A man has been charged with murder after the body of a young mother was found in the central west region of New South Wales.
Police discovered the body of Molly Ticehurst, 28, inside a house on Young St in Forbes, more than 370 kilometers west of Sydney, about 1.50am on Monday.
Emergency services were called to the property after concerns were raised for his welfare.
A crime scene has been established and officers are investigating the circumstances of the death.
A New South Wales Police spokesman said Daniel Billings, 29, was arrested at a property in Fifield, about an hour northwest of Forbes, and taken to Parkes police station.
He has since been charged with murder (domestic violence) and contravening the ban/restriction on AVO.
Mr Billings was refused bail and was due to appear at Orange Local Court on Monday afternoon.
Detective Jason Darcy, crime manager for Central West Police District, said the alleged murder was “pretty brutal”.
“It was terribly violent,” he said.
‘I have 34 years in the police force, a former homicide detective.
‘I’ve been to a few and it was pretty brutal.
“My thoughts are with the young woman’s family.”
Inspector Darcy confirmed the couple had previously had some “form of domestic relationship”.
Police are also investigating claims that Billings visited the Ticehurst workplace last week before he was transferred.
“That’s one line of inquiry,” he said. “Investigations are still alive and ongoing.”
Billings was out on bail for another offense at the time of the alleged murder, police confirmed.
Mrs Ticehurst, who had worked at a local nursery in Forbes, had returned to her hometown to raise her six-year-old son.
She had previously posted on social media that her son was her “whole world.”
‘I love walking in and seeing all the smiling faces, watching them learn new skills and seeing how proud they are of themselves. “You couldn’t ask for a better group of people to spend every day with too,” she said in 2022.