Reward: Tracey Connelly

Announced April 2019

Detectives from the Homicide Squad have announced a $1 million reward for information in relation to the murder of St Kilda woman Tracey Connelly in 2013.

The then 40-year-old sex worker was found dead in her white Ford Econovan on Greeves Street, St Kilda just before 3pm on Sunday, 21 July 2013.

Tracey’s body was located by her partner and he subsequently contacted police.

A post-mortem was then conducted and Tracey’s death was determined to be suspicious.

She received upper body and facial injuries, and police believe she was killed inside the van.

Investigators believe that Tracey’s vehicle had been parked on Greeves Street for about a month leading up to her death and that she had been living in and working out of the van.

Prior to her death, the last confirmed sighting of Tracey was at 11.30pm on Saturday, 20 July when she was seen on the corner of Mitchell and Carlisle Streets.

After an extensive search of CCTV footage from the area, detectives believe Tracey returned to the white Econovan sometime between 2am and 2.30am.

Despite a number of public appeals for information over the past years, no one has ever been charged with Tracey’s death.

A DNA sample, which police believe belongs to the offender, was taken from Tracey’s vehicle.

This sample was checked against Victoria Police’s database without luck, however police have also undertaken significant further testing to try and locate the person responsible for Tracey’s murder.

Around 1500 people provided a DNA sample to police for testing as part of the investigation.

These people included those who were identified as having been in the St Kilda area at the time of Tracey’s death, people with a history of violent offending linked to the area, and registered sex offenders.

A number of samples were also obtained for Victoria Police by law enforcement agencies interstate and overseas.

This process remains ongoing.

Officer in Charge of the Homicide Squad, Detective Inspector Tim Day, said this sample could prove crucial in solving Tracey’s murder.

Detective Inspector Day said there is also the possibility that the offender had spoken to someone about Tracey’s death.