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The Auckland family of a Kiwi man suspected of killing his new girlfriend before being found dead say they are in shock and disbelief.
The body of Kate Bell, 31, was found in a Melbourne apartment over the weekend, according to the Herald-Sun.
And the body of her boyfriend, Rahul Patel, 29, was later found in downtown Melbourne, the newspaper reported.
Patel’s family, who grew up in Auckland, live in a house on Mt Roskill that welcomed a number of family and friends who came to offer their condolences on Tuesday.
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A spokesman for the Patel family said in a statement to Stuff the man’s parents were totally devastated by the events of the weekend.
“The fund has totally fallen out of their world,” the spokesman said. “The family in general is shocked and incredulous.”
His family was also devastated that another family had lost a loved one, the spokesman said.
They said the family knew little about the circumstances that led to the death of Bell or Patel.
His parents had noticed that he seemed “a little stressed” last week, although there seemed to be nothing to indicate that something was seriously wrong, the spokesman said.
Background information provided by the family spokesperson said Patel was the older of two brothers who grew up in Auckland.
He had a dual degree in property and commerce from the University of Auckland and had been living in Melbourne since 2018, working in property management.
“He was a very beloved son, an athlete and he seemed to be doing well.”
Supplied
Rahul Patel died in Melbourne over the weekend and police are investigating the suspicious death of his new girlfriend.
‘Bright, lively and outgoing’
Bell, believed to be from Christchurch, was working as an executive assistant at construction consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall at the time of his death.
His employer Tony Moleta told him Stuff that Bell would be remembered as someone who had a kind soul and never said a bad word about anything or anyone.
“She always strived to achieve the best result for everyone around her and our lives will be better for having met her.”
Bell worked as an executive assistant to Moleta and another director at RLB.
“Kate was an enthusiastic and valued member of our team, enjoying the life that had been created here in Melbourne,” said Moleta. She said that “we would all miss her” at the company.
Before working at RLB, Bell worked for Deloitte in Melbourne for two years, until April of this year. Prior to that, she also worked as an executive assistant in the Christchurch office of the Sheffield recruitment agency for approximately two years before moving to Melbourne.
Mike Stenhouse, Sheffield’s CEO, described her death as an “absolute tragedy.”
“Kate was a great contributor to our team and culture. She was a bright, lively, and outgoing young woman who seemed to have a great life ahead of her. We really feel sorry for his family, ”Stenhouse said.
Homicide investigation after deaths
Victoria police said in a statement Saturday that homicide detectives were investigating the suspicious death of a woman in Richmond, Melbourne.
Police were first called to an address on Church Street at 3:20 a.m. after a woman was reportedly injured.
Police said the woman, who they have not formally identified, died at the scene.
Shortly afterwards, police were notified that a man’s body had been discovered in Melbourne’s CBD, according to the statement. Police said the couple is believed to have known each other.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said they were aware of the deaths of two New Zealanders in Melbourne. No further information was provided for privacy reasons.
Victoria police are still investigating the death.
Investigators are not looking for anyone else or believe that any other party was involved in any of the incidents, according to the police statement.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
In a statement to StuffMoleta said they didn’t want Bell’s “tragic death to be just a statistic.”
“We are eager to make sure Kate is respected and given the position she deserves,” he said.
