A 51-year-old woman, Milena Bogojevska, has been permitted to confess to the charge of manslaughter after inserting a tea towel into the throat of an 85-year-old woman and disposing of her body in a river. The deceased, Lolene Whitehand, was discovered in the Maribyrnong River in Melbourne, Australia by a fisherman on July 14, 2024.

During a pre-sentence hearing in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday, June 18, it was revealed that Bogojevska was allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter instead of murder. The decision not to pursue a murder trial by the Director of Victoria’s Office of Public Prosecutions, Brendan Kissane KC, was likely due to uncertainties surrounding Whitehand’s exact cause of death.

Evidence presented in court indicated that Whitehand suffered severe beatings, was smothered, and then disposed of in the river with a blood-stained tea towel forced into her mouth. Whitehand was last seen entering Bogojevska’s residence on Glamis Street on July 12, just two doors down from her own home, sparking concerns among neighbors who had known her for 40 years.

The autopsy revealed that Whitehand died from upper airway obstruction and showed signs of blunt force trauma to her face. Bogojevska, who was receiving a disability pension, was captured on CCTV footage moving the body from a car and dumping it into the river, despite claiming back issues.

Following the crime, Bogojevska burgled Whitehand’s home, stole valuables, and used her debit card for shopping sprees. When confronted by the police, she denied involvement and feigned ignorance, even though forensic evidence linked her to the crime scene.

Despite the argument by Bogojevska’s defense that her actions did not constitute the worst form of manslaughter, Whitehand’s neighbor insisted that she should face a murder charge. The prosecution suggested that greed was the likely motive behind Bogojevska’s actions, and her sentencing is pending.

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