Body odor and cable-tie evidence link 82-year-old to 1998 murder

In a Sydney courtroom, 82-year-old Aaron Govendir entered a not-guilty plea to the 1998 murder of his wife Denise, whom he claimed was attacked by home invaders. The couple’s marriage had reportedly broken down, and Denise had sought to divide the property before her death. Police discovered Denise’s body with a black cable tie binding her toes and extensive head injuries.

Investigators traced the cable tie to one outlet Hardware, where a clerk recalled selling the item to a man matching Govendir’s description and noted his distinctive body odor, later identified as Govendir’s by a former neighbour. Prosecutors highlighted that Govendir would receive roughly $30,000 from his wife’s estate. The trial will feature graphic crime-scene images and further forensic testimony.