The hunt for the killers of Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter Khandalyce has moved to the ACT, as police discover the pair were last seen in 2008 in Charnwood. It is the same area Ms Pearce-Stevenson's credit card was last used, in 2012.
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Police believe people involved in the pair's murder hijacked their identities after killing them and used the mother's credit card in Canberra for some of more than $90,000 worth of transactions spent or withdrawn from her account.
The young mother's skeleton was found in the Belanglo Forest in August 2010 and her daughter Khandalyce's remains were found in a suitcase on the side of a highway at Wynarka in South Australia in July this year.
Hundreds of fraudulent transactions have been tracked across the ACT, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory between November 2008 and March 2012, a joint statement from SA and NSW police revealed.
"Police know that a man and at least two women have been responsible for the financial transactions and have lived at, or been associated with, homes in Davoren Park, Hillbank, Holden Hill and Charnwood, Canberra," the statement read.
"We do know that a large number of the bank transactions occurred in the north and north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide, as well as in Canberra."
The credit card was used in Deakin and at a Kippax ATM, and the last transaction was made in March 2012 in Charnwood. The account was closed earlier this year due to inactivity.
It was also used at KFC at Port Augusta, McDonald's at Rundle Mall in Adelaide, Coles at Alice Springs, Rabbit Photo and Strandbags at Mt Gambier, BP OTR at Broadview and an ATM at Kent Town.
The money was deposited through Centrelink payments, previous wages and other unknown sources. In December 2010 a woman pretending to be Ms Pearce-Stevenson went to a compulsory interview at Centrelink in South Australia with identity documents.
"Also, disturbingly, it appears that in June 2010 a woman in a wheelchair impersonating Ms Pearce-Stevenson attended Australian Central Credit Union, Elizabeth, to update banking records," police say.
Investigations continue as to whether it was the same woman in both instances. There have also been multiple sightings of people appearing as Ms Pearce-Stevenson.
The fraudsters used Ms Pearce-Stevenson's phone to send text messages to her family and friends, making them believe she was still alive. One woman impersonated the victim to trick her mother into sending money. The phone's message bank was also accessed.
Police believe at least one person behind the phone and bank scam was also responsible for her murder, and will focus on the financial transactions of Ms Pearce-Stevenson's credit card to find out how many of the people were involved in the deaths.
Police have no evidence to suggest a serial killer was behind the murders, but wouldn't rule out whether the murderer or murderers could be responsible for other crimes. They are looking to interview several people.
Ms Pearce-Stevenson was known only as "Angel" before a mystery caller identified her to Crime Stoppers and police matched her DNA with the remains.
Police say both Ms Pearce-Stevenson and her toddler – from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory – suffered violent deaths and neither had been reported missing.
The bones of Khandalyce were found in a suitcase with a Dora the Explorer T-shirt, blue teddy bear pyjamas, pink tracksuits and a patchwork quilt.
ACT police said they were now helping NSW and SA police with their investigations.
Anyone with information is urged to call ACT Policing on 131 444.
