A local community is shocked and disgusted by news the identity of a murdered mother was assumed to contact her family and steal her money years after she died.
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The hunt for the killers of Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter Khandalyce turned to Canberra's north this week, after SA police disclosed the pair were last seen in Charnwood.
Many shopkeepers in the suburb said they were disturbed by revelations the mother's bank card had been used in the area to process some of more than $90,000 worth of transactions after her death.
The 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.
One local resident, who declined to be named, said Charnwood was unfairly portrayed as a dangerous suburb, although the murder and subsequent fraud had caused concern in the community.
"It is the fact someone assumed her identity to take money out of her account nearby that is so unsettling," he said.
The mother's skeleton was found in the Belanglo State Forest in August 2010 and her daughter's remains were found in a suitcase on the side of a highway at Wynarka in South Australia in July this year.
The mother's phone was also used by fraudsters to send text messages to her family and friends leading them to believe she may have been alive for two years after she was killed.
Police have previously revealed that Ms Pearce-Stevenson's mother reported the pair missing in September 2009, but that report was withdrawn six days later after she was reassured her daughter was safe and well.
Police confirmed a man and two women responsible for the transactions had lived in or were associated with a home in Charnwood. They were also linked with homes in Davoren Park, Hillbank and Holden Hill in Adelaide.
Local residents and business owners said police maintained a regular presence in the Charnwood shopping precinct but were not aware of raids in the suburb as part of the investigation.
An ACT Policing spokeswoman said the force would continue to assist SA police with their investigation into the murders.
Police believe at least one person behind the phone and bank scam was also responsible for the murder of Ms Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter, and will focus on the financial transactions to find out how many people were involved in the deaths.
Detectives 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.
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.
Anyone with information is urged to call ACT Policing on 131 444.
