Updates flow chart on Elly’s Murder investigation

Elly Warren Case – Complete Chronological Timeline (2016–2026)

A detailed, fact-based timeline of Elly Rose Warren’s death in Mozambique, the investigation, AFP and government actions, and correspondence. All dates, events, evidence, and outcomes are included to ensure clarity and transparency.

2016 – 2017, Initial Investigation and AFP/DFAT Engagement

9th November 2016 – Death

Elly Warren was found deceased in Tofo Mozambique under highly suspicious circumstances.
Fisherman takes a vital crime scene photo at around 5am. Tells No one he took the Photo at the crime scene.
Mozambique Police Open investigation Chief inspector suspects body was moved as sand is different in Elly’s mouth to where she was found at the crime scene. Warrants Homicide investigation with suspicious circumstances discovered at crime scene.
Elly’s mouth was found packed, chockablock with sand. In the photograph taken by the fisherman at 5am Elly’s t- shirt is totally ripped apart however the ripped apart top is not reported by Chief inspector or Doctor at the crime scene at 9am on the 9th November 2016.
A witness who was asked by police to identify Elly’s body also finds it strange that her mouth is packed full with sand on the firm surface where her body was found.

12-13-14th November 2016 – Autopsy

Maputo Central Hospital conducts, autopsy on 14/11/2016. Concluding violent death homicide. Airways packed full with sand (abundant as recorded in autopsy report) Elly’s body was transported by road from Tofo due to extensive flooding at the time closing all local airports. Therefore Moz-Autopsy was conducted 5 days after Elly’s death and her airways were still packed with sand.
12-13th,The Australian Honorary Consul attended the crime scene. Fisherman informs him that he had taken a photograph of Elly’s body when he found her at 5am. There are two versions, one blurred and later the fisherman sends the photo to the Honorary Consul by email which is the clear version clearly showing Elly top ripped apart.
The Honorary consul sends both versions blurred and clear separately to the Australian embassy in Pretoria.
Clothing worn by Elly at death is retained at Maputo hospital for family or authorities to retrieve.
Clothing Elly was wearing at the time of her death critical for DNA; the hospital. aware of importance due to homicide findings. retrains clothes, but after time when no one retrieves clothes they are eventually incinerated.

16th 17th &18th November 2016 – AFP/SLO & DFAT translator Arrives in Inhambane. meeting with the Chief Inspector Attended the crime scene and had very important MeetingS with officials. (Elly’s clothes at time of her death were not retrieved by AFP for DNA analysis from maputo hospital)!!

16/09/2016 South African Autopsy conducted by Dr Klepp also discovers a large volume of sand in Elly’s airways and states; the cause of death as aspirating a very large amount of sand while still alive combined with abrasions and bruising especially around the mouth and lips which had become more evident over time 7 days after, therefore Dr Klepp suspected Foul Play and stated this to me over the phone not long after she conducted her autopsy.
17th AFP/SLO and DFAT/SLO meet the Chief Inspector in Inhambane having to change flights both ways at Maputo.

AFP /Senior Liaison Officer (SLO) and DFAT/SLO translator deployed to support Victorian Coroner 17&18th November 2016.
Chief Inspector obliging granting permission to visit the crime scene in Tofo 20mins drive away.
Chief inspector was cooperative in allowing AFP/SLO to enter Tofo to investigate on behalf of the coroner informing the AFP/SLO that he can pick up Elly’s suitcase and backpack belongings on their return to Inhambane airport for their flight back.
Mozambique police were uninterested in vital clothing Elly’s was wearing at the time of her death. The inspector who accompanied her body to Maputo for the autopsy had left her clothes there at the hospital as they were not capable of any DNA testing.
The AFP/SLO and DFATS translator attended vital meetings with crime scene doctor, Chief inspector, prosecutors and chief health minister.
17th-18 November the AFP/SLO had taken vital notes from meetings and some belongings, but not clothing worn at the time of Elly’s death, however when in Maputo changing flights it was possible to attend Maputo central hospital where Elly’s autopsy was conducted three days earlier 14th November to obtain evidence (Clothes) and talk with hospital staff and doctor.
Obtains a vital sand sample from crime scene. Is made aware that they suspect Elly’s body of being moved post-mortem by Moz chief inspector. AFP Action Sheet records vital notes for records in Action Sheet. No report from AFP/SLO on any critical above evidence to the coroner. Trace evidence, sand sample was not officially entered into evidence with the AFP/SLO statement.

All Mozambique authorities are obliging in organizing vital meetings with the AFP/SLO and crime scene Doctor Chief inspector, prosecutors and chief health Minister. however at all these meetings there is no mention of Elly’s ripped apart top a clear indication that Elly had a physical struggle for her life!!
Elly’s autopsy was at the Maputo central hospital three days earlier on 14th November where her clothes were still available for retrieval as the family contacted the hospital director later on in 2019/20 and he told the Family and also the Independent investigator Mr Roos that they keep the clothes for some time for the family or Authorities to retrieve before they are eventually incinerated. The AFP/SLO obtains a vital sand sample from the crime scene. Is made aware by the chief inspector they suspect Elly’s body of being moved post-mortem. AFP Action Sheet records vital notes for records of Sand sample. No report from AFP/SLO on above evidence to the coroner upon return. sand sample not officially entered into evidence by the AFP/SLO as it was never entered in his official statement!
Outcome: vital Opportunity for DNA analysis lost in not attending Maputo hospital when in Maputo for change of flights going over and returning only three days after Elly’s autopsy. The chief inspector was obliging in granting permission to the crime scene and to obtain Elly’s other clothes on or the next day after 17th-18th. Informed the AFP/SLO they suspected the body was moved still No report to coroner. (This was confirmed at the inquest with evidence given by the AFP/SLO later) However there were very important notes entered in the AFP/SLO action sheet. The important AFP/SLO Action Sheet is not revealed to the coroner by the AFP until 2020/21. The then coroner Mr Bracken asked the AFP at a hearing did they take any investigation notes or records!! The AFP then had no choice to expose their Action Sheet as they were directly asked by the Coroner!

20-21-22th November 2016 phone call to Dr klepp South African Pathologist.

The family was advised to obtain a second autopsy in South Africa which was conducted by Dr Klepp on the 16th November 2016.
I phoned Dr Klepp on the 20th and she explained to me what she found with her examination, that Elly’s airways was packed with sand and that she was very concerned as combined with the marks and abrasions around her mouth and lips it was looking like a suspicious death. I then asked her did she think foul play was involved here and she said; “ It is looking that way Mr Warren”
On the 21th the next day Dr Klepp contacted the Australian embassy and reported; that the marks on the face became more evident over time, therefore she suspected Elly’s head had been held face down into the sand causing her to aspirate a large amount of sand causing death.
22/11/2016 Melbourne pathologist conducts a third autopsy the Family was not aware that a third autopsy was asked for by the coroner otherwise we would not have asked for the second autopsy in South Africa, Elly’s family was informed at the last minute about the Melbourne Autopsy.
Outcome ; Dr Klepp confirms Packed sand and concerning abrasions to the face suspects Foul play. However a Melbourne pathologist near the same time classifies Elly’s death as Undetermined on the 22nd November 2016. The Melbourne pathologist further states 11 months later at a meeting with family all recorded with consent;
“If I was asked in court” ,”You didn’t find any sand did you’ I would have to say”, “(No I didn't) “

25TH- 19th December November 2016 – Crime Scene Photo

DFAT provides AFP/SLO with a clear crime scene photograph on the 25th November 2016 clearly showing Elly’s half naked body and top ripped from her shoulder all the way down her torso. Still No report sent to the coroner by the Australian governing police authority the AFP! In fact to this day there has been no report on the clear crime scene photograph to the coroner from the AFP who is in total control of police matters overseas!!
Notes: No report sent to the coroner! Vital evidence of a struggle clearly seen in photograph; not submitted to coroner in 2016/17 by the AFP/SLO!!
AFP/SLO after having the clear crime photo to analyse for 14 days he then hands it over to the Chief inspector by email on the 8th December. (recorded in his action sheet on this date) The coroner is still not informed and still No report sent to the coroner even though this evidence clearly shows highly suspicious circumstances showing a struggle has occurred with the top clearly ripped apart!!
Later none of the above vital evidence is entered in his official AFP/SLO’s report or statement sent to the coroner. Its as if this vital evidence never existed by the AFP! The AFP/SLO statement was sent to the coroner on the 17th August 2017 and he has still not disclosed the “clear photo” or that “he handed it over to the chief inspector”. Also the trace evidence, sand sample was not entered into his official statement to the coroner and therefore was not officially entered into evidence!! later in 2023 with an official letter June 16th from the Australian Government Solicitor to the coroner which the AFP still does not disclose in this official letter that the AFP/SLO had passed on the clear photo to the Mozambique chief inspector on the 8th December 2016. However it is in official records on this date that the AFP/SLO had passed on this vital clear photo clearly showing Elly’s top ripped apart and naked body without asking the families or coroners permission to do so!! (AFP - Action Sheet Pg. 11). This is also confirmed by an official letter from the assistant secretary of DFAT Claire McComish on the 22nd March 2019 stating:
‘ The Honorary Consul later received an unblurred version from the local fisherman of the same photo however it is unclear whether you (Elly’s family) received this. ‘ The photo was passed to the Mozambique police by the AFP/SLO on the 8th December 2016.
19th December meeting with two AFP officers at my home. They informed me of the Mozambique autopsy conclusion that Elly died a violet/Homicide. They also informed me that the investigation was the jurisdiction of the Mozambique authorities and that they could not interfere with another country’s investigation. The Melbourne doctor concluded undetermined and that the coroner may make her decision in chambers on the case.

Nov–Dec 2016 summary –AFP is allowed on the gRound to provide assistance to the coroner

AFP with boots on the ground attending crime scene and vital meetings taking vital notes, trace evidence sample (Sand) and photographs.
Vital evidence was obtained but the coroner was not informed. No report sent to the coroner in 2016/17 by the AFP/SLO.
No action was taken even though the AFP/SLO was aware of highly suspicious circumstances with the Clear photo ,Ripped apart top and body moved post-mortem in 2016 with No official Mutual Assistance Request (MAR) sent by the AFP through the Australian Attorney General.( Body moved, was clarifies by the AFP/SLO that the Moz chief inspector alluded to the fact the body was moved in a meeting on the 18th Nov-2016 with evidence given at the inquest as it is in notes in his action sheet Pg.9)
Mozambique Autopsy concludes Elly’s death as Violent /Homicide (Abundant sand found throughout her airways)
Revised SERNIC police report 10th April confirms and classify Elly’s death as a Crime of Homicide. However still no MAR sent by the AFP even though this meets the AFP’s requirement to send the MAR!!
Evidence: vital evidence given to the AFP overwhelmingly supports suspicious circumstances not reported to the coroner!
Notes: No clear crime photo or report on ripped top ever sent to coroner on highly suspicious circumstances 2016/17 by the AFP/SLO. Family also not informed of this vital evidence the clear photograph and MAR options available for reassessment of the case; police-to-police offers are weak, often rejected internationally. Countries generally respect coroners investigation.

2017 – Mozambique police Reports and AFP Inaction

April 2017 – SERNIC police Reports

DFAT 6th April receives overdose Mozambique police report.
DFAT & AFP 10th April receives “revised” SERNIC Mozambique report (Case 775/2016) confirming Elly’s death as a homicide.
The AFP/SLO and AFP was aware of the homicide classification; however, the AFP Action Sheet does not disclose or properly expose the SERNIC Mozambique police report and instead appears to downplay its significance by withholding the critical homicide classification from the Action Sheet itself mentioned on the 10th April 2017 Pg. 13. No Mutual Assistance request (MAT) was sent, and no formal investigative action was taken to submit the clear crime scene photograph report or secure Elly’s clothing for examination for the Coroner.
Homicide clarification obtained revised SERNIC police report the mandate for AFP to officially submit Mutual assistance request (MAR). Still not sent in 2017!
Conclusion: Critical evidence remains unsubmitted; clothing not pursued for DNA. Homicide classification clarified by SERNIC Moz-criminial police but No MAR sent!

2016–2021 – AFP Oversight

AFP Actions: were supposed to be conducting fact-finding missions in Tofo, Mozambique supporting the coronial investigation. Most of the vital evidence was never given to the coroner or pathologist in 2016/17 by the AFP who are responsible for any suspicious death of an Australian citizen overseas in support of the coronial investigation!!
Evidence: AFP Action Sheet 2016–2018. Critical evidence of the AFP Action Sheet Not submitted to Coroner until hearings December 2021/22!! Entered as evidence in the coronial brief.
Official letter from the assistant secretary of DFAT Claire McComish on the 22nd March 2019 to the family. (Detailed above) This is also added into the coronial Brief as evidence.
Notes: No official MAR sent to this day; family largely uninformed; As critical evidence withheld and not disclosed for years by the AFP!!

February 2021 – Coroner Bracken Orders the AFP to send official request

Coroner instructs AFP to send formal MAR to Mozambique due to AFP Submissions disclosing Mozambique official stating at No 40:
‘It was always possible for the AFP to have a joint operation’”
However Elly’s family finds out later the AFP only sends a personal letter, not formal MAR.
Delayed 6 years; family discovers MAR was not sent only a letter; formal cooperation obstructed after Mr Bracken asked the AFP to send a formal request!
Mr Bracken asked AFP why they did not record anything for the coroner in 2016/17. This forces AFP to expose there Action sheet at hearing six years later!!
Coroner hearings: transcript as factual evidence confirms all above facts.

2021–2023 – SERNIC Reopens Homicide Investigation and Vital Information Emerges Before the Inquest

Note: I have provided greater detail in the flow chart below, as during this timeframe there were significant and highly important developments occurring prior to the inquest, including witnesses and the emergence of official records that support what the family has maintained throughout the case. This is particularly relevant in relation to concerns regarding the AFP’s level of involvement and the non-disclosure of what I consider to be vital evidence to the coroner and family in 2016/17!

In 2021, Mozambique authorities formally reopened the investigation into Elly Warren’s death as a homicide investigation through SERNIC (National Criminal Investigation Service). Family investigator Mr Roos and lawyer work alongside SERNIC police with the case. This was a highly significant development, confirming that Mozambique investigators had major concerns and continued to treat Elly’s death as a homicide investigation.
During this period, the AFP’s involvement was largely limited to ongoing discussions and liaison meetings that failed to progress into any substantive investigative outcomes. From my perspective, these repeated discussions led nowhere, particularly in the absence of a formal Mutual Assistance Request (MAR), which carries far greater legal authority and investigative weight, and which the AFP were fully aware of in these circumstances. Instead, the process appeared to serve little practical purpose beyond creating the impression that meaningful action was being undertaken. I was left with the clear view that what I considered to be repeated delays and deflection tactics were being used, where the family was continually told that progress was being made in order to keep us reassured, when in reality no genuine investigative advancement was occurring.
Consequently, the process became a complete waste of time and effort, while critical opportunities to properly progress the matter continued to be lost over time. From where I stand, it has at times felt as though the expectation was that I would eventually just go away. After more than 10 years of delay, it is difficult not to believe that the cumulative effect of this process has placed immense strain on the family, while allowing the matter itself to remain unresolved and largely unaddressed.
If this had happened to me, Elly would have been the same, definitely even more so, without question, and the Australian authorities would not have known what hit them!
Elly would have been the same. She didn’t go away when something mattered, she held on and pushed until she got answers. She was like a dog with a bone. She was relentless. We were both defiant in character. That’s exactly where I’m at now. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not letting this go, not now, not ever, until there are real answers and accountability.
Mr Roos, Nicole (Mother) and Elly’s step father David private investigator had reached out to the AFP however they declined his offer for help with the murder of an Australian citizen, Critically Elly’s clothes she was wearing were not retrieved for forensic DNA testing, In fact know DNA testing was carried out on any trace evidence obtained despite Mozambique investigators identifying solid suspects. The AFP had the state of the art Forensic laboratory and still they declined Mr Roos offer for assistance!! This represented a major missed investigative opportunity at a crucial early stage of the case, when forensic evidence is often most valuable, and may have permanently compromised the ability to recover key evidence and ultimately weakened the prospects of achieving some definitive answers.
Frustrated by years of unanswered questions and ongoing failures by authorities, Elly’s family publicly protested on the steps of Parliament House in late 2022, demanding action and accountability. Consequently this raised concerns as In February 2023, the Coroner conducted a further hearing and again accepted that a full inquest was necessary to obtain answers, acknowledging that there were clear gaps in the available evidence before formally setting a date for the inquest. However, key witnesses who may have been able to address or resolve many of these evidentiary gaps were not called, leaving significant issues unresolved and contributing to ongoing concerns about the completeness of the relevant information available to the inquest.
An official letter sent to Mr Cain on 16th June 2023 from the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) later confirmed that the AFP had officially been provided with the clear crime scene photograph in November 2016, specifically on 25th November 2016. This was the first time, approximately seven years later, that it was formally acknowledged in writing by the AFP that they had obtained the clear photograph clearly showing highly suspicious circumstances. The letter also confirmed that the Honorary Consul obtained the clear photograph directly from the fisherman after leaving Tofo, before forwarding it to the Australian Embassy in Pretoria.
A critically important clarification arises from this correspondence. The AGS letter makes clear that the photograph initially provided to the AFP/SLO by the Honorary Consul was only the “blurred version” at that time, and that this blurred version was the one referenced only in the AFP/SLO’s official statement to the coroner, with the clear version never being included or recorded in the AFP/SLO’s statement. However, the AFP/SLO later passed the clear crime scene photograph to the Mozambique Chief Inspector on 8th December, as recorded in his own action sheet, conclusively demonstrating that the AFP/SLO had prior knowledge of, and later access to, the clear image. This indicates that the clear photograph was independently obtained at a subsequent point and was not part of the original material formally documented in the AFP/SLO statement as the AGS letter clearly proves!!
Despite the extraordinary significance of this evidence in the Clear photo, these facts were completely absent from the AFP/SLO’s official statement to the Coroner dated 17th August 2017. There was no disclosure that the AFP had acquired the clear photograph, no explanation as to how it was obtained, and no acknowledgment that it had been forwarded to the Mozambique Chief Inspector in his official statement!!
This omission is profoundly serious!! The clear crime scene photograph was vital evidence directly relevant to the condition of Elly’s clothing, including the ripped top, the positioning of the body, and the surrounding circumstances at the scene. The failure to disclose the AFP’s possession and transmission of this photograph meant that, during 2016–2017, the Coroner was denied full and accurate knowledge of “critical evidence” already known to the AFP at the time.
This raises grave concerns regarding transparency, disclosure obligations, and the overall reliability and completeness of the AFP’s conduct during the early stages of the coronial investigation into Elly’s suspicious death. It further raises serious questions as to whether key evidence was withheld, minimised, or not properly presented to the Coroner, resulting in the inquest proceeding without access to highly significant factual material directly relevant to the circumstances surrounding Elly’s death.
The omission of these facts is not a minor administrative oversight. It goes directly to the integrity of the evidence presented to the Coroner and undermines confidence in the accuracy and completeness of the AFP’s submissions during the formative stages of the coronial process. The fact that the AFP possessed, transmitted, and relied upon a clear crime scene photograph while failing to disclose this to the Coroner in 2016/17 raises deeply troubling questions also about whether the inquest was conducted with access to the full factual picture known to authorities at the time.
Further concerns emerged in a second official letter sent to Mr Cain on 19th June 2023. This correspondence confirmed that Mozambique authorities had “reaffirmed” the homicide classification previously issued by the Director-General in August 2020. It also stated that Mozambique investigators had identified a solid suspect, but currently lacked sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.
The Deputy Mozambique Attorney-General further confirmed that Mozambique authorities would “only accept” and formally recognise an official Mutual Assistance Request (MAR) for the release of the Mozambique case file, unequivocally demonstrating the seriousness, legal authority, and formal importance the Mozambique Government placed on the MAR process as the proper government-to-government mechanism between Australia and Mozambique. Despite this, Australian authorities failed to treat the matter with the same seriousness or urgency, and consequently no MAR has ever been submitted to this day, resulting in the ongoing failure to formally obtain the full Mozambique case file through the recognised legal process expressly required by Mozambique authorities. Had the MAR been submitted in 2016, it may have opened the door to far greater transparency, formal cooperation, and direct assistance between Mozambique authorities and the AFP, including access to critical evidence, official records, and investigative material that was otherwise never formally obtained. However it must be “strongly noted” the Mozambique government still needs to agree to the MAR official request but we never gave them the opportunity to, as we have never sent the official MAR for them to be placed in that position to agree or Disagree!!
I reiterate that Mozambique authorities also lacked the forensic capabilities to properly test or analyse potential trace evidence, whereas Australia had access to state-of-the-art forensic laboratories and advanced forensic expertise capable of conducting comprehensive forensic examination and testing of critical evidence that may have materially assisted both the investigation and the Coroner.
Importantly, this correspondence confirmed that, years after Elly’s death, Mozambique authorities continued to formally treat the matter as a homicide investigation in an attempt to identify suspects. This stood in stark contrast to the limited scope and presentation of evidence advanced during the earlier Australian proceedings before the Coroner. It raised serious questions as to whether Australian authorities withheld, failed to disclose, or failed to properly present critical evidence and investigative information known to Mozambique investigators at the time. As a result, the Coroner and Elly’s family were never provided with the full extent of the information, intelligence, and investigative findings surrounding Elly’s suspicious death.
The same official correspondence given to the coroner in 2023 also revealed that Investigator Mr Roos held vital and updated information regarding the case through his ongoing work directly with SERNIC inspectors. Despite this, he was not called as a relevant witness at the inquest. In addition, no AFP reports relating to these developments were properly produced or examined during the proceedings. The AFP submissions to the inquest were therefore misleading and failed to present the full factual position known at the time.
Throughout 2022/23, suspects continued to be questioned by Mozambique authorities. However, the investigation remained significantly limited due to the absence of critical forensic evidence, including DNA testing that could have been obtained from Elly’s clothing during the earlier stages of the investigation.
The family was placed in a serious confrontation with the Coroners Court regarding relevant witnesses, and both I and my lawyers were shocked that Mr Cain did not want a number of the relevant witnesses we had requested to be called, particularly after he had stated at an earlier hearing that year that there were “gaps in the evidence.” This made no sense to either myself or my legal team. We had to fight extremely hard to retain Dr O’Donnell, the radiologist, eventually sending a detailed letter directly to Mr Cain requesting that Dr O’Donnell be reinstated as a witness, which Mr Cain ultimately agreed to do. Dr O’Donnell’s compelling evidence directly challenged the conclusions of the court’s “own” Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) Melbourne pathologists. Other important witnesses had also been requested at the earlier pre-inquest hearings, including independent pathologist Dr Collins. However, the Coroner later changed direction and instead relied upon the Court’s “own” VIFM team, through a peer-review process, to assess and interpret the medical evidence. The family strongly protested this approach and process, informing Mr Cain that we believed the process lacked independence and was inherently biased. However, Mr Cains response was that he had full confidence in his “own” VIFM doctors.
Mr Roos was a credible witness, with his previous 2019 report to the coroner forming part of the coronial brief as evidence. He had worked directly alongside the SERNIC police when the case was reopened in 2021 and therefore had first-hand knowledge of the updated Mozambique case circumstances and file information. Despite this, Mr Cain ultimately stated in his findings that, without the Mozambique case investigation file, there remained significant gaps in the evidence.
Mr Charlie Bezzina, a highly respected retired homicide detective who had been working on the case with me for more than five years, was also aware of these highly suspicious circumstances surrounding Elly’s death, as outlined in his statement and report provided to the Court. Importantly, Mr Cain was aware that these witnesses had all previously provided reports or statements indicating that they considered the factual circumstances surrounding Elly’s death to be highly suspicious and consistent with Elly being the victim of homicide. Despite the significance of their evidence, all three of these vital and relevant witnesses requested by my legal team were rejected by Mr Cain. At least we were successful in retaining Dr O Donnell as Dr Klepp did not agree to be a witness for the Inquest until the very last minute. This would have only left the Melbourne pathologist and he had “NO idea whatsoever about any packed sand in the Airways”!!
This raised serious concerns for both myself and my lawyers, as the very purpose of an inquest is to properly examine unanswered questions and address gaps in the evidence, as previously acknowledged by Mr Cain himself. In our view, it made little sense to exclude highly relevant witnesses while simultaneously acknowledging significant evidentiary gaps. From early in the process, both my legal team and I believed it was always going to be an uphill battle with Mr Cain, as these circumstances prior to the inquest were deeply concerning not only for myself and Elly’s family, but also for my legal team!

11 December 2023 – Family & AFP commissioner Submissions to Coroner Cain

Inquest conclusion, it was a possibility Elly’s death was a homicide
Oral submissions highlighting AFP failures and MAR issues.
AFP commissioner’s submissions misleading to the coroner.
Evidence: Inquest transcript; Airways Packed “Chockablock” with sand clear crime scene photo exposes ripped apart top; SERNIC Director General confirms police reports classify homicide well before May 2023.
December 2023 AFP Commissioner official submissions to Mr Cain state;
“that no police authority had ever stated that Ms Warren was a victim of “Crime/Homicide” before the meeting in May 2023.
The above facts prove without question these submissions from the top person in the AFP to Mr Cain are misleading!!
Vital witness not Initially called for inquest and other vital relevant witnesses Dr Collins and Mr Roos not called to give evidence leaving gaps in evidence.
Outcome: Integrity of AFP and coroner process questioned by family; evidence still withheld by AFP, Misleading material. Still no report was sent to coroner by the AFP the governing police body in charge of overseas matters on all the vital trace evidence to this day!!

2024 – Official Closure of Mozambique Case

27th May- October 2024

The Coroner at the inquest instructed the family that, with our concerns regarding the AFP, these would need to be taken up directly with the AFP, as they fell outside the jurisdiction of the coronial inquest.
On 27th May, a formal report and systems complaint concerning the murder of my daughter Elly Warren was sent directly to the AFP Commissioner and other relevant government authorities, and on 28th May an acknowledgment was received from the AFP Commissioner’s Office confirming receipt and advising that a formal response would be forthcoming; however, despite the extreme seriousness of the matters raised and repeated attempts over an extended period to obtain any form of substantive reply, including seeking assistance through the local MP, no response has been provided by the AFP to this day.
A Mozambique judge officially closes the case due to insufficient evidence.
AFP/GOV Action: communication and transparency still remains difficult for Elly’s family No response from families system complaint directly to AFP commissioner still in 2026.
Outcome: Justice for Elly not achieved; case remains unsolved and ongoing in 2026.

20 November 2024

Family emails Prime Minister’s Cabinet requesting inquiry into the handling of Elly’s case by the AFP.
Outcome: Responsibility referred to AFP; no action taken on Four occasions same reply sent by the Australian government. However, the AFP won’t reply to the Family!!

4 December 2024

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC replies. He states the MAR process is not known to the Australian authorities and not relevant with this matter!! Family suspects the Australian attorney general has not been fully informed of all the facts on the Case by the AFP that Classification of homicide by SERNIC police reports and their Director general in 2017 & again in 2020 well before May 2023.
Outcome: Responsibility referred back to AFP; family frustrated with lack of accountability.

2025 – Public Updates & Government Correspondence brick-wall!

7 February 2025

Family posts on Facebook highlighting parallels with Laos tragedy.
Notes: Emphasizes AFP inaction and MAR failures. Homicide classification (CRIME) made years before May 2023!!

22 January 2025

I personally met with MP Jodie Belyea requesting response from the family’s complaint by the AFP commissioner 27th May 2024.
Elly’s Family also asked MP Jodie Belyea for immediate action for the Australian Attorney General to send the MAR for the Mozambique Case file as requested by the Deputy Attorney General by letter to the coroner on the 19th June 2023. (That they will only accept the official MAR for the realise of their case file). Basically the Australian Attorney General is not interested in the matter with a reply letter to the MP!
Outcome: No progress to date; family encounters bureaucratic “brick wall.”

16 June 2025

Blogs/Homepage Website added detailing AFP, DFAT, and Mozambique police cover-up from November 2016.
Verified Evidence: Letters, photos, official documents, transcripts and recordings all official records in support.

22 July 2025/26

website updated My report on coroner’s findings in systematic order for clarity.
Outcome: Highlights Melbourne pathologist and AFP misleading/failures, coroner transparency issues, relevant witnesses not called and MAR process mismanagement.
30th June 2026 book to be published (HUNTING ELLY”S KILLER)

Key Evidence

Crime Scene Photo (Nov 2016): Shows T-shirt ripped from shoulder to torso, half-naked body. Not submitted or reported to the coroner by the AFP.
Autopsy reports Mozambique and South Africa both concur that aspirating an abundance of sand which had packed/ chockablock in Elly’s airways obstructing the airways causing death.
Elly’s Clothing: Retained at Maputo Central Hospital; AFP/SLO did not secure; DNA opportunity lost.
SERNIC Mozambique Police Reports (DIRECTOR GENERAL) (Apr 2017 & 2020): Confirms homicide.
(WEBSITE LAST UPDATED 30/04/2026) : Homepage and Blogs facts updated, Includes correspondence, emails, AFP Action Sheets, blog posts, supporting documentation, official records and recordings.

Critical Failures

AFP failed to send official MAR in 2016; only informal requests/personal letters. SERNIC confirmed Homicide with official revised police report in 2017 and again in 2020 by their Director general and reaffirmed again in May 2023 to the AFP. Note all SERNIC police reports were sent to DFAT and the AFP.
Vital crime scene photograph withheld from coroner and pathologist. No report no any trace evidence to coroner not even in official statements reported by the AFP to this day.
Radiology report by Dr O’Donnell 2019 taken from CT Scan just prior Melbourne autopsy clearly showing both lungs trees filled with foreign material (Sand) with other areas of very high density equivalent to bone and cement density levels measured by Hounsfield unit of measurement at 1290 HU and 947 HU. No sand found or recorded in the lungs in the Melbourne autopsy report concluding cause of death in 2016/17 as Undetermined!!
Elly’s clothing she was wearing at the time of her death was never collected for DNA testing.
Sand sample taken from crime scene by AFP. No sample taken from Elly’s body for comparison. (Body moved post- mortem AFP had prior Knowledge in 2016 and later confirmed by Mozambique chief inspector)
AFP prioritized appearances and diplomatic concerns over justice. Mozambique cover-up 6am ripped apart top tampering with crime scene by local police before main investigation police, chief and doctor turned up at 9am.
The family and Coroner kept largely in the dark from the onset; transparency and accountability lacking by AFP.
Mozambique case officially closed due to lack of evidence; missed opportunities for DNA evidence clothes for conviction if matched with any solid suspects. This was vital as a match in DNA with suspects places them at the crime scene. Drop of sweat any body fluids or skin cell from hand grip ripping apart Elly’s t-shirt!!!
2025 SERNIC operation in TOFO, the officer’s accommodation was raided by suspects in a very brazen attempt at night taking lap-top and mobile phone. SERNIC are now hot on trail of known suspects causing them to panic to raid their accommodation in Tofo taking items which they suspected of holding key evidence. SERNIC are now very confident and aware of who murdered Elly but not enough evidence to convict at this stage. Hence the vital importance of Elly’s clothes for DNA, a match with any suspect would place them at the crime scene with conviction to follow if this was the case but the clothes were never retrieved by the AFP. Some suspects have since left Tofo but not all!
Note: It is critically important that anyone reading this updated flow chart fully understands that I am in possession of all verified official documents and records that substantiate the matters outlined above. Accordingly, everything referred to in this updated flow chart is based entirely on factual information drawn directly from official sources, including material contained within the coronial brief of evidence, court transcripts and recordings. My above statements are not assumptions, opinion, or speculation, but are grounded in documented and verifiable evidence. It is essential that the seriousness and significance of these circumstances are fully understood in that context.
Paul Warren