TOOWOOMBA, Queensland — A 48-year-old man has been charged with the domestic violence-related murder of 30-year-old Jana Armstrong, a young mother whose body was found in bushland days after she disappeared from her home in Toowoomba.
Police announced the charge on Sunday, hours after Armstrong’s remains were discovered in rugged bushland near Ravensbourne National Park, about 50 kilometres northeast of Toowoomba. Although formal identification is still pending, investigators said they are certain the remains are those of the missing mother.
The accused, Dharminder Singh, Armstrong’s former partner, has been charged with murder (domestic violence offence) and is scheduled to appear before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday.
Armstrong, who had recently given birth to a baby boy, was last seen on Tuesday while pushing her four-month-old son in a pram near her Toowoomba home. Her disappearance prompted an extensive police search and public appeals for information.
The search came to a tragic end late Saturday night when a group of wildlife hunters discovered human remains in steep, heavily wooded terrain near the national park and alerted authorities.
Queensland Police Detective Acting Inspector Brian Collins described the case as a “horrific crime.”
“People in the community would be horrified that a young lady, a 30-year-old with a four-month-old child, has had her life taken,” Collins said.
Investigators are continuing to examine whether Armstrong’s body was moved after her disappearance. A post-mortem examination has not yet been completed, and police have not confirmed her cause of death or whether a weapon was involved.
Collins said there was no domestic violence protection order in place involving the pair at the time of Armstrong’s death. However, police will review all previous interactions with the couple as part of the investigation.
Following the announcement of the murder charge, Armstrong’s sister, Faith Isaacs, shared an emotional tribute on social media.
“Losing my beautiful sister in this way is something I will never be able to understand or put into words,” she wrote.
Isaacs also vowed that Armstrong’s infant son would grow up knowing how much his mother loved him.
“I promise you, Jana, your beautiful baby boy will always know exactly who his mummy was, how deeply you loved him and just how incredibly special you were.”
Police continue to appeal for anyone who saw Armstrong after she disappeared or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage from the area to come forward as detectives work to establish the full circumstances surrounding her death.
The investigation remains ongoing
