PLEASE NOTE: NSWPF-branded footage of the arrests are available via Hightail – https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/hYq6PK5MhR/
Task Force Magnus and Homicide Squad detectives have arrested two people over a fatal shooting in Sydney’s southwest last year.
About 2am (Thursday 27 July 2023), emergency services were called to Broughton Street in Canterbury, after reports of a shooting.
On arrival, officers attached to Burwood Police Area Command found a man with gunshots wounds.
He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics; however, died at the scene.
The man has since been identified as 28-year-old Ferenc ‘David’ Stemler.
Local police, with assistance from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, commenced inquiries before the matter was taken carriage of by Task Force Magnus under Strike Force Murrell.
Task Force Magnus was established in July as a policing strategy to target and disrupt gun-related and violent crime, and to investigate links between recent organised criminal activity in Sydney.
Following extensive inquiries, about 7am yesterday (Wednesday 21 February 2024), strike force detectives arrested a 23-year-old woman in Wetherill Park.
She was taken to Fairfield Police Station where she was charged with murder.
The woman was refused bail and appeared in Fairfield Local Court yesterday, where she was formally refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday 18 April 2024.
About 9.40am today (Thursday 22 February 2024), a 27-year-old man was transferred from a correctional in Parklea to Riverstone Police Station, where he was arrested and is expected to charged with murder.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said the arrests are significant for State Crime Command’s Task Force Magnus.
“Following this morning’s resolution, we can now say that an arrest has been made in every homicide investigated by Task Force Magnus,” A/C Fitzgerald said.
“While the work is never truly done, this is a huge feat for our Command, who were given the difficult job of circuit breaking the brazen violence we saw unfolding on our streets.
“Task Force Magnus supplemented their suite of capabilities with both proactive and reactive teams, to not only target offenders, but prevent more acts of violence on our streets.
“The safety of our wider community has – and always will be – our number one priority, and the people of NSW our motivation for crafting such a significant response; one that has evidently had noteworthy success.”
Investigations under Strike Force Murrell continue.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
