Family Claims Police Ignored Pleas for Help Before Woman's Death

Family members of Jayda Allen Bonner, 21, have publicly stated that police did not intervene despite repeated pleas for assistance before the young woman was found dead in a Carlton apartment on Saturday. Bonner was discovered in the fifth-floor unit on Cardigan Street shortly after 1:45 a.m. Friends have indicated she died as a result of a domestic violence assault, though Victoria Police have not yet confirmed the cause of death.

A 31-year-old man from Carlton presented himself to a police station on Tuesday morning and was taken into custody. No charges have been filed against him as of Tuesday. A 60-year-old man, who was arrested shortly after Bonner's body was found, has been released without charge pending further inquiries. Family and friends assert the older man was not involved in Bonner's death.

Bonner's aunt, Kellie Carter-Bell, told street-vlogger TJ YT that a man known to Bonner had previously served jail time for assaulting her. Carter-Bell stated that her niece had been controlled by this individual and that police had been contacted six weeks prior to her death.

"We knew this was going to happen. We begged police for help six weeks ago," Carter-Bell said. "Jayda made a statement and unfortunately withdrew it because he was controlling her, even from a distance."

A spokesperson for Victoria Police stated that the department would not comment on the ongoing investigation but confirmed that any interactions between police and Bonner leading up to her death would be thoroughly examined.

Social media posts from friends suggest that neighbors had previously called emergency services and assisted Bonner when she was injured or distressed. The GoFundMe page established to assist with funeral costs and interstate travel expenses for family members describes Bonner as having "a soul of gold" and "a heart for the world."