Australian Woman Who Googled ‘How To Commit Murder’ Found Guilty Of Murder

A woman has been found guilty of murder after a court heard the online steps she took to carry out the crime.

Natasha Darcy was yesterday (June 15) found guilty of murdering her partner Mathew Dunbar in 2017.

Prosecutors successfully argued in court that Darcy drugged Dunbar with a bunch of sedatives and then gassed him in his bed.

Her main motive behind the murder was to inherit his $3.5 million farm.

Darcy told police that she found her partner of three years back in August 2017 with a plastic bag over his head.

After running an autopsy, authorities found the drug acepromazine and medications temazepam, clonidine and seroquel in Mr Dunbar's blood. They also discovered a used, dirty Nutribullet blending cup at the scene.

According to News Corp, when detectives asked why Mr Dunbar might have killed himself, his 46-year-old partner allegedly claimed he was dealing with financial issues, had an 'unclear sexual orientation', had a history of depression and suicidal ideation, and a calf infection.

However, authorities looked into Darcy's devices and found a much more compelling argument.

Among some of the things she Googled in the weeks before she murderer her partner, Darcy searched 'how to commit murder', 'lethal dose of oxycodone 200 pound male', 'acepromazine murder', and 'can police see websites you visit on your mobile'.

She also looked up information on poisonous snakes, spiders and deadly fungi, as well as epidurals, spinal taps and how many tablets were needed to induce a suicide or death.

They managed to work out that she was watching a rugby game when she looked up 'how to commit murder'.

During her 10-week long trial at the NSW Supreme Court, prosecutors explained how they had evidence of Darcy doing two 'dry runs' of the murder she would eventually carry out and she was laying breadcrumbs to friends to build up the suicide angle.

One of the breadcrumbs included hyping up Mr Dunbar's depression to make him seem like he was on the edge.

The court heard how Darcy offered a friend $20,000 after she was arrested in 2017 in exchange for lying to police and going along with the idea that Mr Dunbar was depressed and had attempted suicide before.

The friend ceased contact with Darcy after the offer, however that sparked the accused to make another financial offer, this time it was whatever the friend wanted.

She pleaded not guilty to murder and instead tried to claim that the only thing she was guilty of was aiding and abetting her partner's suicide.

Justice Julia Lonergan urged the 11-person jury not to consider this angle as there was no evidence during the 10-week trial that supported that notion.

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie