Daughter discovers murder-suicide

What Makes a Person Commit Such a Tragic Act?

This is the question that may have been asked by May Kathleen Lees when she came home from work on the evening of 6th December 1944.

As May stepped into the Enfield home she shared with her mother and elderly aunt, she had no idea of the scene that would greet her. After 6 PM on that fateful day, she entered the laundry or washroom and discovered her mother, Clara Evelyn Lees (nee Shepherd), aged 63, hanging from a rafter.

This was not the end of the tragedy, however. After cutting her mother down and calling the authorities, May went to check on her aunt, Frances Mary Lees, aged 81. Frances had been bedridden for the past six months. To May's horror, she found her aunt close to death in a pool of blood.

Frances had severe lacerations and bruising on her face and head. A blood-stained axe, with grey hairs adhered to it, lay at the foot of the bed. Frances was in such a bad state that she could not give an account of how she received her injuries or from whom.

Frances was rushed to the Western Suburbs Hospital in critical condition. Medical staff fed her glucose and water through her veins, helping her survive for another seven days before she ultimately passed away.

Police believe Clara attacked her sister-in-law, Frances, while she was lying in bed. Afterward, Clara hung herself in the laundry. Clara had suffered from a heart condition and was not getting much sleep while caring for Frances. It is believed that this stress may have pushed her to commit such a tragic act.

The events surrounding this tragedy highlight the importance of mental health awareness. Clara's deteriorating condition and the stress of caregiving can lead to desperate actions. It serves as a reminder that support systems are crucial for those in similar situations.

Both Frances and Clara were buried in Rookwood Cemetery.

Courtesy Findagrave

References

• 'Woman Hanged, Another Dying', The Daily Telegraph, Thursday 7 December 1944, Page 1.

• 'Tragic Occurrence', Queanbeyan Age, Friday 8 December 1944, Page 3.

• 'Found Hanging', Examiner, Thursday, 7 December 1944, Page 5.

• 'Woman Hanged, Another Battered', The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday 7 December 1944, Page 3.

• 'Mother found hanged', Singleton Argus, Friday 8 December 1944, Page 1.

• 'Old Woman's fight for her life', Border Morning Mail, Wednesday 13 December 1944, Page 6.

• 'Clara Evelyn Lees' and 'Frances Mary Lees', Sydney, Australia, Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions, 1837-2003, accessed 18th January 2026, Ancestry.com.au.