Police suspect some of those involved in the murder of Karlie and Khandalyce Pearce-Stevenson hijacked the pair's identities after killing them and raked in about $90,000 across multiple states and territories.
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In an extraordinary development on Tuesday, South Australian police revealed Ms Pearce-Stevenson's phone was also used after she was killed to provide "proof of life" to her family and friends.
The young mother's skeleton was found in the Belanglo State Forest in August 2010.
Her daughter Khandalyce's bones were found dumped in a suitcase on the side of a highway at Wynarka in South Australia in July this year.
However, the remains were only positively identified in recent weeks after cross-matching DNA.
Police are closing in on those responsible and have revealed the mother and daughter were likely killed in different locations and times, some time in mid- to late-December 2008.
"A significant development in the investigation has been that people who police believe may be the offenders and others have taken over Karlie's identity," South Australia Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray told reporters.
Bank accounts, Centrelink and family payments were accessed and Ms Pearce-Stevenson's mobile phone was used by her killers to drive the fraud, police believe.
Her phone was used up until mid-2011 and police say the offenders sent replies to text messages confirming that Ms Pearce-Stevenson was live and well.
"We know tragically that some of those SMSs were sent to family members to suggest that Karlie was still alive," Superintendent Bray said.
A female also pretended to be Ms Pearce-Stevenson while communicating with family and friends.
On some of those occasions, she persuaded someone in Ms Pearce-Stevenson's family to forward money into her account, which the offenders later withdrew.
Superintendent Bray said Ms Pearce-Stevenson's account was accessed in at least four different jurisdictions - the Northern Territory, South Australia, the ACT and NSW.
Along with Centrelink payments, wages of a person, fraud and sources of other money also went into her account.
"All up, we believe over $90,000 was transacted through her account," Superintendent Bray said.