Queensland Man Charged with Murder After Remains Believed to Be Missing Toowoomba Mother Found by Hunters

Police in Queensland have charged the former partner of a missing woman with murder after hunters discovered a body believed to be hers in remote bushland.

Although formal identification was pending as of Sunday, investigators said they were confident the remains belong to Jana Armstrong, who was reported missing in Toowoomba on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old former partner was taken into custody hours after the grim find and subsequently charged with domestic violence murder.

“This is a horrific crime,” Detective Acting Inspector Brian Collins said on Sunday. “The community will be shocked that a 30-year-old woman and mother of a four-month-old child has lost her life.”

Armstrong was last seen in a Toowoomba suburb west of Brisbane. Authorities released images showing her wearing a green-and-white striped Country Road shirt, jeans and thongs.

Following the recovery of Armstrong’s abandoned white Hyundai on Wednesday morning, Collins noted that the former partner was located at her residence with the infant.

Collins, based in the Darling Downs district, said police received a report of possible human remains on Esk-Hampton Road at Redbank Creek around 10:40pm on Saturday.

The remains were found in rugged terrain by pig hunters. Officers arrived late Saturday and established a crime scene. Collins confirmed the location had not been searched previously.

“We believe that person is, in fact, Jana, the missing person in this matter, and she was deceased,” Collins told a media briefing on Sunday.

Later, a search warrant was executed at a West Street property in Harristown, Toowoomba. The 48-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with one count of domestic violence murder.

He is scheduled to appear before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday.

Collins urged anyone who travelled between Toowoomba and Esk—particularly on the New England Highway and Esk-Hampton Road—between 10:30pm on 7 July and 1:30am on 8 July to submit dashboard or CCTV footage covering the roadway.

A post-mortem examination will determine the cause of death.

“Our deepest sympathies are with Jana’s family, who are victims of this horrifying crime,” Collins said.

He added that no domestic violence protection order was active at the time, but all prior police interactions with the couple will be reviewed.

“I do not believe there was anything police could have done to prevent this,” Collins stated.

The victim’s baby is now in the care of her sister, police confirmed.

“I plan to look after her son and love him as much as she did,” Faith Isaacs told the ABC on Sunday. “She was deeply loved—a caring, calm and selfless person who always put others first.”

Isaacs also posted on social media on Sunday: “Losing my beautiful sister in this way is something I will never be able to understand or put into words.”

“I promise you, Jana, your beautiful baby boy will always know exactly who his mummy was.”

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