Anita Cobby | |
|---|---|
 Crowned Miss Western Suburbs November 1979 | |
| Born | Anita Lorraine Lynch 2 November 1959 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 2 February 1986 (aged 26) Prospect, New South Wales, Australia |
| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Resting place | Pine Grove Memorial Park |
| Occupation | Nurse |
| Title | Miss Western Suburbs (1979) |
Anita Lorraine Cobby (née Lynch) (2 November 1959 – 2 February 1986) was a 26-year-old Australian woman from Blacktown, New South Wales, who was kidnapped while walking home from Blacktown railway station just before 10:00 p.m. on 2 February 1986, and subsequently sexually assaulted and murdered.
Two days after being reported as missing by family, Cobby's body was discovered by a man in a paddock of his farm in Prospect, NSW. Investigations led to the arrest of five men, who were later convicted of her abduction, rape and murder on 10 June 1987. Each was sentenced to life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole, on 16 June 1987.[1]
Upon arriving to the location of her body, it was clear to authorities that Cobby had sustained a prolonged and vicious attack, with multiple sharp puncture wounds and cuts, as well as lacerations from being rolled in and dragged through barbed wire. She had obvious signs of being beaten, kicked and struck, mainly from the bruising, cuts and abrasions covering a large percentage of her body. Cobby’s cause of death was ultimately a result of a slit throat, an act which the medical examiner noted ‘nearly decapitated’ her. The forensic pathologist who performed her autopsy additionally noted that Cobby was ‘likely still conscious’ at the time of her throat being cut, and estimated it would have taken ‘between 2-3 minutes’ for her to bleed to death.
The murder received widespread media coverage and public condemnation, including calls to reinstate the death penalty.[2]
- ^ "Anita Cobby's sister tells of ongoing grief and fear nearly 30 years after nurse's murder". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 24 November 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "Killer of Sydney nurse Anita Cobby dies in prison". ABC News. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2024.