AN INQUEST into the murder of former Ballarat businessman Michael Griffey has been announced, six years after his death.
The battered body of Mr Griffey, 45, was discovered in the garage of the family property at Pakenham in early January 2006.
Police believe he was bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument on December 29, 2005, and lay undiscovered for days, even as his family held a New Year’s Eve party at the property.
It is believed Mr Griffey had two life insurance policies valued at more than $1.5 million.
His estranged wife Diane was charged with his murder the following year, but the case was dropped. Mr Griffey’s son Kenny was considered a suspect and his daughter Cassandra was interviewed by police over the death.
In December last year, police handed a brief of evidence to the State Coroner. A date for the coronial inquest has not been set.
Mr Griffey’s heartbroken mother Noela Antonio, from Wendouree, told The Courier yesterday she was too upset to make a comment about her son or the inquest.
A former Sebastopol Technical School and St Francis Xavier College student, Mr Griffey worked at a Ballarat hotel.
He met his wife in Ballarat and the couple moved to Melbourne more than 20 years ago, raising three children and operating a plaster transport business. The Griffeys ran D&M Plaster Transport and had branched out for a few years running the Metro and Pakenham limousine service.
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