'Bright light': Heartbroken sister's emotional tribute to dentist found dead in suitcase
The heartbroken sister of murdered Sydney dentist Preethi Reddy has issued an emotional tribute after she was killed and stuffed in a suitcase in her own car.
The 32-year-old Penrith woman’s body was found in her VW Golf in a Kingsford lane about 9.30pm on Tuesday, almost three days after she was last seen.
She had been stabbed “numerous times”.
Her former boyfriend, Tamworth dentist Harshwardhan Narde, 34, had hours earlier taken his own life in a fiery car crash on the New England Highway.
In a statement released on behalf of Dr Reddy’s family, her sister Nithya said: “Words cannot capture the pain we are feeling with the passing of my beautiful big sister”.
“Preethi was a bright light, loveable, kind, and protective of all whom were lucky enough to have been loved and cared for by her.
“Prior to this unthinkable event, she had been the happiest I’d ever seen her — she was living her best life.”
The statement added: “We ask that everyone keep that in mind that we are grieving and we need space to do that.”
Slain dentist had reconnected with ex-boyfriend
Investigators believe they know who killed Dr Reddy, but are pleading for more information about her whereabouts before her death.
They believe she reconnected with Dr Narde in Sydney but are still trying to understand exactly what happened.
Dr Harshwardhan Narde, a Tamworth dentist, drove his BMW into a semi-trailer on the New England Highway near Tamworth about 10pm on Monday night, according to police.
“It’s very important for us because, right now, we are working for Preethi and we are working for Preethi’s family as well,” Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate said on Wednesday.
The gruesome discovery of Dr Reddy’s body on Tuesday came just hours after police issued a public appeal to find the 32-year-old.
Dr Reddy, 32, was reported missing on Sunday after she failed to return home following a dental convention at St Leonards over the weekend.
She was captured on CCTV inside a city McDonald’s about 2.15am on Sunday and appeared to leave alone.
She last spoke with her family about 11am that day, saying she planned to head home after having a late breakfast.
Dr Reddy’s colleagues at Glenbrook Dental Surgery posted a tribute saying they were “in mourning” over her death.
Oasis Smiles Dental in Tamworth had also shared a tribute to Dr Narde but later removed it following news of the Kingsford discovery.
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