A Perth mother of six was lured to a dog park and murdered by her housemates before her body was buried in bushland, police allege.
The body of Nardia Louise Spice was found in Jarrahdale, in Perth's south-east, on Friday after she was last seen alive two weeks earlier.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Sam Hazlitt said police believe the 40-year-old was "lured" to the Byford dog park and killed on September 23 before her body was buried about 25km away near Ronan Road.
"It is alleged that she has suffered critical injuries as a result of trauma to the head. We allege it was blunt-force trauma," he said.
Four people charged over death
A man and a woman from Brookdale and a man from Armadale have been charged with murder, while an Armadale man as been charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Detective Senior Sergeant Hazlitt said the victim knew her alleged killers, describing their lifestyles as "transient".
"The victim was living with those people at an address in Brookdale," he said.
He said it would be alleged the killing was premeditated and planned, and a "high volume" of items including "tools and weapons" had also been seized.
"We have what we would call a primary incident scene that's at the Byford dog park and then we have several secondary incident scenes, one of those is the location where the body has been exhumed," he said.
"We have other, what we refer to as crime scenes, which is vehicles that were involved that have been seized and are undergoing analysis."
Nothing to indicate offenders were affected by drugs
Detective Senior Sergeant Hazlitt said more people may be charged.
"We're confident that we've arrested everyone who's a primary offender or party to the offence of murder and we're investigating the involvement of several other people," he said.
"There's nothing to indicate that people were under the influence of drugs, we're not ruling it out, we're keeping an open mind.
"We're still trying to establish the full circumstances around the events leading up to it."
Ms Spicer had two children aged under 10, an adult child, three children aged in their teens and a foster child.
"She was in constant contact or very regular contact with her children and it was out of character for her to not be in contact with them," Sergeant Hazlitt said.
"We believe there are people out there who know more information about this and we invite them and ask them to come forward and speak to us or alternatively contact Crime Stoppers."
Zachariah Dean Brough, 32, was remanded in custody when he faced Perth Magistrates Court today charged with murder.
Eve Marsh, 30, was remanded in custody until her next court appearance on October 26.
A 24-year-old man from Armadale has also been charged with murder and will face court later this month.
Jesse Desmond Jones, 26, appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court late on Monday, charged with being an accessory and made an application for bail.
The duty lawyer, Hamish Glenister, submitted that his client had played only a minor role in what was alleged.
Mr Glenister said Ms Jones — whom he described in court as a transgender female — had no idea what was going on when the alleged murder happened, because she was asleep in her car at the time.
He told the court Ms Jones only became aware of what had happened when she woke up and, after driving to another location, saw the victim's body being taken out of the boot and then carried into bushland.
Accused accessory was friend of victim, court hears
While Mr Glenister said Ms Jones did not touch nor handle the body, she had dug what was "effectively a grave" at the second location, which the body was put in, and then covered with rocks, branches and other debris.
Mr Glenister maintained that, while the three other people who are accused of committing the murder were only associates of Ms Jones, the victim was her friend, whom she given a lift on that night.
"[The victim] was a sex worker. As far as the accused knew, she was going to the park to provide sexual services," Mr Glenister submitted.
"The accused's intention was to give her a lift home. She had absolutely no idea what was going to happen."
Mr Glenister told the court the defence of duress was open to Ms Jones because she claimed that she was threatened that if she did not help dispose of the body, she would "get the same".
Concerns over Hakea Prison
Part of the bail application expressed concerns about Ms Jones being sent to Hakea Prison, which is for men only, with Mr Glenister submitting that, as a transgender woman, it was going to be "very onerous" for her to be remanded in custody.
The police prosecutor opposed the bail application, saying the allegations against Ms Jones were very serious and, because the investigation was ongoing, there was a risk of evidence being tampered with.
However, Magistrate Kelly Thompson adjourned the bail hearing for two weeks, because she said she did not accept that Ms Jones had played only a minor role and she wanted to hear further submissions from prosecutors.
Before she was led away, Ms Jones raised her hand and asked if that meant she would be going to Hakea prison.
Magistrate Thompson replied, telling her that was a matter for the Department of Corrective Services.
A 24-year-old man from Armadale has also been charged with murder and will face court later this month.
Police are looking for information about three vehicles: a black Holden Commodore, a green Ford Territory and a silver Hyundai i30.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
