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| '''Maria Korp''' (b 1955?, died 5 August 2005), 50, was an Australian woman reported missing for four days and later found, barely alive, in the ] of her car |
'''Maria Korp''' (b 1955?, died 5 August 2005), 50, was an Australian woman reported missing for four days and later found, barely alive, in the ] of her car on 13 February 2005.<ref name="smh050213">{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Missing-woman-found-alive-in-car-boot/2005/02/13/1108229856716.html |title=Missing woman found alive in car boot |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=14 February 2005.}}</ref> | ||
| She spent many months in a ] and became the centre of a ] controversy in Australia during 2005; On 26 July 2005, Gardner announced ] to Maria Korp would be removed and that she was expected to die within weeks. Korp died on 5 August 2005. | |||
| Her husband, Joe Korp, charged with her murder, committed suicide on the day of her funeral. | Her husband's mistress pleaded guilty on 8 June 2005 to attempted murder, and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment; Husband Joe Korp, charged with her murder, committed suicide on the day of her funeral. | ||
| ==Missing person== | ==Missing person== | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Korp's husband, |
Korp's husband, Joe Korp had earlier reported his wife missing to police on 11 February 2005, stating he last saw his wife at their suburban ] home at approximately 6.30am two days earlier. Korp was found unconscious, ], in the ] of her car near the Shrine Of Remembrance in Dallas Brooks Drive, ] on 13 February 2005.<ref name="smh050213"/>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Missing-woman-found-alive-in-car-boot/2005/02/13/1108229856716.html |title=Missing woman found alive in car boot |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=14 February 2005.}}</ref> and in a ]. She was taken to nearby ] and placed on ]. | ||
| On 16 February 2005 police charged Joe Korp, 47, and his mistress Tania Herman, 38, with |
On 16 February 2005 police charged Joe Korp, 47, and his mistress Tania Herman, 38, with the ] of Maria Korp, ] to murder, and ]. Both appeared the following day in ] and were remanded in custody. On 28 April 2005, the ] appointed Victoria's Public Advocate, ] as Mrs Korp's ]. | ||
| Herman pleaded guilty on 8 June 2005 to the attempted murder of Maria Korp and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years. Korp pleaded |
Herman pleaded guilty on 8 June 2005 to the attempted murder of Maria Korp and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years. Korp pleaded not guilty on all charges and was later released on ] on 9 June, and committed to stand ]. | ||
| On 26 July 2005, Gardner announced feeding systems to Maria Korp would be removed and that she was expected to die within weeks. Korp died at 2am on 5 August 2005. A further charge of murder had been expected to be laid against her husband. | On 26 July 2005, Gardner announced feeding systems to Maria Korp would be removed and that she was expected to die within weeks. Korp died at 2am on 5 August 2005. A further charge of murder had been expected to be laid against her husband. | ||
Revision as of 02:07, 19 June 2009
Maria Korp (b 1955?, died 5 August 2005), 50, was an Australian woman reported missing for four days and later found, barely alive, in the boot of her car on 13 February 2005.
She spent many months in a coma and became the centre of a euthanasia controversy in Australia during 2005; On 26 July 2005, Gardner announced feeding tube to Maria Korp would be removed and that she was expected to die within weeks. Korp died on 5 August 2005.
Her husband's mistress pleaded guilty on 8 June 2005 to attempted murder, and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment; Husband Joe Korp, charged with her murder, committed suicide on the day of her funeral.
Missing person
Korp's husband, Joe Korp had earlier reported his wife missing to police on 11 February 2005, stating he last saw his wife at their suburban Mickleham home at approximately 6.30am two days earlier. Korp was found unconscious, brain damaged, in the boot of her car near the Shrine Of Remembrance in Dallas Brooks Drive, Melbourne on 13 February 2005."Missing woman found alive in car boot". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 February 2005. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)</ref> and in a coma. She was taken to nearby Alfred Hospital and placed on life support.
On 16 February 2005 police charged Joe Korp, 47, and his mistress Tania Herman, 38, with the attempted murder of Maria Korp, conspiracy to murder, and intentionally causing serious injury. Both appeared the following day in Melbourne Magistrates Court and were remanded in custody. On 28 April 2005, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal appointed Victoria's Public Advocate, Julian Gardner as Mrs Korp's legal guardian.
Herman pleaded guilty on 8 June 2005 to the attempted murder of Maria Korp and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years. Korp pleaded not guilty on all charges and was later released on bail on 9 June, and committed to stand trial.
On 26 July 2005, Gardner announced feeding systems to Maria Korp would be removed and that she was expected to die within weeks. Korp died at 2am on 5 August 2005. A further charge of murder had been expected to be laid against her husband.
Maria Korp's funeral mass was held on Friday, 12 August 2005 almost six months to the day after she was found. In the hours following the service, Joe Korp was found dead, apparently having taken his own life at the Mickelham house they had once shared.
Mental health
Whilst being a devout catholic, she allegedly showed some behaviour illustrating an instability which could indicate degrading mental health. In the Korp residence at Greenvale, the first home that she shared with Joe, she built a shrine outside their bedroom in memory of her first husband, Manuel, who died of a heart attack in 1987.
According to tabloid media reports, every night Maria Korp would walk around their Greenvale residence with an incense burner, praying in an attempt to ward off the evil spirits that haunted the place.
Maria reportedly asked Joe to be responsible for tending to her prior husband's grave, both Maria and Joe believing that her past husband haunted the family home and that his spirit would possess Joe Korp during the night unless Maria Korp threw her leg over his to 'transfer the spirit'.
When Maria Korp first found blonde hairs on Joe Korp's car seat, which she suspected belonged to his lover, Tania Herman, she drew hundreds of small crosses with her index finger in the dust on the vehicle in an attempt to 'change destiny'.
After her attempted murder it came to light that Maria Korp had been on a crusade to receive forgiveness from Joe Korp's first wife, her mother-in-law and other family members for breaking up the marriage of Joe and Leonie Korp. Claiming she had received forgiveness from God, she sought forgiveness from Leonie Korp's family directly on various occasions.
Psychics
According to tabloid media reports, two psychics were paid approximately AUD$150,000 in cash by Maria Korp in a bid to solve her marital and life problems. Michael Fotios and a female associate of his were hired by her over a period of three years. Michael's role was to "pray for Mrs Korp ... light candles and bring her good luck, peace and harmony."
It is alleged Maria Korp made her last payment of $5,000 on 7 February 2005 - two days before she was attacked and left for dead.
Laura De Gois, Maria Korp's daughter, spoke to the media on the topic of Maria's obsession with the occult, stating "Mum was the type of person who was superstitious and believed in curses and things like that. Mum was buying a lot of candles, crosses and prayers from Michael. It progressed to the stage where he spoke with Mum on an almost daily basis."
Maria Korp allegedly asked her daughter Laura to obtain a loan in excess of $30,000 to fund her rising psychics' bills. She paid the psychic to bless various properties owned by the Korp family to keep away the evil spirits that played quite an active role in the occult obsession that she illustrated.
Euthanasia controversy
Anti-euthanasia campaigners threatened legal action in an attempt to save the life of Maria Korp in August, 2005. They held peaceful protests outside Melbourne's Alfred Hospital to demonstrate against the "inhumane" decision by the Public Advocate, Julian Gardner, to stop artificially feeding her.
Maria Korp's feeding tube was removed on 27 July, which began the slow death process, on the request of the state-appointed legal guardian, Mr Gardner, who stated that it was "in her best interests to die" as some doctors claimed she had no prospects of recovery.
An appeal against Mr Gardner's appointment — as a legal means of challenging his decision — as Maria Korp's guardian was not upheld. The protest group's spokesperson, Mrs Tighe, reported to the media that they would be willing to give anything a try in order to stop her from dying from starvation. Maria Korp's husband Joe and her daughter Laura De Gois indicated that they did not oppose Mr Gardner's decision.
According an ABC radio report, Julian Gardner, the public advocate who made the decision, explained that they talked over a period of months to people who knew her well, to find out what she believed, and took advice from "an expert Catholic ethicist". Many of her family members were against the cessation of life support as euthanasia is considered a sin in the Roman Catholic church, going as far as family members in Portugal making televised appeals to the Australian government not to cease treatment.
Occurring less than six months after the international Terri Schiavo controversy, where an American woman in a vegetative state (for a decade or more longer than Maria Korp) had her feeding tube removed and starved to death under State-based instruction also, the euthanasia of Maria Korp struck a raw nerve in some parts of Australian society.
Laura De Gois
Laura De Gois, the 26-year-old daughter of Maria Korp from a previous marriage, allegedly approached the media on the 30 August 2005 with recollections of her mother's attempted murder.
Laura claimed her stepfather Joe Korp appeared to be "very anxious" and "extremely nervous" on 9 February 2005, the day Mrs Korp disappeared from her suburban Mickleham home. At a late stage in the investigation, Ms De Gois recalled being woken by screaming at or around 0630 hours on the day of her mother's disappearance, and that she went to check on her younger brother Damian but found him asleep.
Timeline of events
- 9 February 2005 - Maria Korp was choked until unconscious by Tania Herman, her husband Joe Korp's mistress, in the garage of the Korp family home in Mickleham, in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. Her body was dumped into the boot of a vehicle.
- 11 February - Joe Korp reported his wife missing, claiming he last saw her at their Mickleham residence at 6.30am two days prior.
- 13 February - Mrs Korp was found unconscious in the boot of her car, police question Joe Korp at length in relation to the matter.
- 15 February - It was revealed that the Korps were members of a swingers' website.
- 16 February - Joe Korp and Herman arrested and charged with attempted murder of Mrs Korp.
- 18 February - Doctors claimed that Mrs Korp suffered severe brain damage in her coma whilst on life support in hospital.
- 28 April - The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal appointed the state public advocate as Mrs Korp's guardian.
- 8 June - Herman pleaded guilty to attempted murder of Mrs Korp.
- 1 July - Herman sentenced to 12 years' jail with a non-parole period of nine years.
- 19 July - Lawyers acting for Mrs Korp's daughter and administrator Laura De Gois changed the title of the couple's $1.1 million house so Korp would not inherit Mrs Korp's half if she died.
- 26 July - Victoria's Public Advocate Julian Gardner ruled that Mrs Korp's feeding tube should be removed, saying she had no hope of recovery.
- 27 July - Magistrate changed bail conditions to allow Joe Korp to visit his dying wife.
- 1 August - Judge agreed to Ms De Gois' application and cut Joe Korp out of his wife's will.
- 3 August - Joe Korp formally pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to murder and intentionally causing serious injury.
- 4 August - Joe Korp committed to stand trial for attempted murder of his wife, formally pleaded not guilty.
- 5 August - Maria Korp died in The Alfred Hospital about 2am EST.
- 12 August - Maria Korp was cremated in a small ceremony. Joe Korp hanged himself the same night as cremation.
References
- ^ "Missing woman found alive in car boot". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 February 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Bunworth, Mick (26 July 2005). "Korp's feeding tube to be removed" (transcript). Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
External links
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
- Joe Korp's death may have been accident, The Age, 27 May 2006
- Key dates in Maria Korp saga
- Boot victim may never testify
- Korp's family to decide her fate
- Accused husband asks to visit dying wife
- Right-to-lifers protest over 'starvation'
- Joe Korp found dead in Melbourne
- R v Herman VSC 234 - Victorian Supreme Court sentencing of Herman.
- Korp car pulled by eBay
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