Ex-coroner's bombshell revelations over Amy's death
A retired senior coroner believes Amy Wensley was the victim of an unlawful killing and says there is evidence which shows she did not pull the trigger despite police initially finding she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The bombshell revelations are revealed as Seven West Media on Sunday launches season two of its investigative podcast, The Truth About Amy, hosted by award-winning journalists Liam Bartlett and Alison Sandy.
Ms Wensley, 24, was found dead behind her bedroom door in her Serpentine home in 2014 with a fatal gunshot wound to her head.
Her important belongings were in a car, along with her two daughters — an apparent sign she was about to leave the house she shared with her partner, David Simmons.
But despite this, the awkward position of her body, and the grave suspicions of the very first police on the scene, detectives later decided the death was a suicide — and lifted the forensic shutters around the room.
After an inquest in 2021, now Deputy State Coroner Sarah Linton made an open finding, meaning she could not determine if Ms Wensley's death was a suicide, homicide — or an accident.
But in an extremely rare interview, the former Deputy State Coroner, Evelyn Vicker — the original coroner to read Ms Wensley's file — has said the details in it led her to form the view she did not die by suicide.
'To me, it was an unlawful killing,' she said.
'What we've got is evidence . . . she didn't pull the trigger herself.
'Both psychologically and forensically to me . . . Amy wouldn't have committed suicide at that point in time.'
Amy's mother, Nancy Kirk, has revealed she phoned her daughter and listened to her as she sobbed on the day she died, claiming Mr Simmons had 'grabbed me by the throat and thrown me on the ground' during an argument. Amy Wensley Credit: Unknown / Supplied
The argument — which was heard and seen by witnesses — happened just moments before the fatal shot was fired.
Mr Simmons has vehemently denied any suggestions that he was holding the gun when it went off.
Officers initially treated Amy's death as suspicious, but detectives later ruled it a suicide.
As part of their investigation, Bartlett and Sandy also enlisted University of WA applied anatomy and biomechanics professor Timothy Ackland, who says the evidence 'hasn't been weighted in the best way possible'.
'Personally, I try to remain dispassionate as much as I can and that serves me very well in most of other cases that I'm involved in,' he said.
'But I guess this one's a little bit different.
'It's gone on for some time and I just get the feeling that the evidence hasn't been weighted in the best way possible for Amy to get justice.'
Sandy said following season one of the podcast, WA Police reopened the investigation into Ms Wensley's death and updated the brief of evidence for the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider. Amy Wensley and David Simmons. Credit: Unknown / Facebook
'We've had a massive response from the public who are passionate about The Truth About Amy being realised and somebody being held accountable for her death,' she said.
'And now more people involved in the investigation of Amy Wensley have come forward saying that they knew she didn't kill herself from the start, but were, in some cases, shouted down – literally.
'So now the family is concerned, and rightly so, that there are still people in power, with enough sway, to prevent justice in Amy's case from being realised.
'We owe it to Amy's family, along with every other family whose investigation into their loved one's death has been botched to see this through.'
Anyone with information can email thetruthaboutamy@seven.com.au or leave an anonymous tip at www.thetruthaboutamy.org
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