Suspicious death of a woman in Hobart’s New Town, police investigation and arrest
Consensus Summary
Police in Hobart are investigating the suspicious death of a woman found at a house on Lissadell Court in New Town on May 17, 2026, around 4:00 PM. The woman, believed to be in her 60s, had been dead for several weeks before discovery. A 56-year-old man, who lived at the property with the victim, was charged with murder and will appear in court. Police initially spoke with the man on Saturday morning after family raised concerns about his mental health, detaining him for assessment before arresting him later. The crime scene remains under investigation, with an autopsy scheduled for May 19, 2026. Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A woman’s body was found at a house on Lissadell Court, New Town, Hobart, on Saturday, May 17, 2026, around 4:00 PM.
- The woman is believed to be in her 60s and had been dead for several weeks before discovery.
- A man in his 50s (later specified as 56 years old) was arrested and remains in police custody.
- Police are treating the death as suspicious and investigations are ongoing.
- The woman has not been formally identified by police.
- Police and forensics services remained at the scene on Sunday, May 18, 2026, and the crime scene was expected to stay in place until Monday afternoon.
- An autopsy was scheduled for Monday, May 19, 2026, to determine the cause of death.
- The man and woman had lived together at the property for some time, with police records dating back 16 years involving neighborhood disputes.
- Police spoke with the man at the doorway on Saturday morning before detaining him for a mental health assessment at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
- The man was later cleared by medical staff at the Royal Hobart Hospital and taken into police custody.
- The body was found in the corridor of the house.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Family members had raised concerns about the man’s mental health over the past week, prompting police and mental health staff to visit the address on Saturday morning.
- The man was detained at the doorway and taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital for mental health treatment before being arrested.
- The man was charged with murder on May 18, 2026, and will appear before the Hobart Magistrates Court the following day.
- The man is 56 years old, not just in his 50s, as per the charge details.
- The man was detained for a mental health assessment but not initially arrested; he was later arrested and taken into custody.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- Article 1 and Article 2 mention the man was in his 50s, but Article 3 specifies he is 56 years old.
- Article 1 states the man was arrested and remains in police custody, while Article 2 mentions he was cleared by medical staff at the Royal Hobart Hospital before being taken into custody, which is not explicitly stated in Article 1.
Source Articles
Police investigating suspicious death of woman in New Town
Tasmania Police say the death of a woman in her 60s is being treated as suspicious. A man in his 50s has been arrested and remains in police custody.
Woman dead for weeks found in Hobart home
The body of a woman who has been dead for weeks has been found at a house in the Hobart suburb of New Town.
Man charged with murder following discovery of body in Hobart home
A 56-year-old man has been charged with murder after the body of a woman was found in a Hobart residence over the weekend.
Body of woman found after ‘several weeks’
The woman’s body was found lying on the floor of the corridor, with police believing she had been there for some time.