HEARTBREAKING END TO SEARCH: GRANDMOTHER, 73, FOUND DEAD AFTER VANISHING DURING MORNING WALK

Janet Knight, who was living with dementia, disappeared after leaving her Melbourne home without her phone, wallet or Fitbit. Her body was later found in waters near Avondale Heights, bringing a devastating end to the search.

A Melbourne family is mourning the loss of a beloved grandmother after a four-day search ended with the discovery of her body in waters several kilometres from where she was last seen.

Janet Knight, 73, was reported missing after leaving her home in Keilor East, Melbourne, early on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

Her disappearance sparked growing concern among relatives and police because she was living with dementia and had left behind several belongings she would normally take with her.

On Wednesday afternoon, October 28, a body was discovered in waters off Riviera Road in Avondale Heights.

Victoria Police later confirmed that the body had been identified as Janet. Officers said her death was not being treated as suspicious.

SHE LEFT HOME WITHOUT HER PHONE OR WALLET

Janet’s family became increasingly worried after discovering that she had gone out without her phone, wallet or Fitbit.

Her daughter, Nicole, said the decision to leave those belongings behind was completely out of character for her mother.

Janet was an avid walker who regularly explored familiar routes around her neighbourhood. Despite her dementia diagnosis, she was known to enjoy walking and generally knew the local area well.

However, her family feared that the condition could leave her vulnerable if she became disoriented or was unable to communicate with people who might try to help.

Police issued an appeal for public assistance and released details of Janet’s last known movements in the hope that someone might have seen her.

CCTV CAPTURED HER LAST KNOWN MOVEMENTS

Investigators established that Janet had left her home on Steele Creek Drive shortly before 7 a.m. on Sunday.

CCTV footage later showed her walking north along Hoffmans Road, near Muriel Street in Niddrie, at approximately 7:40 a.m.

She was wearing a black hooded jacket, black trousers and a light-blue beanie, and was carrying a plastic bag.

The location where she was seen on CCTV was around an hour’s walk from the area where her body was eventually discovered.

As the hours passed, police and relatives remained concerned about the effects of the cold, wet and windy weather.

Authorities also appealed to residents to review security camera and dashcam footage that might help establish Janet’s movements after she was last seen.

A SEARCH THAT ENDED IN TRAGEDY

The search continued for several days as police worked to locate the missing grandmother.

On Wednesday, a body was found in the water near Riviera Road in Avondale Heights.

Police subsequently confirmed that it was Janet, bringing an end to the uncertainty surrounding her disappearance.

Although the discovery answered the question of where she had gone, it left her family facing the devastating reality of her loss.

Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious. No further conclusion about the precise circumstances of her death should be drawn from that statement alone.

A DAUGHTER’S WORST FEARS

For relatives of a missing loved one, the waiting can be agonising. Every unanswered