Amy Lee Wensley, a young woman with a promising future, was born on February 11, 1990, and lived in Serpentine, Western Australia, with her family. At just 24 years old, Amy had already become a mother to two young daughters, and the promise of a life filled with joy and fulfillment seemed just within her grasp. However, the reality of Amy’s life came to a tragic and violent end on the afternoon of June 26, 2014. Her death, which remains shrouded in mystery, has become a case of lingering doubt, injustice, and a painful search for the truth.
The day Amy was last seen alive was a fateful one. Her partner, David Simmons, reported seeing her in their home that afternoon. But it wasn’t long before their lives were irrevocably altered. Just after 5:00 p.m., Amy’s lifeless body was discovered behind her bedroom door. She had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. What was immediately puzzling to authorities was the apparent contradiction in the scene: Amy’s belongings, including her important personal items, were packed into a car, along with her two daughters. This suggested that she was about to leave the home she had shared with David Simmons.
Despite this, police initially concluded that Amy’s death was a suicide. The position of her body, the circumstances surrounding her belongings being packed, and the very first police response cast doubt on the theory that she had taken her own life. But over time, a deeper investigation revealed a series of errors in how the case was handled — mistakes that would go on to haunt the pursuit of justice for Amy.
From the beginning, Amy’s death was treated with suspicion. Yet, police officers on the scene, seemingly swayed by their initial impressions, allowed the crime scene to be cleared too quickly. The forensic area was lifted prematurely, and Amy’s body was removed before proper photographs of the scene could be taken. As a result, valuable forensic evidence was lost, and the case became more difficult to solve.
The first police investigation into Amy’s death was marred by these significant missteps. It wasn’t until years later that the full extent of the errors became evident. In 2021, Deputy State Coroner Sarah Linton reviewed the case and made an open finding. Linton could not definitively determine whether Amy’s death was a suicide, a homicide, or even an accident. In her findings, Linton highlighted the problematic first investigation and the mishandling of the crime scene as major contributing factors that clouded the truth.
“The responding detectives… formed a preliminary view that Amy’s death was a suicide and allowed the protected forensic area to be lifted,” said Coroner Linton. “This decision then allowed Amy’s body to be removed and the scene to be cleaned, destroying almost any hope of obtaining forensic evidence that might have shed light on the events leading to Amy’s death.” This error in the early stages of the investigation, Linton noted, hindered any progress in uncovering the real cause of Amy’s death.
Furthermore, six people had entered the room where Amy’s body was found before crime scene photographs were taken, meaning it was impossible to know her exact position when she was shot. This lapse in procedure resulted in the destruction of critical evidence that could have provided clarity about the circumstances surrounding Amy’s final moments.
Despite these obstacles, the case was closed with the conclusion that Amy had died by suicide. This theory, however, was called into question by both experts and those who had known Amy. Former Deputy State Coroner, Evelyn Vicker, who initially read Amy’s file, expressed a strong belief that Amy did not die by suicide. “To me, it was an unlawful killing,” Vicker said. “What we’ve got is evidence… she didn’t pull the trigger herself.”
Psychologically and forensically, Vicker believed that the circumstances surrounding Amy’s death did not align with the characteristics of a suicide. The idea that Amy would have taken her life at that specific time seemed highly unlikely, given what little evidence there was to support the claim.
Perhaps one of the most heart-wrenching pieces of the case came from Amy’s mother, Nancy. On the day of Amy’s death, she had received a phone call from her daughter. During the conversation, Amy was sobbing uncontrollably and told her mother about a disturbing confrontation with her partner, David Simmons. Amy described a violent argument, in which Simmons allegedly “grabbed me by the throat and threw me on the ground.” This testimony, coming from Amy herself in her final moments, cast serious doubt on the theory that her death was self-inflicted.
Nancy’s account painted a troubling picture of the relationship between Amy and Simmons. In the moments before the fatal shot was fired, witnesses heard and saw the violent argument. These accounts aligned with Amy’s own words, leading some to speculate that the circumstances surrounding her death pointed to a possible homicide rather than a suicide. But despite this, Simmons denied any involvement in the gunshot that took his partner’s life.
After years of frustration and an ongoing search for the truth, the case of Amy Wensley’s death was revisited by the public through a podcast titled “The Truth About Amy.” The podcast brought renewed attention to the case and prompted the WA Police to reopen the investigation. Sandy Bartlett, a key figure in the podcast, noted that the police had updated the brief of evidence for the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider.
The podcast’s impact was undeniable. It garnered a massive response from the public, many of whom were deeply passionate about seeing justice served for Amy. As more people came forward with their own accounts of the case, it became clear that the public had long suspected foul play and believed that Amy’s death had been mishandled from the start. This grassroots effort not only kept the case alive in the public’s mind but also pushed authorities to take a fresh look at the evidence.
Amy’s family remained hopeful that the reopening of the investigation would lead to justice. They expressed concern that certain individuals, potentially still in positions of power, were trying to prevent the truth from coming to light. Sandy Bartlett’s words spoke volumes: “We owe it to Amy’s family, along with every other family whose investigation into their loved one’s death has been botched to see this through.”
The tragic death of Amy Wensley remains unresolved, but the fight for justice continues. For her family, every new revelation about the case serves as a reminder of the pain and loss they have endured. They have not given up on finding the truth, even after all these years. The podcast, the renewed investigation, and the support from the public have brought hope to those who have long fought for answers.
As this case continues to unfold, one thing is clear: Amy’s story is far from over. The quest for justice, fueled by love and a desire for closure, is ongoing, and the truth about what happened to Amy Wensley — whether it be suicide, homicide, or something else entirely — remains to be discovered.
This tragic case serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of thorough investigations, the preservation of evidence, and the need for accountability in every death, especially one as tragic and unresolved as Amy’s.
In the end, Amy’s family deserves the closure they have long sought. The truth must come to light, no matter how long it takes.