14!

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23980663-26103,00.html

THE badly decomposed body of a US actress was found buried beneath towels, cushions and a foot spa in the bathroom of her Sydney apartment, her inquest has been told.

Bizarre ... an inquest has begun into the death of US actress Joyce Germain, whose body was found at a "strange" crime scene at her Sydney flat / Supplied
Joyce Germain, 59, had been dead for up to six days when police rescue workers found her body in her flat in Darlinghurst in April 2006.

Counsel assisting the inquest into her death Sergeant Rebecca Becroft told Glebe Coroners Court today the crime scene could only be described as "strange and bizarre".

Ms Germain's dress was lifted above her shoulders and a clothes peg was attached to her genitals.

Towels, cushions, a foot spa and a construction hat covered her body, obscuring all but her right arm.

An electrical cord was wrapped around her neck and a toaster had been strung from the shower rail.

A knife and a razor blade were discovered near her body and lipstick was smeared throughout the bathroom and on Ms Germain.

"There did not appear to be any knife-inflicted injuries at the time of post-mortem," Sgt Becroft said.

While the circumstances were clearly suspicious, two autopsies had been unable to determine a cause of death, she said.

Four persons of interest had been identified and would give evidence at the inquest, Sgt Becroft said.

Drug user Chady Wazir told police he had discovered Ms Germain's body and had sat beside her corpse while he injected ice into himself.

A syringe containing his DNA was found in the bathroom.

Police also discovered a handwritten note from a woman named Brenda in Ms Germain's letterbox, warning her to beware of "Kiwi John".

A New Zealand man named John Adrian Marsh had been a friend of Ms Germain and appeared nervous when he was approached by police, the police officer in charge of in the investigation, Detective Constable Lawrence Milburn, said.

Another man, Robert Kamminga, came to the attention of police after yelling from his balcony above Ms Germain's flat that he "knew who did it", Det-Constable Milburn said.

When he went upstairs to speak with Mr Kamminga, the detective said, he found "leather items, whips and chains hanging from the walls" for use in sexual activity.

Det-Constable Milburn said Mr Kamminga told him, "You can be my master any time, come round after work."

When he reminded him it was a serious police investigation, Mr Kamminga replied, "Doesn't mean we can't have fun."

The area where Ms Germain lived was "notorious for prostitution, drug use and robbery", Det-Constable Milburn said.

A fourth person of interest, Kim Sharwood, was excused from appearing today.

Ms Germain was born in California and appeared in films and television commercials while a young woman in the US.

She moved to Sydney in February 1986 and was described by those people closest to her as a "flamboyant character" and "mother figure" to many of the women who attended the local women’s crisis and community centres.

The inquest continues.