As Elly’s father I have fully Investigated my daughter’s death over 8, long years

and I have now obtained all the facts and answers with supporting evidence to

prove these facts, with all the Circumstances surrounding the murder of our

daughter Elly Rose Warren. Therefore I am now in a “strong position” to finally

write a full factual summary of Circumstances below.

the murder of ELLY Rose WARREN Summary of circumstances

Elly Warren was an Australian woman who was murdered at Tofo Beach the province of Inhambane in the South Eastern part of Mozambique in 2016. Elly was born and raised in Mordialloc a suburb of Melbourne attending Parkdale Secondary College. Upon her return from Mozambique she had planned to attend James Cook University to study marine biology.

Elly was in Mozambique on a six-week trip where she was volunteering and working alongside scientists for Underwater Africa, a volunteering marine research conservation program. She was travelling by herself in Africa and during her time in Mozambique she stayed in a hut bungalow at Casa Barry Lodge in a popular diving resort at Tofo Beach. The marine research team would take a boat out to the reefs off the coast of Tofo, a small fishing village where Elly would scuba dive with a team of Marine biologists and scientist exploring and studying the abundances of teeming marine life in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar.

On Tuesday November 8th 2016 Elly left Casa Barry Lodge as her six weeks program had finished, for accommodation at Wuyani Pariango backpackers in Tofo, where she had left her belongings. Elly was with friends that evening and was last seen talking with them at 11.30pm and she appeared normal with no “ripped apart t-shirt” seen on her at this time. This was the last time any of her friends had seen Elly alive. She was at the end of the six week program with Underwater Africa having been booked to arrive home on the 13th November 2016. However on Wednesday morning the 9th November, Elly's body was discovered by a local fisherman at 5am at a toilet block near a street market place in Tofo.

Initial Investigation

Directly after Elly’s death, there were inconsistent reports as to the cause of and manner of Elly’s death. Initially a Inhambane police spokesman Detective Juma Dauto said: "It looks like an accident" and "we are in doubt as to what could have happened." He went on: "She didn't have a scratch, didn't have a bruise on her indicating there was no violence or rape. I guarantee it. I have total confidence she was not raped. The community here is shocked, this has never happened. Everybody wants to know what happened." Right after her death, Melbourne newspaper The Age reported: “Australian government information — from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) and the Australian high commission in South Africa — suggests Elly was found on the beach near a toilet block possibly raped and murdered.”

The Mozambique autopsy given to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) through back channels in 2016 concluded it was a “violent death Homicide” with an “abundance of sand packing the airways”. There was a second autopsy in South Africa which stated the cause of death as aspirating a lot of sand packing her airways to the lower levels of her lungs. Surprisingly a third autopsy was asked for by the Melbourne Coroner at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) which found “no major sand in the airways whatsoever and not even any sand in both lungs as the Melbourne pathologist did not report finding any sand in her lungs in his autopsy report, consequently he concluded the death as “Undetermined” in 2016!!! This then raised the possibility at the time, did the Melbourne Pathologist examine the correct body at the VIFM by the family!!!!

Elly’s father was “very concerned” at this time as he had spoken directly with the South African pathologist over the phone on the 20th November 2016 and she informed him his daughter’s airways were “packed” with sand and that she “suspected Foul Play” with the marks on the face which had become more evident over time, 11 days after Elly’s death so it just did not add up at all that the Melbourne pathologist did not find Elly’s airways and lungs still with sand blocking her airways as he concluding her cause of death as Undetermined!!! A meeting was then arranged with the Melbourne Pathologist, family and AFP for a please explain all recorded with consent where the Melbourne Pathologist still states he found no sand whatsoever and would state this in court if asked, but he was very confident it was Elly’s body he had examined!!! It took 7 long years later for the family to have the coroner change the Melbourne pathologist finding of undetermined in 2016/17, at the inquest in 2023 to “aspirating a large amount of sand completely packing her airways “chockablock” causing her death”!!!!

There was a “radiology report” requested later in 2019 by Elly’s father. This report was generated from the CT Scan “just before” the Melbourne autopsy examination on the 22nd November 2016 and clearly showed very “high density readings” of sand 1290HU and 947HU equivalent to “cement density” and “bone density” in some areas of Elly’s airways with both lung trees completely filled with sand!!! This was later all confirmed as “solid factual evidence given” at the inquest in 2023 by the Radiologist!

It was also revealed later “vital material evidence” was also “overlooked” by the Melbourne pathologist, a ladies sanitary item which was removed and placed inside Elly’s body in a plastic bag by the South African Pathologist for repatriation to the Melbourne VIFM. This was later “confirmed” as solid facts by the South African pathologist in evidence given under oath at the inquest in 2023. A letter form Elly’s father was sent to the coroner Mr Bracken at the time asking for a full investigation into the missing evidence dated the 10th September 2019. (This is in Correspondence). The pathologist at the inquest has stated “that someone can be sexual assaulted and show no signs”!! However this vital evidence has never been “Found” at the VIFM and tested for DNA given the “highly suspicious circumstances” of Elly’s death at the time!!! This was a “huge disappointment for Elly’s family” as this was “CRITICAL” material evidence which has “never” been found and should have been forensically tested for DNA!!!

After Elly’s father’s phone call with Dr Klepp she contacted the Australian Embassy in Pretoria the next day 21st November 2016.

An email was given to the family from DFAT on the 13th December 2016 stating and confirming that;- ‘Dr Klepp had spoken to the father and he has given her permission requesting to ask for any information or documentation be given to her’. ‘Dr Klepp also noted that she was waiting for toxicology results before determining the nature of Ms Warren’s death, Highlighting that she believed the facial injuries particularly bruising and abrasions around her mouth, had become more marked with time and suggested that Ms Warren had been held face down in the sand resulting in death by aspiration.

However later on at a meeting in South African with Dr Klepp on my first trip over in October 2018, I showed her the email from DFAT above and she said these were only “objective findings”. Interesting to note Dr Klepp was only ever given Dr Lynch Autopsy report and not the Mozambique autopsy report at this time as I had given it to her for the first time at this meeting!!!! She was very happy that the Mozambique autopsy report concurred with her findings especially with the “packed sand in the airways”!! However she did say “Homicide is up to a judge to determine accounting for all circumstances involving the facts of how the death accrued”. The AFP and coroner’s court were very much aware of all these circumstances with Dr Klepp in 2016!!!!

DFAT received an official Mozambique police report on the 6th April 2017. This police report stated Elly died from a drug overdose!!! DFAT directly informed the Mozambique police who sent this report, of their own autopsy report which had stated in its conclusion that it was a “violent death of Homicide” and four days later a revised police report was sent out to DFAT on the 10th April stating it is now a homicide!!

Elly’s father was “furious” with these “two police reports” contacting the high commissioner directly at the Australian embassy in Pretoria, prompting a visit from the Australian high commissioner to meet with the Mozambique officials in Maputo, May 2017 to please explain these circumstances of the two police reports!! What had also outraged Elly’s father even more at this time was the fact the AFP had obviously completely “misinformed” the family all this time that the Mozambique police were doing a proper investigation at this early stage!! It was at this point in time the father knew he could not even trust his own Australian authorities taking the investigation of his daughter murder into his own hands trusting no one!!!!!

There was “comprehensive toxicology screening” completed by both Australia and South Africa all returning a “Negative result”.

The second official Mozambique “revised police report from SERNIC” which was given to the AFP by DFAT on the 10th April 2017, confirmed as its all mentioned in the AFP Action Sheet!! This report states they are now treating Ms Warren’s death as a “Homicide”. However no mention of a “ripped apart top” in this “official revised Mozambique police report”!! This is when it was confirmed to the AFP in April 2017 that Elly’s death was being treated as a “crime” by the top Mozambique crime police authorities SERNIC!!

This is the requirement by the AFP to send the Official Mutual Assistance Request (MAR) to officially offer our direct assistance/support, with the homicide investigation of an Australian citizen in their country. However the AFP has not sent this Attorney General to Attorney General official MAR request to this day!!! In a letter to the coroner in June 2023 the Mozambique Deputy Attorney General has directly stated the only “official process they will accept is the official MAR” confirming how much they “respect this official process between our two countries”!!!

It must also be “noted” in the AFP submissions to the then coroner Mr Bracken early 2021 at No 40 that a Mozambique government official has officially stated;-

“it was always possible for a joint operation with the AFP”.

However the Australian authorities had never sent the “official” MAR to the Mozambique Attorney General after a “crime” was confirmed by their top criminal authority SERNIC, with their “revised” Mozambique police report on the 10th April 2017, for the Mozambique Government to consider our official offer of assistance from our Australian Attorney General. With the above AFP submissions it was more than likely they would have agreed if given the official offer to agree at this critical time with our offer to help with our daughter’s murder investigation in their country. The AFP and Australian government just never bothered to send the “Official MAR” to support an Australian family in these diabolical circumstances of a loved one murdered overseas!!!!!

What is even more “disturbing to the family” is the AFP’s attempts to “camouflage” this official Mozambique “revised” police report from the coroner Mr Cain in Mr Warren oral submissions at the inquest in 2023. Their motive was this revised police report from SERNIC clarifies it as a “crime”, therefore the requirement to send the MAR to offer our “Official” assistance with the crime of an Australian in a foreign country. These “facts” are in the official court transcript, oral submissions Blog and at the bottom of this summary.

The AFP claim it was an autopsy report on page 13 of Their Action Sheet “when in actual fact” this was a revised Mozambique police report and from their “top Criminal Authority SERNIC” with a “casefile No 775/2016,” “Homicide of an Australian citizen Elly Rose Warren”. This was sent to the AFP by DFAT on the 10th April 2017!!!!!

Mutual Assistance Request ACT 1987, (MAR) officially implemented for all countries around the world to open up communication channels to offer assistance in any way possible with serious issues involving the countries concerned!

Private investigation in 2018

In October 2018, Elly's father traveled to Mozambique with a team from 60 Minutes Australia. Upon arriving in Tofo he was able to trace his daughter’s last foot steps leaving notice with several locals requesting information about his daughter's death. This resulted in a quick response and within 24 hours he was shown a clear photo taken by a local fisherman who found her body at 5am. This was the first time the family or coroner at this time, Mr Bracken knew about this “clear photo” two years after Elly’s death!!

In this clear photo Elly was laying flat on a firm sandy pathway next to a toilet block with her “top completely ripped apart and underwear around her knees”. Two witnesses at 6.30am said they saw her body later at the crime scene as they said they may be able to identify who it was and they said her body was in a “Muslim prayer position” at this time!! The father accepted the theory that this was done by the investigating police officers in an attempt to cover up the fact Elly had been murdered at the crime scene, making it look more like an accident had occurred as the clear photo he was given by the local fisherman showed her body laying flat on the ground at 5am that same morning!! The family has solid factual evidence which proves this without question!!

Nicole, Elly’s mother and step father David acquired the services of a private investigator who was on the ground in Tofo early 2019 just after Elly’s father’s visit to Tofo. Their investigator did not really unearth any more information from what Elly’s father did in October 2018, except for one very important witness who was one of the first to attend the crime scene very early that morning at 5.30am. He was a prodigious business owner in Tofo well respected for holding some weight in the community. Elly’s father had tracked down the business owner in Tofo when he was there asking to speak with him which he agreed to and one of the very important comments he made was, “ He took control at the time and told the police to rope off the area and let no one in”. However when Nicole and David’s investigator had spoken to this same Business Owner three months later in 2019 he had “Completely,” “changed his story”!!! The family has “solid facts” proving this to be the factual circumstances without question!!!

This becomes “critical” when looking at all the circumstantial evidence involving the cover-up early that morning at the crime scene 5.30-6.30am. This is due to the solid circumstantial evidence which indicates it was “highly probable” the ripped apart T-Shirt had been “switched over” early that morning at the crime scene adding to the factual reason why it has not been reported as ripped apart by anyone, doctor or police at the crime scene or even submitted as “critical trace evidence placed into evidence to be forensically analysed for DNA.!!!!

However the Mozambique police do not have the technology for extracting DNA from clothing, this is one area the Mutual Assistance Request would have “Played a Critical Key Role” in as the AFP has one of the “state of the art Forensic Laboratories in the World”!!! If not to test the top, especially with Elly’s underwear and other clothes she was wearing at the time of her death!! Elly’s clothes were eventually incinerated at the Maputo Central Hospital some time after as no one came to retrieve these clothes!!! The Mozambique police did not place her clothes into evidence because they can’t do anything with this critical evidence!!! The director of the hospital told the family they hang on to the clothes for some time for the family to pick up, but if no one comes after time they are then destroyed!!!! This then, later on became “Critical” as the Mozambique police had suspects but not enough evidence to charge anyone!!!!

Elly’s father returned to Tofo for a second time to post a reward in October 2019. However the locals are very much intimidated by the local police and were “especially afraid to talk about Elly’s murder”!! Elly’s father was already aware of this before he went to Tofo for the second time but as there had been no solid leads on the case this left him no choice but to return and post a reward in the hope it may generate some new information and leads after three years.

Elly’s mother launched a petition on Change.org asking Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the time for help in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. The petition read in part: “We ask Scott Morrison as Prime Minister of Australia to intervene in this case to put pressure on the Mozambique government to allow Australia to provide an investigation team to work with the Mozambique police to solve Elly’s murder and give her some justice.” After two weeks, the petition grew to more than thirty-six thousand signatures. However this turned out to be a complete waste of time and effort!!

Mr Bill Shorten, the then Federal Leader of the Opposition, and called for diplomatic action in support of the family from the Australian government related to Ms Warren's death.

Further Cover-ups

Mr Warren’s investigations over the years that followed revealed far more “reaching cover-ups and deception”!!!

Another official Mozambique police report was given to DFAT on the 20th August 2020 and this “comprehensive report” has “still” not mentioned the “critical fact” that the t-shirt Elly was wearing at the time of her death was” ripped apart totally destroyed” in this updated official Mozambique police report from “SERNIC” Mozambique’s top criminal authority ”!!! I reiterate this report was “comprehensive” and detailed with all the circumstances of evidence concerning the case, but no mention of a ripped apart top!!!!

However the photo taken by the local Fisherman who found Elly’s body at 5am “tells the truth” and clearly shows the top is “completely destroyed and ripped apart” from Elly’s right shoulder and all the way down her right side!! This ripped apart top “exposes the Mozambique police cover-up” at the crime scene early that morning before the doctor and Investigating team turned up at the crime scene that same morning at around 9am form their headquarters in nearby Inhambane!!

There has been “no ripped apart top mentioned” from either the crime scene doctor, chief inspector, Mozambique investigating team or “reports from meetings” with the AFP who were on the ground in Tofo on the 18th November 2016, taking detailed notes from the doctor who attended the crime scene at 9am and examined Elly body later that afternoon at the Inhambane hospital. The doctor removed all of Elly’s clothes and “money from her bra” as reported to the AFP and also in their official AFP Action Sheet!!!!! “ There is No mention here whatsoever from this examining doctor at the crime scene about a “ripped apart top” not even in the AFP Action Sheet with the detailed notes taken by the AFP/Senior Liaison Officer (SLO) at this meeting on the 18th November 2016!!! In Fact “NO AFP, DFAT, Mozambique police or doctor in their reports have ever mentioned the top as ripped apart to this day”!!!!

This is “solid” circumstantial evidence, therefore either way you “look” at it, it

is a cover-up!!!! The ripped top was “never reported at the crime scene by

anyone” or the “ripped apart top was not on Elly’s body” that morning when

the doctor and Mozambique crime investigating team turned up at the crime

scene at around 9am!!!!!!

However the AFP were clearly “fully aware” that the ripped apart top “exposed the Mozambique police cover up” at the crime scene in 2016 as this “clear version” of the crime scene photograph was given to the AFP in November 2016 by the Australian, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) only “ONE” week after Elly’s murder. “No report” to the coroner on this critical crime scene photograph from the AFP who are “responsible” for this crime evidence as the governing police body for overseas matters!!!! Therefore why no action taken by the Australian authorities and Government, is it then possible this was “elevated” to a “diplomatic issue” which required some “sweeping under the carpet”!!!!!

The family also has the “solid facts here” and it’s all in the blog below 16th June 2025 with all the supporting evidence!!!

An official letter was also sent to coroner Mr Cain just before the inquest on the 19th June 2023, where for the very “first time” the AFP had “officially acknowledged” receiving the “clear version” of the crime scene photograph in November 2016 after “seven years” clearly showing the ripped apart top and all the critical evidence at the crime scene at 5am taken by the local fisherman at Tofo beach toilet block on the 9th November 2016!!!

With No action by the AFP, Australian government and the coroner’s court after 6 years the family had no option but to protest (Photo above) on the steps of the Australian Parliament in Melbourne at the end of 2022. This protest finally had some effect as a hearing was soon scheduled by the coroner soon after on the 20th February 2023.

The AFP were directly asked by the coroner Mr Cain at this hearing in February 2023 to “move heaven and earth” for the family to find some answers. This “Finally Prompted” the AFP to send a commander over to speak with the Mozambique officials in May 2023 after 7 years!! The AFP were informed by the Mozambique deputy Attorney General that they are still treating Ms Warren’s death as a homicide and that they have suspects but not enough evidence to charge anyone!! An inquest followed in August that year which produced strong “quality-compelling evidence” to the fact Elly was murdered. However the coroner for some reason was reluctant to clarify Elly’s death as a murder just saying it’s a possibility!!!! However the gaps in evidence before the inquest mentioned by the coroner at the hearing in February 2023 were proven due to the compelling evidence given by witnesses at the inquest for the coroner to “change” the Melbourne pathologist conclusion of death as Undetermined to the obstruction of an abundance of sand packing Elly’s airways chockablock. Therefore it is not physically possible for Elly to inhale sand on her own to this degree packing her airways chockablock from the compelling evidence given by the witnesses at the inquest, especially at the location where her body was found laying completely flat with her head in a straight normal position with her face and chin clearly resting on top of a firm sandy walking path around the toilet block!!

The AFP sent a letter on the 24th October 2024 informing the family that the Mozambique judge responsible for the criminal investigation has ordered the judicial process regarding Ms Warren homicide be closed as there was “insufficient evidence” to proceed with the matter to charge any perpetrators!!!

How critical then was the key trace evidence here, Elly’s “clothes” and the

missing material evidence the “ladies sanitary item”!!!

Would it have made a difference if the AFP had of retrieved this critical trace evidence, Elly’s clothes she was wearing at the time of her death which should have been given “top priority” by the AFP as they were “on the ground in Tofo only 9 days after Elly’s murder” and No one came to pick up this vital trace evidence from the hospital. Elly’s clothes were there to be picked up before they were eventually destroyed later on as the director of the hospital where she had her autopsy has stated to the family they keep the clothes for some time for the family to pick up at the Maputo central hospital. They were fully aware this was a suspicious death of a foreigner therefore they were aware of how important these clothes were at the time. The Mozambique police obviously had no interest in her clothes at this time as the inspector who accompanied Elly’s body had left them at the hospital! However they were “not aware” of their own Tofo police cover-up at this time with the T-shirt but the AFP were!!!

Elly’s family will not know if it would have made a difference as this critical trace evidence was never analysed for any DNA!!! A drop of sweat, skin cells from a hand grip ripping the top etc. But was this the ripped top!! I realise the AFP are not Homicide detectives but surly they were aware how important Elly’s clothes were for DNA!!! The other angle here is did they want to retrieve these clothes as it would have exposed the cover-up without question!!!

The other critical trace evidence ladies sanitary item, well I really don’t know what to say here it has never been found!!!! All This vital trace evidence has never even been mentioned in the official AFP action sheet, Elly’s other clothes were mentioned which were in her suitcase but not the clothes “Elly was wearing at the time of her death”!!!

Elly’s father has sent a report to the commissioner of the AFP on the 27th May 2024 detailing their discrepancies with the case with no reply to date, only acknowledgement that the AFP commissioner had received the report. He has sent letters/emails to the Australian government for an inquiry/Investigation into the handling of his daughter’s investigation by the Australian authorities and “five times” they have referred the matter back to the AFP!!! The commonwealth ombudsman has all the factual evidence with all the supporting facts however they also keep stalling!!!

“An Inquiry is necessary to prevent these unjust circumstances from happening

to other Australian families in the future”.

Elly was a “proud Australian” and her country and authorities abandoned her!!!

Note;- If on a Mobile phone click top right, three lines to open up all headings, Blogs at the top of the page.

All the blogs are the facts and I have all the supporting facts which would hold up in a court of law.

The resent two blogs, updated and added are especially interesting facts with all the factual supporting evidence attached :-

Click on dates to open links to blogs below.

22 August 2025:-

Elly Warren's Fathers Report on the Coroner's Findings. (Note this is still work in progress.)

This report on the coroner’s findings is in systematic order. These are the relevant points of reference from the Coroner’s findings in more detail and charily ensuring all the relevant facts are mentioned which were overlooked or not explained fully in the coroner’s findings.

5 January 2024;-

Also My oral submissions were made directly to the coroner Mr Cain on the 11th December 2023. This blog further supports the strong relevant compelling facts, with Elly’s father’s further attempts to clarify the circumstances of his daughter’s murder to the coroner Mr Cain.

Photos of Tofo Mozambique