Warning: This article contains the name and image of Indigenous people who have died.
Police have confirmed the “very decomposed” body found in a NSW national park is that of triple-killer Julian Ingram.
The confirmation comes a day after police said the body was removed from the national park to undergo forensic testing to confirm it was the 37-year-old.
National Parks and Wildlife staff made the discovery in Central West NSW, four months after Ingram murdered his heavily pregnant ex-partner Sophie Quinn, 25, her friend John Harris, 32, and aunt Nerida Quinn, 50, in Lake Cargelligo.
READ MORE: Man charged over car crash in suburban Perth that left two girls under four dead
Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland also said that the vehicle and a firearm located within it are also set to be forensically tested. Nine
Police have confirmed the decomposed remains were triple murderer Julian Ingram. 9News
Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said a vehicle and a firearm would also be forensically tested.
“There was a firearm located next to the deceased body, which was a large calibre firearm and a shotgun located on the front passenger seat of the vehicle,” he said.
“It would appear that the deceased was dressed in the same clothing he was wearing on the day of the incident.
“The injuries appear self-inflicted with a firearm.”
Ingram’s body was found next to the white Ford Ranger he was last seen fleeing the town in, and his licence was inside the vehicle.
When asked if Ingram potentially received help from somebody in the community, Holland said, “It does not appear to be the case”.
The update from police comes as aerial footage revealed the bushland location where a white ute was found in relation to the manhunt for the accused triple killer.
READ MORE: Aussies from virus-stricken cruise ship to be sent to COVID-era quarantine centre
Aerial footage of a white ute discovered in a regional NSW national park in relation to the manhunt for triple killer Julian Ingram. Nine
Lake Cargelligo community reacts to the grim discovery
Loved ones were rocked by the discovery but said they could finally grieve.
Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said the discovery was a relief for officers who’d been involved in a major manhunt for the accused killer, but particularly for the affected families.
“For the last four months, the strike forces involved in … the manhunt for Julian Ingram, have not given up,” he said.
“There’s been hundreds of police involved.
“Obviously, it’s a relief for them to find this body … it brings closure to this investigation, it brings closure to the people of Lake Cargelligo and gives some solace to the town so they can relax.”
READ MORE: Tax hikes, spending cuts: What we know so far
Police said the 37-year-old was last seen driving a dual cab Ford Ranger utility with the NSW registration DM-07-GZ. NSW Police
Holland said the body was found in a “very decomposed” state but didn’t give a specific estimate for when the man may have died, saying only it “appears to have been there for some time”.
Police said NPWS workers carrying out feral animal eradication found the vehicle about 3.40pm yesterday in Round Hill Nature Reserve, roughly 100 kilometres north-east of Lake Cargelligo.
Ingram, 37, had been on the run since the January 22 shooting.
READ MORE: Banks were quick to pass on rate hikes – just not for one group
Sophie Quinn was shot dead in Lake Cargelligo. Supplied
He killed his pregnant former partner, Sophie Quinn, and her friend John Harris, then moving on to Sophie’s Auntie Nerida, killing her and shooting Kaleb Macqueen, 19, the only victim to survive.
“I heard boom, boom. I seen her – she was holding her neck, and then he was laughing,” Macqueen told 9News in January.
Sophie’s mother, Cathy Quinn, called Ingram “gutless”.
“We still grieving but justice will be served,” she told 9News.
READ MORE: Minister’s ‘tone-deaf’ childcare comment draws criticism
John Harris was shot dead alongside Sophie Quinn. Supplied
Her sister, Tegan, said it was “about time they found him”.
“We can grieve but now it feels so real and it’s only has hit me now,” she said.
The shooting devastated the tiny town and rattled the entire state.
Last month, police said Ingram was seen on the side of a road two days after the alleged murders.
Sophie’s aunt Nerida was also shot dead. Supplied
In March, police offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Everything leading up to the killing will also be investigated, including why the repeated domestic violence offender was out on bail.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).
