Murder of Shandee Renee Blackburn
By Calvin Gnech, Criminal Lawyer and Legal Practice Director at Gnech and Associates
08 February 2022
This week marks 9 years since the much-publicised murder of Shandee Renee Blackburn.
Ms Blackburn was walking home from work in the early hours of February 9, 2013, in Mackay when she was brutally stabbed more than 20 times.
Ms Blackburn’s former partner, John Peros, was charged with her murder. In April 2017 Mr Peros was found not guilty of murder by a Supreme Court jury after a 12-day trial.
Mr Peros has maintained his innocence, and no one has ever been found guilty of Ms Blackburn’s murder.
Coronial Inquest Findings
After a Coronial Inquest in August 2020, Coroner David O’Connell found there was ample evidence that showed Mr Peros killed Ms Blackburn and there was no other possible conclusion that could be drawn based on the evidence.
Coroner O’Connell also found that it was apparent that there was no new or fresh and compelling evidence available for use in a criminal court that was not already known to the police from their investigation.
This meant Coroner O’Connell did not make a referral for Mr Peros to be re-charged. This was relevant because of the changes to Queensland’s double-jeopardy laws in 2007 which allows people acquitted of murder to be retried if “fresh and compelling” evidence emerges.
Request to Re-Open
In December 2021, after issues were raised with the handling of the forensic evidence in the case, the Health Minister Ms Yvette D’Ath said she had written to the Attorney-General calling for the coronial inquiry to be reopened.
Yesterday, 9 February 2022, it was announced by the Coroners Court of Queensland that the Coroner would reopen the investigation into Shandee’s death. The Coroner is however yet to make any determination on whether the inquest will be re-opened.
