Forty-year-old Tracey Connelly, described by friends as a “shining light” with “positive energy,” had faced significant challenges in her life. She began sex work at age fifteen and battled heroin addiction alongside Tony Melissovas, whom she met in 2005. The couple lived in a white Ford Econovan, with Melissovas acting as her “spotter,” recording details of clients’ vehicles for her safety.
Tracey was known for her cautious approach, always having a “getaway plan” and staying in regular contact with Melissovas. But on the night of her murder, Melissovas was in the hospital with an infected hand, leaving Tracey without her usual protector.
Tracey Connelly was last seen alive around eleven thirty p.m. on July 20th, 2013, at the corner of Mitchell and Carlisle Streets in St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia, a known area for sex work. CCTV footage captured her returning to her van shortly before two a.m. on July 21st with an unidentified man, who left approximately thirty-seven minutes later.
Just before three p.m. that day, her long-term partner, Tony Melissovas, discovered her body inside the van, parked opposite the St. Kilda Gatehouse, a support agency for sex workers. A post-mortem examination revealed Tracey had been brutally stabbed, sustaining severe upper body and facial injuries in what police described as a “very brutal assault.” Her handbag, cell phone, and a credit card belonging to Melissovas were stolen, leading investigators to suspect a robbery gone wrong, possibly involving a client.
Victoria Police’s Homicide Squad, led by Detective Inspector Tim Day, launched a comprehensive investigation. A DNA sample, along with palm and fingerprints, was recovered from the crime scene, believed to belong to the killer. Police tested approximately 1,500 DNA samples from individuals in the St. Kilda area, those with a history of violent offending, and registered sex offenders, including samples obtained interstate and via Interpol. Despite this, no match was found.
Investigators also compiled a list of over 600 men potentially in the area, using vehicle registrations, social media, and police databases, and conducted mass DNA screenings. CCTV footage identified a man walking near Greeves Street around the time of the murder, but he was not considered a suspect, only a potential witness.
Police released previously pixelated CCTV footage in 2014, hoping to identify anyone who might have seen Tracey with her killer. They also investigated up to 3,000 vehicle registration numbers linked to clients. Despite these efforts, the investigation hit a wall, and by 2018, a coronial inquest concluded Tracey’s death was a homicide by a person unknown. The case remains active, with police emphasizing that advances in DNA technology make it “solvable.”
In 2019, Victoria Police announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible, with potential indemnification from prosecution for informants. As of 2025, Tracey Connelly’s murder remains unsolved, listed among Victoria Police’s cold cases.
Crime Immemorial 