A TERRITORY coroner has urged police to complete forensic analyses to speed up the process in finding and prosecuting the killer of Katherine man Micheal Condrick, who was found dead and with stab wounds to his neck in his Pearce Street home in June 2010.
During an inquest which was held at the coroner’s court in Katherine last week, coroner Greg Cavanagh also said he had doubts police were going to reinforce their own recommendations which followed major failures during the investigations into the death of the former teacher.
Last year a murder trial had to be aborted because not all the forensic evidence had been disclosed and evidence was missing.
Commander Peter Bravos told the inquest that recommendations had been made following an internal review into the bungle-up.
The coroner said police had reviewed their performance and made changes, but had to follow recommendations to avoid investigation failures in the future.
Recommendations include mandatory case conferences
between forensics and investigators and specific detectives training in contemporary investigative practices.
Mr Cavanagh also said that blood pattern analysis should
be conducted.
He found Mr Condrick, who was known to have had paid sex with young Aboriginal men, was unlawfully killed.
He said a 17-year-old teenager and a 25-year-old man were identified as suspects, and both men accused each other of the murder.