Kirsten Moriarty, who survived a skydiving accident in 2010, was found dead outside the Lake Illawarra police station.
An Australian woman who “came back from the dead” after a devastating skydiving accident 12 years ago has been found dead in a car outside a police station.
Police sources confirmed the body of 48-year-old Kirsten Moriarty was discovered on Friday afternoon, three days after she entered the police station at Lake Illawarra, New South Wales, and spoke to an officer at the front counter.
Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar said it appeared the woman had been living inside the vehicle.
He would not confirm whether or not the woman engaged with police to ask for help or to file a report, saying it would form part of the investigation.
Moriarty, who was elected as a councillor in 2012 in Somerset, Queensland, began in the region as a journalist in 2009 and suffered a serious skydiving accident the following year.
She collided with high-voltage power lines and was electrocuted with 11,000 volts.
Somerset Regional Council CEO Andrew Johnson said he was saddened to learn of the passing of the former councillor.
He said: “Councillor Moriarty served the community with dedication, contributing meaningfully to the region through her commitment to local issues and her willingness to advocate on behalf of residents.
“Kirsten worked as an employee of Somerset Regional Council for one year and as a Somerset councillor between 2012 and 2016.
“Her service made a lasting impact, and she is remembered with respect and gratitude.
“On behalf of the mayor, councillors and staff, we extend our sincere condolences to Kirsten’s family, friends and all who knew her. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”
Friends say Moriarty wrote for local newspapers and then took the role as media officer at the council before standing down so she could become a councillor herself.
Sources close to her say she was recently suffering from mental health issues.
“We hope that we get some answers. It’s so sad to hear what happened to her. She was a lovely lady, she seems to have taken a downward spiral in her mental health in recent years,” one said.
Police will scour several hours of CCTV footage to piece together how a woman who entered a police station and spoke to an officer before she was found dead in her car outside three days later.
A critical incident has been declared and a strike force established to examine the events that led to the 48-year-old woman’s death.
Sources say she entered Lake Illawarra Police Station in Oak Flats at 6.25pm on Tuesday after parking her car in the carpark adjacent to the main entrance.
She is observed on CCTV to walk in and have a conversation with an officer before taking a seat in the foyer.
Sources say the woman sat for several hours and looked uncomfortable and fidgety.
She left the station around 9pm and walked across to her car.
The footage shows the woman getting into the rear of her vehicle.
Then on Friday afternoon around 4.30pm officers checked the vehicle and found her lying in the back among personal items.
They smashed the rear window to gain access and it was evident she had been there for some time.
Crime scene officers examined the scene.
The woman did not have any obvious injuries but the car was in a state of disarray and full of personal property.
The investigation will be the subject of an independent review by the Professional Standards Command and oversight by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
She wrote a book about her skydiving accident in 2010.
She became entangled in 11,000-volt power lines at Mutdapilly, west of Brisbane while skydiving with friends.
According to the Amazing Book website Moriarty “came back from the dead after a devastating skydiving accident to find blue skies again”.
The website described her as a journalist and experienced skydiver, who collided with high-voltage power lines after a routine skydive.
“She came back from the dead, burnt and broken, to learn doctors had told her family and friends she would lose both her legs and never walk again.
“Against all odds, she survived the impossible and went back to flying the skies. This is a story that will offer comfort to anyone going through their own dark days and inspire readers about the power of hope, love and determination to overcome even the most extraordinarily difficult circumstances.”
A crucial element of the police investigation will be the conversation between Moriarty and the officer in the station on Tuesday evening.
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