The inquest heard that the woman whose nude body was discovered in a dam in the Blue Mountains may have entered the water on a “walkabout” while experiencing a mental health episode.
On March 18, 2019, Cecilia Devine, 42, was discovered deceased in the isolated Upper Cascade Creek dam basin near North Katoomba.
On September 6, 2018, she was last seen in the adjacent NSW community of Katoomba, more than six months earlier.
The method and cause of the musician’s death, which is still unknown, were investigated at the inquest held in Sydney on Friday.
The investigating officer, Detective Sergeant James Allan, told the inquest that one plausible theory was that Devine, who suffered from bipolar disorder, wandered into the thick bush, fell into the dam, and died in an unfortunate accident.
She had gone on “walkabouts” in the past, getting rid of her belongings, and had been travelling without shoes for roughly 17 hours on the day she was last seen alive.
According to the inquest, Devine occasionally went missing for up to 24 hours without showing up at the hospital or phoning for help.
While Allan agreed that suicide was implausible, homicide could not be ruled out.
Numerous people of interest were investigated by the police, but none of them were found to be viable suspects in the murders.
When asked if he thought there was a reason Devine’s body was discovered nude, Allan said that maybe she had removed her clothing before getting into the water because of the consequences of hypothermia.
When questioned about the police probe, the detective cited data suggesting Devine would be “drawn to water” while recuperating from a mental health crisis.
Numerous witnesses informed the police Devine was a humble individual who swam in her friend’s backyard pool while still wearing her clothing.
While Devine purchased groceries at Coles at Katoomba on the afternoon she disappeared, Allan acknowledged that the “objective likelihood” of a 3km walk to the dam was low.
“(But) it’s still a plausible hypothesis as to what happened to Cecilia,” he continued.
Investigators have previously stated that Devine was reported missing from Waratah, a suburb of Newcastle, on September 5, 2018, after friends and family were unable to locate or get in touch with her.
Following her death in May 2019, police opened a murder investigation and stated they are certain that there are members of the public with knowledge of the case.
