Locals warned against helping alleged triple murderer as manhunt continues

Warning: This story contains the names and images of Indigenous people who have died.

Chilling vision has been released of alleged triple murderer Julian Ingram reporting to police in the hours before a gun rampage that left his heavily pregnant former partner and two others dead in the state’s Central West.

The massive manhunt continues for the 37-year-old, who allegedly killed Sophie Quinn, 24, and her friend, John Harris, 32, and Sophie’s aunt, Nerida Quinn, 50, in Lake Cargelligo. Kaleb Macqueen, 19, was also injured in the shooting.

The CCTV captures Ingram attending Lake Cargelligo police station at 8.12am last Thursday, dressed in yellow and navy high visibility shirt, with cargo pants, black boots and a red cap.

The fugitive was reporting to police under bail conditions imposed after he was charged with assaulting Quinn in November. Hours later, Ingram allegedly began his shooting attack.

It comes as NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon warned Central West locals against assisting Ingram, also known as Julian Pierpoint, as authorities scour water sources and abandoned mine shafts in the remote region.

“What he has [allegedly] committed here is an atrocity … something that is completely unacceptable,” Lanyon said after travelling to Lake Cargelligo on Thursday.

“For those that are thinking of assisting him, think again … you will be charged if we have evidence of that.

“We are committed to putting Mr Ingram before the court.”

Multiple potential sightings of Ingram have been reported in the past week, prompting wide-scale searches as temperatures regularly passed 40 degrees.

Officers swarmed Mount Hope, north-west of Lake Cargelligo, in the days following the shooting following reported sightings from witnesses.

“From what they tell us at this point, we believe it may have been him, but again this is yet to be confirmed officially,” Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said on Thursday.

Police conducted line searches on Thursday in Euabalong, a town 27 kilometres north of Lake Cargelligo, which Ingram was seen driving towards after leaving town in the wake of the shootings.

Police have spent days searching properties stretching across tens of thousands of hectares in a landscape featuring disused mine shafts in which Ingram could be hiding.

Ingram has been described as an experienced bushman, who may have knowledge of the area through his work as a council gardener.

“He is aware where the water sources are, he’s aware where the hidey holes are, such as caves,” Holland said.

“We have to systematically work through these locations.”

Police released additional images on Tuesday of the Lachlan Shire Council ute Ingram was travelling in on the afternoon of the shootings, but Holland said on Thursday Ingram “would be mad” if he was still using the same vehicle.

Police are investigating the rider of a red motorcycle who reportedly failed to stop for police on Wednesday.

“But again, that is unconfirmed,” Holland said.

The search on Wednesday spread to Kiacatoo, north-east of Lake Cargelligo, and about 90 kilometres from Mount Hope.

Local farmer Dean Phillips told Nine News he and his family were not sticking around in Kiacatoo as police searched for Ingram on Wednesday.

“We don’t want to be here, we’re too worried to stay here,” he said.

“It is very difficult, you know, to find anyone out here, especially on these remote roads, it is very hard,” Phillips said.

Lachlan Shire Council Mayor John Medcalf said locals are staying in their homes.

“Everybody’s on edge while the suspect is still at large,” he told AAP.

Locals are also on alert in surrounding areas, Cobar Mayor Jarrod Marsden said.

“Every little sound in the middle of the night, people think it could be something.”

Anyone who believes they may have sighted Ingram are warned not approach him but to notify police.

While the search for Ingram continues, the decision to grant Ingram bail after he allegedly assaulted Sophie Quinn in November is the subject of ongoing scrutiny.

Daily reporting to police was one of Ingram’s bail conditions.

An interim Apprehended Domestic Violence Order also prohibited Ingram from approaching Quinn in the weeks before he allegedly shot her and Harris as they sat in Quinn’s black Suzuki Swift on Bokhara Street.

“We’re looking at the bail conditions, but that will form part of the investigation,” Holland said.

Lanyon described domestic and family violence as a continuing “scourge” on the community.

“In the last year, we charged over 33,000 individuals with domestic and family violence assaults, which is a disgrace,” Lanyon said.

It also required 33,000 individual bail decisions to be made by police sergeants and courts applying the state’s bail act, which police will “work closely with government” on in the aftermath of the triple shooting.

“The decision on legislation is one with government. We’re committed as a police force to providing support to victims,” Lanyon said.

Premier Chris Minns and government ministers have resisted commenting on the bail decision or whether legislative change is required while the search is ongoing.

with AAP

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732.

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