squad at the plant and would be subject to forensic analysis, but he would not say what these items were.
He said it was an “extremely lucky break” an employee at the VATMI recycling plant had found John Streeter’s wallet.
“He found the wallet and was in the process of trying to track the person down when he recognised the address on the driver’s licence and had heard the news,” he said.
The wallet was believed to have been taken from the victim and dumped in a bin somewhere between the crime scene and Bendigo, Detective Solomon said.
On Friday a number of people were questioned, but none were treated as suspects, Detective Solomon said. He said there were still no clues as to the motive behind the killings.
“From all accounts the two victims were highly respected citizens of the area,” he said. “It’s an absolute tragedy for their families and the community of Avoca.”
He said police wanted to speak to anyone who might have been driving near Moyreisk-Natte Yallock Road or Natte Yallock-Moonambel Road between 8am and midday on Thursday.
Contact Lifeline on 131 114 if you are in need of assistance or talk to someone you trust.
– with AAP and theage.com.au