A home has been raided by police as they continue to hunt for the killers of an innocent dancer who fell victim to a bungled underworld house fire.
Katie Tangey, 27, died while she was house-sitting at her brother’s Dover Street home, in the western Melbourne suburb of Truganina, on January 16 when two people set the townhouse alight.
Ms Tangey, who performed burlesque under the stage name Vivien May-Royale, was tragically left trapped inside to die while the arsonists, believed to be aged between 25 and 30, fled the scene.
Police have now released footage of Arson and Explosives Squad detectives raiding a home in Dandenong on Thursday morning in a huge breakthrough.
Several mobile phones were seized, which will now be forensically analysed in an effort to identity the killers.
The raid followed a public appeal for information held at a police information caravan on the same street the fire took place in Truganina in April.
Back in February, Victoria Police revealed it’s believed the fire was likely linked to Victoria’s ongoing tobacco wars, with the arson attack a targeted one but at the wrong address.
Ms Tangey, who has been remembered by loved ones as a ‘beautiful soul’ was completely innocent and had no links with the illicit tobacco trade.
CCTV of the fire showed on January 16 shortly after 2am, two people got out of a dark coloured vehicle, similar to a BMW X3 or X5, parked outside the Dover Street home.
An explosion was heard and the pair fled the scene in the same vehicle.
Emergency services responded to reports of the fire made by Ms Tangey as she was inside the house about 2.30am.
The 27-year-old dancer and her brother’s golden retriever, Sunny, died at the scene and the three-storey townhouse was completely destroyed.
Her brother Ethan Tangey and his wife Brooke were just days into their honeymoon when the fire took place.
CCTV captured the vehicle the killers fled the scene in travelling north on Forsyth Road in Truganina at approximately 2.12am.
Detectives have confirmed they are ‘absolutely determined’ to provide Ms Tangey’s family with ‘closure and justice’.
Arson and Explosives Squad’s Detective Inspector Chris Murray said: ‘I know Katie’s family would want nothing more than to see her live out the whole life she had ahead of her, but the least we can do is make sure those responsible for this tragedy are held accountable for their actions.
‘I would like to thank those who have already provided information to us via Crime Stoppers, but please, we need you to come forward with additional information.
‘We know this is solvable, and we know we are getting closer. If you know absolutely anything, I cannot implore you enough to find it in yourself to do the right thing and come forward.’
Ms Tangey’s mother, Tracey, previously said she was ‘broken’ following the death of her daughter.
‘It is with a heavy heart (that) I let you all know my beautiful baby girl passed away in a targeted house fire yesterday morning at 2am,’ she said.
‘I am completely broken and don’t know how we are going to heal from this devastating news. If you could all remember our beautiful soul in your own way.
‘Rest my baby bub, mum loves you more than you will ever know, you are and always will be my best friend and the love of my life. My heart will be forever broken.’