The quiet regional town of Goulburn in New South Wales is grappling with shock and grief following the alleged domestic violence murder of a local woman, whose body lay undiscovered for five days while the accused killers reportedly went on a holiday.
Alleged murder after relationship breakdown
Sharn Dee Cook, 48, was found with multiple stab wounds inside a home on Joshua Street in Goulburn around 7am on January 3. NSW Police Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi alleges Cook was actually murdered on December 30 and left to die in her home for nearly a week.
Cook's ex-girlfriend, 40-year-old Anne-Marie Streek (also known as Anne-Marie Ringuet), and Streek's new boyfriend, 44-year-old Stephen Henry Evans, were arrested at a nearby property about 8.30am last Thursday. Both have since been charged with one count of domestic violence-related murder.
A decade-long relationship turned tragic
Friends reveal that Cook and Streek had been together for almost a decade, with social media photos showing their earliest images together dating back to October 2016. According to one friend who asked to remain anonymous, Cook originally moved from Queensland to Goulburn so the couple could be together after first connecting online.
The friend described Cook as having "saved" Streek from a previous "terrible" relationship. Social media accounts for both women showed numerous photos of their life together from 2017 through 2023, painting a picture of what appeared to be a committed partnership.
On one of Cook's older Facebook accounts, she listed herself as "engaged" with an introduction stating: "I'm in a beautiful relationship with the most beautiful woman." Her TikTok account featured photos of the couple alongside her dogs, whom she described as her "little family."
Community remembers a kind-hearted woman
Friends have remembered Cook as a generous, quiet person who loved American singer P!nk and cherished her dogs like children. "She was a generous person. She helped me out a few times," one friend told 7NEWS.com.au. "She was very quiet, she was guarded, but once she got to know you, she was a good person."
Another friend, Kayla, added: "Sharn was a great lady who would always help you if she could. She was always there if you needed to talk — a very caring woman who cared for her dad until he passed, then cared for his dog as well. She loved her dogs a lot."
Kayla continued: "Sharn will be dearly missed, her life tragically taken too soon. You're an angel in heaven with your dad and Toby now. Gone but never forgotten."
Police investigation reveals timeline
Detective Superintendent Doueihi said Cook and Streek's relationship ended in May last year, after which Streek entered a relationship with Evans, who reportedly lived "next door" to Cook. Police allege the pair later lived together.
Investigators believe the accused traveled to Lake Burrinjuck near Yass between December 31 and January 3 in a light blue Toyota Camry towing a small white fishing boat on a trailer with registration CJ49XV. Authorities are urging anyone who saw the vehicle during that period to contact police.
The small town of Goulburn, located approximately 195 kilometers southwest of Sydney, is now coming to terms with the tragedy as the legal process begins for the two accused individuals. The case has highlighted the devastating impact of domestic violence on regional communities across Australia.
