Melbourne man charged with murder after his dead brother and injured mum were found in Preston

A Melbourne man accused of killing his brother and stabbing his mother has been charged with murder and attempted murder.

Homicide detectives charged Shaun Sanderson, 32, hours after officers found the dead body of his brother and his badly injured mother inside a suburban home in the northern Melbourne suburb of Reservoir on Wednesday.

A manhunt had been launched after emergency services attended a home on Willoughby St, Reservoir in Melbourne’s north just after 8am following reports someone had been allegedly assaulted with a knife.

Police originally believed Sanderson was bunkered down inside the home and set up a perimeter to try and negotiate with him but soon realised he wasn’t there after storming inside.’

He was tracked down in the nearby suburb of Preston six hours later and was arrested without incident.

Sanderson will appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. 

His mother was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital with serious injuries to her upper body. Her other son couldn’t be revived.

Earlier, a team of heavily armed police tried to negotiate with Sanderson, demanding through a megaphone that he come outside, before realising he was not home.

Pam Egan, a resident of Willoughby Street, told the Herald Sun she saw the mother after the attack.

‘I heard she ran across the road to the hospital with blood all over her,’ Ms Egan said.

‘I’ve spoken to (the family) before going on walks.

‘They are a hardworking family …. They’re builders, lovely and always friendly.’

Ms Egan said the family has three sons and the youngest, aged in his 20s, has a mental disability.

Residents of Willoughby Street said the street is normally ‘quiet and nice’.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.