The family of convicted National Crime Authority (NCA) bomber Domenic Perre, who died earlier this week, may pursue an attempt to have his name cleared almost 30 years after the deadly blast.
His lawyers are expected to issue a petition for mercy, despite his death in an Adelaide hospital on Monday night.
Perre was sentenced last year to at least 30 years in jail, for murder and attempted murder, over the 1994 NCA bombing which killed Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and inflicted horrific injuries on lawyer Peter Wallis, who lost an eye.
After a brief court appearance this morning, barrister James Noblet released a statement relating to Perre's bid to apply to appeal against his conviction.
"The Perres have lost a much loved member of their family who had always maintained his innocence," he said.
"They have also lost the opportunity to clear his name through the appeal process.
"In the circumstances consideration is now being given to a petition for mercy."
Perre had already been seeking to have the guilty verdicts for the murder of Sergeant Bowen and attempted murder of Mr Wallis overturned, claiming there was a lack of direct evidence linking him to the bomb.
His Supreme Court case sat briefly again today, but any move to dismiss his appeal due to his death was delayed.
That decision will go to a fully convened Court of Appeal.
The latest move by the Perre family does have precedents.
Filing a petition for mercy was the same legal avenue used several times by Henry Keogh, who had been convicted of murdering Anna-Jane Cheney in 1994.
His conviction was later overturned on the grounds of a miscarriage of justice due to flawed forensic evidence, and he received $2.5 million in compensation by the South Australian government.
'The anguish is drawn out'
The former commissioner for victims' rights, Michael O'Connell, had earlier expressed hope that Perre's death would finally bring a sense of resolution to the case for the families of his victims.
But on Friday he said the latest development — which could result in the matter being referred to the SA government — would mean that closure has again been deferred.
"It means the pain and the anguish is drawn out, that there is no sense of finality, and in fact day to day, you have to live with the uncertainty," he said.
"This vividly demonstrates that whilst victims can have access to the mechanisms of justice — in this case, a courtroom — that doesn't necessarily mean they have access to genuine, true justice."
Mr O'Connell said he hoped any review of the case would result in the verdict being upheld.
"It would be astounding, unless there is really strong and fresh compelling evidence, that any attorney-general or any government is going to overturn the decision of that courtroom," he said.
Perre died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital on Monday night.
While the cause of death has not been revealed, during the course of Perre's trial the Supreme Court was told he had been unwell.
Moments after being found guilty, the then-65-year-old collapsed and was taken to hospital for what the Department for Correction Services described as a "medical episode".
It was later revealed he had undergone heart surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital to remove a blockage in an artery.
In October, Perre was handed a life sentence with a non-parole period of 30 years and seven months.
At the time of the conviction, Perre was already in custody on other charges, and his sentence for carrying out the NCA bombing was not due to take effect until he had completed a six-year-and-10-month jail term for drug trafficking.
