NSW Police have confirmed they are investigating a line of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of a missing Penrith woman whose body was found in a suitcase overnight.
The body of Preethi Reddy, 32, was discovered after police found her vehicle on Strachan St, Kingsford at about 9.30pm on Tuesday.
During a search of the vehicle, they found a suitcase containing her body, which had multiple stab wounds.
NSW Police have established that Dr Reddy stayed at a hotel on Market Street in Sydney’s CBD on Sunday with her ex-boyfriend, who was killed in a head-on collision with a truck on the New England Highway, south of Tamworth, at about 10pm on Monday.
Detectives from Oxley Police Area Command now believe the fiery collision was a deliberate act.
In a media conference on Wednesday, a NSW Police spokesman confirmed that police had spoken to the ex-boyfriend as part of the missing person investigation before he was killed on Monday.
“As a parent, the worst thing we can do is bury our kids. We’ve got to think about that,” he said, expressing condolences to Dr Reddy’s family and friends.
“I ask you all to think about her family right now and about giving them the space to actually to be in this space.”
Dr Reddy was first reported missing by her family on Sunday after she failed to come home from a dental convention at St Leonards.
Police were told she last made contact with her family at about 11am on Sunday, saying she planned to head home after having a late breakfast in Sydney.
CCTV footage shows Ms Reddy at a McDonald’s inside the Strand Arcade in Sydney’s CBD about 2.15am on Sunday. She can be seen wearing a long-sleeve black shirt, black pants and black ballet flats.
Her sister, Nithya Reddy, posted on Facebook that she had previously been located at Hotel Urban in Greenwich on Sydney’s lower north shore.
A Facebook page set up to help find Dr Reddy said it was “highly out of character for Preethi to not contact family and loved ones”.
NSW Police had previously disseminated images of Dr Reddy and her grey Volkswagon Golf and Sydney City Police Area Command established Strike Force Carlwood in an effort to locate her.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding Dr Reddy’s murder are continuing with the assistance of the Homicide Squad, a police spokesperson said in a statement.
The Glenbrook dental surgery where Dr Reddy worked was closed on Wednesday with a sign on the door that said: “Due to tragedy concerning our beloved colleague, the surgery will be closed for the time being. We appreciate your understanding during this delicate time”.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au