By NOEL MURPHY
A MOTHER accused twice of killing her daughter in the unsolved 1979 Geelong West stabbing murder of 18-year-old Dorna Tramonte has died at 95.
Maria Tramonte was acquitted in October 1980 during a high-profile Melbourne court case of murdering her daughter in West Park opposite their Pineville St home.
An earlier trial in April 1980 was not completed and Mrs Tramonte maintained she had nothing to do with her daughter’s death.
The court heard Miss Tramonte had attended a birthday barbecue at a friend’s house and early in the evening phoned her mother for permission to catch a later bus home. Her mother gave permission after some argument.
Her bus arrived near her home about 9.15pm and she was stabbed three times while walking through the park toward her home.
Crown prosecutor Ian Heath told the court Dorna had arranged to meet her mother at the bus stop.
The court heard bloodstains of Dorna’s blood type were found on Mrs Tramonte’s coat and a bloodstained paper plate and foil on which Dorna had been carrying birthday cake was found at a nearby house where Mrs Tramonte said she went to while waiting for the bus.
Dorna ran into her home and her sister, Anna, drove her to hospital.
She died seconds after arrival.
Mrs Tramonte made no admissions or confessions and sobbed in the witness box: “I love my daughter. I did everything for her all my life.”
Mrs Tramonte passed away peacefully on Monday.
