67-Year-Old Man Charged After Burnt Body Found Near Rural Victoria Cemetery

The body, believed to be a missing local woman, was discovered by firefighters responding to a grass fire in Quambatook.

Brian Barnes, 67, was arrested in Welshmans Reef, about 180km from the crime scene, and has been charged with murder.
The body was discovered early Tuesday morning near Cemetery Road in Quambatook after emergency services responded to a grass fire.
The remains have not yet been formally identified but are believed to belong to a well-known local volunteer and community organizer.
Barnes appeared in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court, where police requested a saliva swab for DNA testing as part of their investigation.
The Gannawarra Shire Council is providing trauma counseling to the tight-knit community impacted by the incident.