Two people have been arrested following the discovery of an Aboriginal woman’s body near Darwin, two days after a partial leg was found on an NT highway.

June 2, 2022

The body of an Indigenous woman has been found two days after a partial human leg was discovered on a major Northern Territory highway.

The body was found in the outskirts of Darwin on Wednesday night. Police have arrested a man and a woman over a traffic incident involving a pedestrian on the Stuart Highway on Monday night.

“We believe this is the victim of the collision,” Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey told reporters on Thursday.

“They were partially concealed and the condition of the body was consistent with being struck with a vehicle.”

Police allege the 23-year-old arrested man was driving the vehicle that hit the woman, whose body was found about 15km away in the rural suburb of Virginia, south of Darwin.

“It will be further alleged that the 50-year-old female has assisted him in removing the deceased to another location in an attempt to conceal the crime,” Det Snr Sgt Morrissey said.

“It’s very concerning. It’s one thing not to render assistance and report the matter but to go further and attempt to conceal a crime is quite terrible.”

Investigators have not released details of the victim’s identity or her age.

The man was arrested at a home in Palmerston near the accident site while the woman was arrested at a property in the Darwin suburb of Winnellie.

They are in custody and are likely to be charged later on Thursday.

The limb was spotted in Coolalinga, 30km south of Darwin, on Tuesday morning by a traveller who was driving on the highway linking Darwin to Alice Springs and Adelaide.

A forensic pathologist determined the victim was either a teenager or an adult.

It is understood the lower section of the leg had a foot attached.

The woman is the 11th pedestrian to die on NT roads in the past 18 months.

All were Indigenous and six involved hit and run incidents, according to NT police.