Police charge Bellbird Park woman with murder after weeks-long investigation into Katherine Sanowski’s death

A woman has been charged with murder following the shocking death of another woman whose body was found inside a home weeks ago, southwest of Brisbane. Police were originally called to a property on Beryl Court on February 19 after reports of a street disturbance. Inside, officers discovered the body of 42-year-old Katherine Sanowski, who had been dead for about two weeks, dating back to early February. A 34-year-old woman found at the scene was taken to hospital at the time for a medical assessment. Detective Inspector Michael Manago said the post-mortem revealed suspicious circumstances surrounding Ms Sanowski’s death, prompting the escalation to a homicide investigation. “The dynamics of their relationship remain a key topic of our investigation,” he said, noting the women were known to each other but there were no prior reports of domestic violence. On Tuesday, Queensland Police confirmed detectives from the Ipswich Criminal Investigation Branch and Homicide Squad charged the 34-year-old Bellbird Park resident with one count of murder and a domestic violence offence. She is currently in custody and is due to appear at Ipswich Magistrates Court this afternoon. Following her death, a GoFundMe was set up to support Ms Sanowski’s grieving family, including her young child. Her friend Rowena Clarke, who launched the fundraiser, described Ms Sanowski as “kind, positive and generous beyond words” and described her death as “unimaginable”. “Kates passing came under devastating and tragic circumstances … what remains constant is the overwhelming grief her family is now carrying,” Ms Clarke said. “She was the type of person who always showed up for others with a smile and an open heart. “Kate was a loving mother and devoted daughter. Her family was her world, and everything she did for them came from a place of love.”