New South Wales Police believe the two Saudi sisters found rotting in their south-western Sydney apartment had died in a suspected suicide pact.
The bodies of Asra Abdallah Alsehli, 24, and her sister Amaal, 23, were found in separate bedrooms inside a Canterbury unit on June 7 after a concern for welfare report.
The grim discovery was made by officers from the Sheriff’s Department after the women failed to pay their rent and owed more than $5,000 to their landlord, NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal records showed.
Police had been baffled for several weeks about how the women died, who were found fully clothed, badly decomposed and no signs of forced entry into the unit.
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But the mystery appears to have been solved with interim toxicology reports showing traces of substances, which were found next to their bodies, detected in their systems, The Daily Telegraph reports.
“There’s no indication of anyone else being in the unit … no forced entry. It really does appear to be a tragic suicide,” a senior police source told the publication.
Further testing is being conducted by specialist pathology labs before an exact cause of death for the sisters can be determined.
It’s believed the bodies were laying in the Canterbury Rd unit for at least six weeks before the remains were discovered.
It was also reported a bottle of bleach, non-perishable foot items and clothing were some of the items found in the bedrooms.
The sisters, who arrived to Australia from Saudi Arabia as teenagers in 2017, largely kept to themselves and were “afraid of something” one friend claimed.
NSW Police released the images of the two women in a press conference last week as they launched a community appeal for anyone who had any information.
But despite the media coverage on the case, officers still know little about the sisters.
The outstanding rent is expected to be paid to the landlord through a black BMW, believed to be owned by the sisters, which was seized when the bodies were found.
Their family in Saudi Arabia have made no plans to fly the bodies home and have not arranged a burial in Australia.
The NSW Coroner can organize a state-funded burial if there were no substantial funds in the deceased person’s bank accounts.
The Canterbury apartment was listed for rent for $520 this week with a disturbing claimer included at the bottom of the advertisement.
“Disclaimer: This property has found two deceased persons on 06/07/2022, crime scene has been established and it is still under police investigation,” the description wrote.
“According to the police, this is not a random crime and will not be a potential risk for the community.”
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