Source : Perth Now news
Police Commissioner Col Blanch has vowed not to let history repeat itself after revealing the impact of failed investigations into the death of Perth mum Amy Wensley 12 years ago.
On Wednesday, the commissioner said the 24-year-old’s mother, Nancy Kirk, and members of her family were understandably angry when he met with them in January to apologise for the police’s shortcomings.
Ms Wensley died from a gunshot wound to the head at her Serpentine home in June 2014, which police initially treated as a suicide.
A coronial inquest later found there was insufficient evidence to determine how she died.
At the time, “it was a decision by 10 detectives to rule it as a suicide”, Commissioner Blanch said, vowing the same would not happen in 2026.
“If it occurred today, a forensics team would attend. A full crime scene would be established, and that decision would not be made for some time. If it was uncertainty, we would treat it as a homicide,” he said.
He said the lacklustre initial response and the subsequent pain it caused the family was heartbreaking.
“Losing a child in any circumstance is so challenging, so difficult, and grief never goes away. But to know that police contributed to that grief because of our failures, you know, that breaks my heart as well,” he said.
What exactly was said in the January conversation was “private” but he noted the family’s ongoing angst.
“I think they needed to hear it [the apology] from the police commissioner, but no doubt they were angry about our actions, and that’s understandable as well,” he said.
Changes to how such an incident would be managed now was, in part, in honour of Ms Wensley.
“It is a legacy of Amy’s that our processes have changed to a point where future families won’t suffer her level of grief and and search for answers over now 12 years,” the commissioner said.
Police are offering a $1m reward for information that leads to the identification and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Ms Wensley’s death.
The commissioner was confident there were people present at the time of her death, and “people may know what happened as a result of conversations with those people afterwards”.
“All we need is someone to come forward to give us that glint of hope to get a result,” he said.
“I think there are people with answers, but whether or not we can convince them to come forward remains the challenge.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
