Ex-wife charged with house fire murder
New details about the last moments of beloved mum Krystal Marshall have come to light following the first appearance of her ex-partner Anastasia in court.
Anastasia, 29, has been charged with Ms Marshall’s murder alongside another man, aged 48.
Nicholas Vadasz, appearing for Anastasia, said his client denied the allegations against her.
Mr Vadasz said in court Krystal had asked the man to leave the house the three were sharing together at Aldinga in Adelaide’s outer south and that may have propelled the alleged murder.
Anastasia, appearing via videolink in a green jumper, wept throughout her appearance.
She is applying for bail and Mr Vadasz said his client’s lack of any prior criminal history.
The prosecution said it opposed bail in all forms given the seriousness of the charges against Anastasia.
The court also heard Anastasia had met with Mr Vadasz in January after the police told her a charge against her might be coming.
“She denies the offending,” Mr Vadasz told the court, and added he believed it had not been a “clear cut” decision from the police to lay charges against his client.
The court also heard from Mr Vadasz the male co-accused had allegedly made “full and frank admissions” that he was “solely responsible” for Krystal’s death.
The police believe she was killed inside the Barracoota Crescent home on October 19 and then the house was set on fire the following day.
Detective Superintendent Des Bray, speaking in Adelaide on Thursday, said the three were known to each other.
“The allegation will be that together those two people (Anastasia and the male co-accused) and those two people alone are responsible for the death of Krystal,” he said.
Detective Bray also said the police are eager to speak with three persons they believe could assist them with the case.
He said police had been contacted via Crimestoppers at 5.25pm on October 22 from a person they would like to speak with again.
“That person conveyed specific knowledge in respect to the murder and who might be responsible for that murder and that was an online report,” he said.
“It is very important to the investigators that person contacts Crimestoppers, rings into Crimestoppers and asks to be connected with a major crime investigator working on the Krystal Marshall case.”
He also said the police wanted to talk with two male drivers captured on CCTV at the address of the alleged murder scene on October 19 and October 20.
One vehicle is a blue Holden Astra.
“The driver stopped opposite (the house). A person appeared to emerge from those premises and walked behind some bushes to a pole,” he said.
“That person talked to the driver of that Astra for a few moments and then left.
“We really want to identify who the driver of that Astra was, so if people have seen that vehicle visiting the area know who it belongs to, or alternatively if that driver is watching, we encourage that person to ring Crimestoppers.”
The following day at 3.22pm, a white delivery van that stopped opposite the house at the time smoke started to emerge from the victim’s house, the police said.
“The driver got out of the car and appeared to watch the goings-on for a little while before getting in and driving away,” Detective Bray said.
The police described the person as a man with an orange turban, full facial hair beard, a green hi-vis vest and dark trousers.
“That person may have seen something that is important to us,” he said.
The CCTV images are too blurry to show the number plates of the vehicles.
Ms Marshall, 38, leaves behind two children, aged 15 and nine.
The bail application was adjourned until March 4 to allow the prosecution to provide the defence and courts with more material before a decision.
The court also ordered a home detention report and set a charge determination date for July 16.