The deaths of two sisters from Saudi Arabia, found dead in separate rooms in their apartment in Sydney, remain a mystery to police more than a month after their bodies were found.
The women, identified as 24-year-old Asra Abdullah Alsehli and 23-year-old Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, were found in their beds in the south-west Sydney suburb of Canterbury on 7 June. There were no visible signs of a break-in, nor any injuries to the bodies, but police are treating the deaths as “suspicious” because no cause of death has been identified.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Det Insp Claudia Allcroft appealed to the public to come forward with any information on the sisters, conceding authorities still knew very little about them.
“We’re appealing for information because we don’t know a lot about the girls. Our investigation is ongoing, and in consultation with the coroner, we have decided to release their names and have appealed for information.”
Despite a strike force being established by Burwood detectives, very little is known about the circumstances in which the sisters died.
Allcroft told reporters police had only spoken to two people who knew the sisters, adding that authorities believed the women “seemed to keep to themselves”. The two women had arrived from Saudi Arabia in 2017.
Police have conceded they do not know the cause of their deaths, only establishing that the women had been deceased for some time prior to being located.
Allcroft said the fact so little was known about the case made the matter, and the circumstances of their deaths, suspicious.
“The girls were 23 and 24 years old and died together in their home. We don’t know the cause of death, and it’s unusual because of their age and the nature of the matter,” she said.
Police are still waiting on toxicology reports, and confirmed they attended the unit in mid-March following a phone call from the building manager, who was concerned after some food was left in the building’s common areas.
They said that at that stage “no issues were raised”.
It is understood that one of the sisters owned a business, although police could not expand on what kind of business it was, and whether there were any leads there.
The matter is still before the coroner with police waiting on the report.
The sisters were found in their unit in Canterbury on 7 June after their landlord had reported not receiving rent for several weeks.
“The Burwood community is a small and close community, and we hope that someone may be able to assist our investigators – either through sightings, or those who knew the sisters and may have some information on their movements prior to their death,” Allcroft said.
Anyone who has any information is urged to contact Burwood police station on (02) 9745 8499 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
