- Published:
- Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 11:59 am
Detectives from the Homicide Squad have this morning charged seven people as part of their investigation into the death of Lino Atem in Wyndham Vale in January 2025.
With assistance from VIPER Taskforce, at 5.30 a.m. this morning, Homicide Squad investigators arrested seven people in Hoppers Crossing, Melton South, Albanvale, Melton, Brimbank, Wyndham and Ringwood areas.
The seven arrested included -
- A 17-year-old boy from the Melton area,
- A 17-year-old boy from the Brimbank area,
- A 17-year-old boy from the Wyndham area,
- An 18-year-old man from Taylors Hill,
- An 18-year-old man from Mornington,
- A 21-year-old man from Hoppers Crossing,
- A 20-year-old man from Melton South
All seven have since been charged with manslaughter.
The four adults will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court later today.
The three teens will appear at a children’s court.
The charges follow an incident where emergency services were initially called to a group of men fighting in a park on Haines Drive, near Ribblesdale Avenue, about 11.30pm on Friday, 10 January 2025.
Lino, a 24-year-old from Wyndham Vale, had been in the park with friends when they were confronted by another group.
During the altercation Lino was fatally stabbed. He received medical treatment but sadly passed away at the scene.
Two of his friends, two 27-year-old men both from Wyndham Vale, sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Sadly, Lino’s brother Atem was killed during an incident at his Wyndham Vale home in February 2023.
At this stage there is nothing to indicate the deaths of Lino and Atem are linked.
In March 2025 detectives from across Crime Command executed 15 search warrants and arrested 13 people. The warrants involved over 160 detectives from the Homicide Squad, Crime Command and North-West Metro Region.
All 13 arrested were interviewed at the time and released pending further enquiries.
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