Police find body believed to be of fugitive Australian shooter

A body found in New South Wales is thought to be that of a man wanted over the murder of three people in a small Australian town in January.

Julian Ingram was on bail for domestic violence offences at the time of the killings of his pregnant ex-partner Sophie Quinn, her friend and her aunt in Lake Cargelligo, about 450km (280mi) west of Sydney. All were shot.

Police said on Monday that a man's body, understood to be Ingram, was discovered beside an abandoned ute 50km (31mi) north-west of where the murders happened.

He was last seen on January 22 and police say the body appears to have been there "for some time".

It was discovered by wildlife officers out eradicating feral pests.

Assistant commissioner Andrew Holland told reporters they have confirmed the vehicle they found was the one driven by Ingram.

"We believe that the identification at the scene, the clothing that the deceased is wearing, would lead us to believe that it is him," Holland said, ABC reported.

On 22 January, Ingram allegedly shot dead his former partner Sophie Quinn, her friend and a relative of Quinn. Quinn was reportedly seven-months pregnant and was due to give birth to a son in March.

The shootings also seriously injured a 19-year-old man, who has since been released from hospital, according to the police.

Shortly after the shootings, authorities deployed around 100 officers to search for Ingram.

Holland said at the time that Ingram, an employee of the local council, had extensive local knowledge and could "maintain an extended period in the local area without being detected.

Lake Cargelligo is located in the centre of New South Wales and has a population of about 1,500 people.

On Monday, Holland said the discovery of what they believed to be Ingram's body "brings closure to this investigation" and "gives some solace to the town so they can relax".

Additional reporting by Koh Ewe