Married couple, both 94, allegedly murdered in South Australia a year apart, police say | South Australia

An elderly South Australian couple, who died more than a year apart, may have been murdered by the same person, with police raising concerns over suspicious toxicology results.

Police say Brenda Anderson, 94, died in the Flinders Medical Centre in March last year. Her husband, Lynton Anderson, also 94, died after being found unconscious by a carer at his home in May this year.

Det Insp Mark McEachern said concerns over Brenda Anderson’s death were first raised during the coronial investigation, which unearthed the toxicology results.

“When an innocent explanation for toxicology abnormalities was eliminated, the possibility of Mrs Anderson’s death being a deliberate act by another party became the primary subject of the investigation,” McEachern said on Thursday.

“It is believed Mrs Anderson was killed by a person known to her and in close enough relationship to have been visiting her while she was in hospital.”

He said police had no concerns about the level of care she received in the hospital and had ruled out anyone there being involved.

Lynton Anderson also died in hospital and there was a similarly concerning toxicology report.

McEachern said investigators believed the Andersons were given a “prescribed medication” that shouldn’t have been in their systems.

“Police have eliminated external carers involved with Mr Anderson’s care as being involved in his death,” McEachern said. “We have identified a suspect and won’t elaborate further.”

Detectives would like to speak to anyone who had contact with the couple, particularly anyone with knowledge of any prescription or non-prescription medications they were taking.