By CASEY NEILL
IT WASN’T until daybreak on 6 February that someone saw Geck Gov lying in the driveway of her Noble Park home.
She’d been there for 45 minutes and had bled to death.
Homicide Squad Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bailey last week appealed for public assistance to solve the “brutal, unprovoked and distressing attack”.
He said Cambodian-born Ms Gov was hardworking, generous and selfless, and urged anyone who saw a white van near her Theodore Avenue home on the morning of her murder to come forward.
Investigators reviewing CCTV footage spotted the vehicle travelling west along Knox Street, about 200 metres from the crime scene, at 5.52am – seven minutes after neighbours heard Ms Gov scream.
“It’s not known whether the occupants are in fact involved in this crime, or could be valuable witnesses that police are yet to identify,” Det Sen Sgt Bailey said.
Victoria Police Vehicle Examination Unit experts believe the van is a Toyota HiAce or a Mitsubishi L300.
“The vehicle also has no rear side window, which would indicate it’s a commercially used van,” Det Sen Sgt Bailey said.
“It’s got a roof rack and it’s also got on the sliding door either a painted or tinted window.
“This is the only vehicle at this stage we haven’t accounted for.”
Experts have been unable to date the van, and both suspected models have changed little in more than 20 years.
This vehicle is being linked to the killing.
“We’re looking at thousands of cars, that’s why we really need the public’s assistance,” he said.
“This is the most important lead we’ve had at this point in time.”
Det Sen Sgt Bailey said it appeared the murder was an armed robbery gone wrong.
“It was known within the Cambodian and Vietnamese community that Geck used to carry cash and jewellery instead of leaving it at home, and as a result of this we believe somebody has targeted her,” he said.
“Geck was stabbed multiple times to the upper torso. We are yet to find the murder weapon. We believe it’s most likely a knife.
“It’s hard to know whether she was stabbed initially to subdue her to get her possessions or, in fact, that she’s fought for her possessions and as a result the offender’s stabbed her.”
Witnesses heard Ms Gov screaming about 5.45am and looked out their windows to see a person running east along Theodore Avenue – towards Knox Street.
Ms Gov worked at Coolabah Herbs in Pearcedale with her son Charlie, 27.
“She would pick up a lot of her work colleagues on a daily basis to get them to work and then drop them off,” Det Sen Sgt Bailey said.
“(Charlie) left prior to her, in another vehicle.
“He was surprised when she didn’t turn up for work that morning, and also other workers hadn’t been picked up so the alarm bells started ringing.
“That’s when Charlie has returned to the home and police were already present.”
Charlie was Ms Gov’s only child. She was born in Cambodia in 1961, arrived in Australia as an immigrant in 1997 and last year became an Australian citizen.
Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au with any information.
