Australian murder trial. Woman tells court that she assisted the suicide of her boyfriend.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Natasha Darcy is on trial for murder in the August 2, 2017 death of her boyfriend, Matthew Dunbar. Dunbar had made Darcy the sole beneficiary of his multi-million dollar estate.

I have reported on this case before since Darcy claims, in her defense, that she didn't murder Dunbar, in Walcha, a town in the Australian state of New South Wales, but assisted his suicide. Darcy is facing murder charges because prosecutors didn't accept her aiding or abetting suicide plea.

Darcy originally told the police that she had nothing to do with her boyfriend's death, but on April 22 she told the court that she assisted his suicide.

Greta Stonehouse reporting for 7news.com.au explains: 

"Darcy said she phoned emergency services when she found him, before administering CPR saying she was hopeful because he felt warm. But then she noticed the gas cylinder bottle and other paraphernalia. "I suppose I'd realised ... he'd tried to kill himself. I worked that out from an early point."

But as Stonehouse reported, there were a number of "disputed details" in Darcy's story:

Why she never noticed the heavy bottle being brought into the bedroom was questioned, along with its weight given Dunbar had an infected leg and often needed crutches to walk.

Family members who were present also dispute her story that she did not cook dinner that evening.

In her interview with police Darcy said she had nothing to do with organising the gas cylinder bottle the couple picked up together.

Police asked why then did the woman at the store tell them a female ordered it and said Matt Dunbar would be collecting it in his car for an event. 

“That was not me,” she said.

In 2015, Dunbar changed his will leaving all of the estate to Darcy, but she was only made aware of this a day before her interview with police, she says.

Once Darcy was told she was the main beneficiary she repeated “I don’t think that’s correct,” adding she didn’t want to be as people would “say things they’ve been saying”.

During their investigation of the bedroom detectives found anti-psychotic medication Darcy denies using but says a friend gave her to help sleep.

After they told her the box was found ripped open she declined to give her friend’s details.

“Do I have to give you her name? ... she’s not a dealer or anything.”

This Australian murder shows how assisted suicide techniques can be a cover for murder. I first reported on this case in November 2019.