A woman appeared Wednesday in an Australian court on charges of murdering her elderly parents with lethal doses of prescribed insulin, according to multiple reports.
Raelene Polymiadis, 62, of Craigmore, Adelaide, was charged with two counts of murder on Tuesday, The Guardian reported. Her mother, Brenda Anderson, reportedly died at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide in March 2022, while Brenda’s husband Lynton died in May 2023 after a carer found him unconscious at home.
Ms. Polymiadis reportedly cut a blank figure at the court hearing, which she attended via video link, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Ms. Polymiadis was alleged to have administered insulin to Ms. Anderson on two occasions, the second of which led to Ms. Anderson’s death on March 16, 2022. Ms. Polymiadis also allegedly administered a small, non-fatal dose of Mr. Anderson’s prescription Oxazepam to sedate him before administering the lethal dose of insulin and scattering the Oxazepam across the house in a “poor attempt to make it look like a suicide,” per the ABC report. Prosecutors further alleged that Ms. Polymiadis had Googled the effects of Oxazepam on the one day before Mr. Anderson’s death. (RELATED: Australia Becomes First Country To Approve Psychedelics For Patients With Depression And PTSD)
Major Crime detectives have arrested a 62-year-old woman over the double murder of her elderly Hackham parents.
Raelene Polymiadis is accused of poisoning her parents Brenda and Lynton Anderson a year apart.#9News pic.twitter.com/6vo4bXlP8f
— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) July 4, 2023
Concerns first emerged following an alarming toxicology report from the post-mortem investigation of Ms. Anderson and subsequently from a similar report concerning Mr. Anderson, according to the Guardian news report. Foul play on the part of health workers was reportedly ruled out.
Both deceased individuals were reportedly not diabetic, whereas Ms. Polymiadis was the only known diabetic family member and the only family member who had access to prescribed insulin, according to the ABC news report.
Ms. Polymiadis’ defense team argued in favor of home detention on account of her diabetes and sleep apnea, adding that “[s]he has lived an entirely blameless life with an emphasis on her family, her faith and her work,” ABC news reported noted. Police, however, reportedly raised concerns that if released, Ms. Polymiadis could speak to witnesses and interfere with the investigation.
The court denied Ms. Polymiadis bail. Her next court hearing is scheduled for November, per ABC.