A bone-chilling recording of a woman alleged to have schemed her previous partner’s gruesome murder by orchestrating his disposal via a woodchipper was sonorously relayed to a jury in court.
Sharon Graham, in an exchange with her former lover Bruce Saunders’ life insurance provider, days following his demise, inquired as to how she might obtain his death certificate. Concurrently, she informed the operator that Saunders’ body had just been positively identified. This disturbing dialogue unfolded during her ongoing trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court, marking its fifth day.
In the auditory evidence presented, Graham can be heard suggesting that Saunders’ death had been an unfortunate “industrial accident”. She chillingly states, “He went through a woodchipper”. The 61-year-old defendant stoutly maintains her innocence regarding the allegations of Saunders’ murder.
54-year-old Saunders had met his ghastly end when he was pulled into an industrial woodchipper while participating in a forestry venture on a certain property northeast of Gympie on November 12, 2017. Present on-site were two other men, Peter Koenig and Gregory Roser, who were employed alongside Saunders in preparing the property for sale on behalf of a freshly widowed woman.
Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller illuminated to the jury that all three men had, at one point or another, been romantically entangled with the accused. The fatal unfolding of events allegedly included Saunders being hit over the head with an iron rod by Roser, rendering him unconscious before vindictively feeding his body into the woodchipper with Koenig’s complicity.
Ms Graham, alleged to have been romantically involved with Roser, stands accused of being the dreadful mastermind behind the cold-blooded murder. Moreover, she is alleged to fulfill the qualifications of a ‘black widow’, having been granted the sole beneficiaries of Saunders’ will, inclusive of his property, personal car, his entire savings, and an insurance policy valued at a staggering $750,000.
In a separate audio clip, recorded on November 15, 2017, Graham can be heard discussing the specifics of Saunders’ life insurance package with the provider. Coolly introducing herself as Saunders’ “friend”, she pronounces, “Bruce passed away on Sunday in an industrial accident … I believe it’s all being cleared.” Graham further insists that Saunders’ body had been positively identified, citing that news of his tragic death had already been broadcasted in newspapers and online.
According to further evidence presented during the proceedings, Graham demonstrated an unnerving interest in procuring yet another copy of Saunders’ death certificate.
In a disquieting twist, the court was made aware of certain text messages sent from Graham’s phone to an acquaintance claiming that Saunders ended up in the woodchipper while in a bid to recover his phone that had fallen in.
Graham’s defense lawyer Peter Richards strongly rejected the claims that his client had in any way induced or planned the murder of Saunders. He insisted that Graham believed the circumstances surrounding Saunders’ death were purely accidental. He also urged discerning skepticism towards Koenig’s reliability and credibility as a key witness in the case.
