Man in custody after 78-year-old wife's body found at Gordon home

ACT Policing officers have launched a homicide investigation after a woman’s body was found inside her Gordon home.

She was discovered shortly before 7:30 this morning (Sunday, 2 June).

Detective Acting Superintendent Stephen Ladd said officers had been called to the Togo Place address to conduct a welfare check after reports of a disturbance.

“Unfortunately, soon after arrival, police located a 78-year-old female deceased at the location,” he said.

“We treating this as suspicious and as a homicide investigation.”

The woman was the only person in the home when police arrived and a post-mortem will be carried out to determine her exact cause of death.

The woman’s 86-year-old husband was found at a Fadden home a short time later and was taken into custody.

He is currently at Canberra Hospital after suffering a medical episode.

The man is assisting police with their inquiries and no charges have been laid at this time.

Police don’t believe anyone else to be involved in the woman’s death at this time, and are treating this as a family violence incident.

Act Supt Ladd expressed his “heartfelt sorrow” to the woman’s family and friends, and had this message for the community:

“Look out for your friends and family, if you think there are issues with mental or physical health, particularly as people get into their elder years, [see] that they reach out, speak to somebody, get the assistance they need, to avoid incidents like this.”

Officers are expected to remain on scene well into tonight and possibly tomorrow as forensic examinations continue.

It’s believed the couple were not known to police before the woman’s death.

Anyone with information about the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death have been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, quoting reference INV-9591. Information can be provided anonymously.