$1m reward offered for information on 20-year-old murder mystery
A $1 million reward is being offered to help solve the brutal cold case murder of a young Sydney woman 44 years ago.
The body of 20-year-old teacher Maria Smith was reportedly found by her husband in the bedroom of their Randwick unit on April 22, 1974.
She had been bound, sexually assaulted and strangled with pantyhose, police said.
Despite extensive investigations over the years, no one was charged with her murder.
NSW police have today offered a $1 million reward for information that leads to a conviction, in their bid to catch Ms Smith’s killer.
It comes as NSW Police announced on Monday about 500 cold case homicides dating back four decades would be reopened and re-examined with fresh eyes and cutting-edge technology as police attempt to catch the killers.
Squad commander Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said specialist detectives from across the force will conduct formal case reviews.
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“While the unsolved homicide unit is a finite resource, the NSW Police Force has a wealth of investigators whose skills can be harnessed to increase our capacity to put fresh eyes on cold cases,” Det Supt Cook said in a statement on Monday.
The request for “fresh eyes” to examine the cases came from victims’ families, police said.
It is only the second time a $1 million-dollar reward has been offered in New South Wales. The other time was for missing toddler William Tyrrell.
