By Lucy Caulkett-
The mystery of an Australian terrorist who appears to have murdered an elderly couple at their home in Australia is being treated as terrorism, detectives have said.
The bodies of Maurice Anthill, 87, and his 86-year-old wife Zoe, were found at their home in Brisbane on Thursday, and officers found evidence that Ragbe Abdi bad been in the couple’s home. Exactly how he got in their home and what he was doing there remains a mystery. Why he would have targeted the frail couple is a big wonder to cops and grieving members of the murdered couple’s family.
Abdi is a 22 year old Islamic fanatic- cops shot dead on a highway on the outskirts of the city- after threatening officers with a knife.
Abdi had been influenced by Islamic State, according to Australian police, and was arrested on suspicion of joining extremist groups in May 2019 while trying to board a flight to Somalia.
Abdi was freed on bail but had had been given a GPS tracking device to wear – which he had cut off before he was shot dead.
But his lawyer, speaking before the link to the murder investigation was made public, told national broadcaster ABC that the police were incorrect to connect him with terrorism and labelled yesterday’s shooting as a “significant adverse mental health event”.
“When he was going to Somalia to visit relatives, he was held for 18 hours and investigated as to whether he was going to Somalia as a foreign fighter,” Terry O’Gorman said.
“There was no evidence to justify holding him and 18 months later, he has never been charged with that offence.”
Cops say that had overwhelming evidence that Abdi was a terrorist being nurtured for serious future devastation.