Australian singer Velvet Pesu found dead at Brisbane property

Velvet Pesu has been identified as the person found dead at a rural property in Buccan, Queensland.

Australian singer, musician and visual artist Velvet Pesu has been found dead.

The body of the 20-year industry veteran and director of the Heart Health Foundation, which provides music therapy and meal assistance to the homeless, was discovered at a rural property in Buccan, south of Brisbane.

The discovery sparked a search for a man she cared for, who was later arrested 600km away in NSW following a high-speed police pursuit.

Pesu went missing about 7pm on Saturday (local time) after dropping a family member at a house party in The Gap, prompting family concern and a missing person report about 1am on Monday.

In a statement, Queensland Police confirmed officers conducted a welfare check at 2.30am at a property on Waterford Tamborine Rd at Buccan, where they found Pesu’s body, with injuries, on the back deck of the house.

A 36-year-old man was arrested in Kempsey on the NSW Mid North Coast by NSW Police on Monday evening.

He faced court in NSW on Tuesday for traffic offences and was refused bail.

Acting Inspector Justin Anderson of the Logan District said detectives from the Homicide Investigation Unit and Logan District Criminal Investigation Branch were travelling to NSW to speak to the man while awaiting autopsy results.

“We’ve arranged for SES to attend and conduct a search of the rural property,” Inspector Anderson said.

“We’ll be looking for anything that may assist in bringing us answers as to what has happened leading up to this.”

Pesu, of Ashgrove, was a mother and had performed at the Woodford Folk Festival and numerous Brisbane venues.

Police Minister Dan Purdie described the death as “tragic”.

Police are urging anyone with dash-camera or other footage of vehicles travelling east along Acton St towards Waterford-Tamborine Rd at Buccan, between 7.30pm on Saturday, January 10 and 2.30pm on Sunday, January 11, to come forward, saying even small pieces of information could assist with their investigation.

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