Josh Warneke: Police reveal more than a dozen people cannot be ruled out as suspects in 21yo’s death

Police have identified more than a dozen people who cannot be eliminated as suspects in the death of Josh Warneke, an inquest has been told. On the fourth day of a coronial inquest into Mr Warneke’s death, which has now been moved from Broome to Perth, police revealed there were also a further “three groups of suspects” who could not be ruled out as being involved. Mr Warneke’s body was found on the outskirts of Broome on February 26, 2010, after he spent the night out with friends and decided to walk home to Roebuck Estate. The 21-year-old was last seen walking near Old Broome and Bagot roads around 2:45am. A taxi driver found him with a severe head injury shortly after. Detective Inspector David Palmer led a team of about 10 officers who carried out a cold case review and fresh investigation of Mr Warneke’s death between 2017-2018. That review was codenamed Operation Azurite. Det. Insp Palmer confirmed to the court his investigation team eventually concluded Mr Warneke died after either being struck by a vehicle, being assaulted with a weapon, or a combination of both. The court was told on Thursday that about 850 witnesses had been spoken to or identified during the police investigations into Mr Warneke’s death. There are also three groups of suspects identified as part of the police investigations and a further 15 people who all couldn’t be eliminated as part of the inquiry. Some of the suspects’ names were mentioned in court, but a suppression order has been placed preventing them from being named publicly. The court heard one of the suspects made comments to a woman to the effect that he had struck Mr Warneke with a tomahawk and that he could point out where the weapon was. But the court heard police later ruled the man was known to “talk rubbish”. Earlier, one of WA’s most experienced major crash police officers said he did not believe Mr Warneke came into contact with a vehicle on the night he died. Sergeant David Magorian said there was almost a “lack of evidence” that a vehicle was involved in the 21-year-old’s death. Sgt Magorian, who has been with the WA Police major crash squad since 1997, said a lack of tyre marks at the scene, Mr Warneke’s injuries and the fact his thongs were found close to his body led him and his major crash colleagues to conclude a vehicle wasn’t involved in the incident. “My view… is I can’t think of a scenario where he was struck by a vehicle that would leave him lying in that position,” the senior officer said. “I can’t think of a scenario where there was contact with a vehicle. “He looked too neat. “It’s inconsistent with what we would normally find.” The court heard a major crash report compiled into Mr Warneke’s death concluded Mr Warneke was not hit by a vehicle or an object protruding from a vehicle. The report also concluded it was “difficult to accept” a vehicle had struck him. Sgt Magorian said he agreed with those conclusions. Mr Warneke’s friend Clint Irvine Gibson also gave evidence at the inquest on Thursday. He described Mr Warneke as a positive person. “(He was) happy go lucky, he’d give the shirt off his back,” Mr Gibson said. “He was always positive.” On the opening day of the inquest, which started in Broome on Monday, it was revealed that a man who was charged and later acquitted of Mr Warneke’s manslaughter would not be giving evidence at the inquest hearing. Indigenous man Gene Gibson was charged with Mr Warneke’s murder in 2012 – before eventually pleading guilty to manslaughter. Gene Gibson was jailed for more than seven years and had served nearly five when WA’s highest court found the “integrity of the plea was impugned” and his conviction should be quashed. The inquest continues.