Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, were discovered in their beds in separate rooms of their Sydney apartment on June 7. 4 Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, was found dead and decomposing in her flat on June 7 Credit: NSW Police 4 Her sister Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, was discovered in the same condition in her bedCredit: NSW Police The sisters, from Saudi Arabia, were only discovered when the building manager became concerned after their mail started piling up. The couple had also failed to pay rent on their Canterbury flat for four weeks, prompting officers to make a welfare call. Asra and Amaal were found in a “somewhat decomposed” state and believed to have been dead for some time. Although there were no signs of forced entry and no signs of injury, police are treating the brothers’ deaths as “suspicious.” Now a month on, the circumstances surrounding their deaths still remain a mystery to investigators – forcing them to release their names in a bid to boost the investigation. Scientist Claudia Allcroft told a news conference on Wednesday: “We are asking for information because we don’t know much about the girls. “Our investigation is ongoing and in consultation with the coroner we have decided to release their names and have appealed for information. “The girls were 23 and 24 years old and died together in their home. “We don’t know the cause of death and it’s unusual because of their age and the nature of the matter.” Here we examine a number of troubling unanswered questions that continue to trouble researchers.

‘TOO FEW CONNECTIONS’

Police say they have no evidence to suggest the Alashi sisters had left Saudi Arabia when they arrived in Australia. The couple first arrived in Oz in 2017 when they were aged 18 and 19. Officers declined to disclose their visa status, but confirmed that officers had been in contact with the girls’ family after their deaths. Sources told Daily Mail Australia the duo had little contact with their family back home. They added that there was “nothing to suggest” that their family, which instructed the Saudi consulate to act on their behalf, had any involvement. But the women had been in contact with a refugee agency for five years at the time of their deaths. Reports claim the couple had no friends or family in Australia.
Admittedly “they had very few connections in the country,” Nine Radio reporter Clinton Maynard told 2GB radio on Wednesday.

CASH IN THE BANK

Although police have not revealed what the sisters did for a living, it appears the couple had no trouble making ends meet. Sources say they owned a black BMW coupe – which normally costs more than £21,000 – and lived in a modern two-bedroom rented flat on £280 a week. They also arrived in Sydney by air – traveling a route that can cost up to £1,100 each. Members of the public said they kept to themselves but regularly visited a local petrol station for coffee and energy drinks. Employees at the store described the girls as “cheerful” but noted that they would only answer questions and not engage in small talk. A female attendant told the Mail: “A girl would come in to buy an iced coffee and sometimes V. Sometimes two or three times a day. “I never served her sister, but I used to see them walking down the street together. When I found out what happened to them, I was very shocked and confused. “She was so friendly. Every time she came in and I spoke to her, she smiled. She never looked sad.”

WELFARE CHECKS

Before the bodies were discovered, two previous welfare checks had been made on the sisters. During an inspection, the women were described as “shy” and refused to let anyone into the apartment. A source said: “They were indifferent and didn’t really want to talk. “It looked like something, but they said it was fine. What else could anyone do?” The first welfare check was reportedly carried out in March, with officers walking away after the women insisted they were fine. The source said the pair spoke English “relatively well” – but also concluded they were withdrawn and kept to themselves.

CRIMINAL DAMAGES

A few months before one of the three welfare checks in 2022, it also emerged that someone had locked his black BMW. It is not known if it was a coincidence or if whoever damaged his property had malicious intent. In addition, it emerged that Asra had taken out an AVO against a 28-year-old man in January 2019, which was later withdrawn and dismissed. The Mail reported that the man in question initially appeared in court with an Arabic interpreter, but no further information has been released.

STOP PAYING RENT

Two months into the welfare checks, their rent stopped being paid and their mail started piling up at the door. The sight prompted the building manager to call the police as their bodies were later found. According to reports, officers were already planning to head to the scene after the brothers’ landlord contacted the sheriff’s department to serve the couple with an eviction notice. Their landlord tried to file a case against Amaal on May 13 this year for non-payment of rent, not knowing that she was probably dead. 4 The apartment building in Canterbury, Australia where the couple was discovered Credit: Google Maps 4 The sisters were regulars at a BP petrol station where workers described them as ‘cheerful’ Credit: Google Maps