Police Confident Lake Cargelligo Murder Suspect Is Alive and Receiving Assistance
New South Wales police have expressed confidence that triple murder suspect Julian Ingram remains alive and may be receiving help from people within the local community, one week after three people were fatally shot in the small town of Lake Cargelligo.
Search Continues Amid Extreme Conditions
The NSW police assistant commissioner, Andrew Holland, stated that investigators are confident the 37-year-old suspect has been aided by "people that he knows in community given the temperatures" exceeding 40°C recorded in the region. Holland emphasised that "He has to have access to food and water," suggesting Ingram may have stored supplies locally or received assistance.
Ingram, also known as Julian Pierpoint, is suspected of shooting dead his pregnant former partner, Sophie Quinn, 25, her new boyfriend, John Harris, and her aunt, Nerida Quinn, 50, last Thursday in Lake Cargelligo, approximately 450km west of Sydney. He was last seen leaving the town in a white single cab Ford Ranger utility vehicle.
Domestic Violence Links and Bail Conditions
At the time of the shootings, Ingram was on bail related to domestic violence allegations made by his former partner, Sophie Quinn. The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, confirmed that Ingram's bail conditions would form part of the ongoing investigation, highlighting that domestic and family violence remains "a scourge on our community." Lanyon reported that police charged over 32,000 people with domestic and family violence assaults last year alone.
Lanyon praised the dedication of officers searching in "extraordinary conditions," noting "This is the fifth day of over 40-degree temperatures, yet our police have been unwavering." He assured the community of a continued significant policing presence until Ingram is apprehended.
Local Knowledge and Reported Sightings
Holland believes Ingram's survival is aided by his extensive local knowledge as a brushcutter who worked for the council and in areas towards Mount Hope. "He is aware of where the water sources are, and hidy holes such as caves," Holland explained, adding that police must systematically search these locations.
A witness reported seeing Ingram in Mount Hope, about 70km from Lake Cargelligo, with police following leads in various parts of the region. Some properties in the Mount Hope area exceed 400,000 hectares, complicating the search efforts.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The shootings occurred on Thursday afternoon, with Sophie Quinn and John Harris shot in a car on Bokhara Street around 4.20pm. Police were then called to nearby Walker Street, where Nerida Quinn and Kaleb Macqueen, 19, were found shot in a driveway. Nerida Quinn died at the scene, while Macqueen sustained injuries.
Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.
