Killing of Marea Yann

Marea Bambina Alice Yann was an Australian nurse and charity shop worker known for her community work, including volunteering at an opportunity shop and supporting reformed alcoholics and drug addicts. She had moved to Healesville, Victoria, in 1995 after previously living in Acheron, and had recently retired from her charity store job on the Maroondah Highway. She had been widowed since her husband's death in 1984.

On 30 September 2003, Yann's body was discovered in an armchair at her Juliet Crescent home by her gardener at approximately 9:00 AM. Her last known contact had been a telephone call with her daughter in Queensland the previous night at around 9:30 PM. No weapon was found at the scene, and an autopsy determined she died from more than 20 blows that caused significant injuries to her upper body. A forensic scientist who attended the scene said the blows had been delivered in quick succession. The television was still on and the security door was unlocked when her body was found. The murder occurred weeks before Yann's 70th birthday. Her son, Jeff Yann, publicly criticized the allocation of investigative resources, arguing that greater funding could have led to a faster resolution of his mother's case compared to the attention given to Melbourne's gangland killings.

An inquest held at the Coroners Court of Victoria in February 2006 revealed that Victoria Police suspected Yann's former son-in-law, Joseph (James) Unumadu, a Nigerian-born sheet metal worker who had married Yann's daughter Pauline in the early 1980s. Testimony described alleged intimidation involving a purported witch doctor in Nigeria, as well as claims that Unumadu had manhandled and harassed Yann and threatened her with a knife. Unumadu declined to testify at the inquest, citing self-incrimination concerns.

Unumadu was arrested and charged with Yann's murder on 8 February 2006. A two-week trial at the Supreme Court of Victoria took place in February 2008. Prosecutors alleged Unumadu killed Yann after she supported her daughter during the couple's marriage breakdown. A witness testified that Unumadu had allegedly confessed to the murder. However, Justice Betty King ruled evidence relating to the witch doctor and alleged death threats inadmissible as overly prejudicial. After five hours of deliberation, the jury found Unumadu not guilty. He has continued to maintain his innocence, stating publicly that he was wrongly persecuted.

Following the trial, Yann's family lobbied for changes to hearsay evidence laws in Victoria. In September 2021, Victoria Police announced a review of the case, and in May 2023 a $1 million reward was announced for information leading to a conviction. A television documentary examining the case aired on Sky News Australia in May 2023.