A woman whose body went undiscovered outside a New South Wales police station for nearly three days made a stalking report prior to her death, her family says.

Kirsten Moriarty could not be revived after officers found her inside a blue Toyota Yaris parked out the front of Lake Illawarra Police Station, south of Wollongong, on the afternoon of Friday, December 5.

Police said security footage captured the former Queensland regional councillor, journalist and author engaging with officers in the station’s foyer late on Tuesday, December 2 before she returned to the car.

Her father, Ron Wyber, said he understood Ms Moriarty was making a stalking report.

A newspaper clipping showing a smiling blonde woman beneath the headline "Women top local government election".

Kirsten Moriarty had many passions, including journalism, local government and skydiving. (Supplied: Ron Wyber)

“She believed she was being stalked, and she went to the police station for help,” he said.

“We don’t know what happened after that.”

At the time, police said Ms Moriarty may have been sleeping rough because of the number of items found inside the car.

But Mr Wyber said she had been living at a family property in Kiama since February 2024 and, due to injuries sustained during a near-fatal skydiving accident, was still in the process of unpacking.

“She found it so difficult to go up and down the stairs, and I think she hadn’t had the energy to get those things out of the car,” he said.

A dark-coloured car parked next to a police vehicle in a car park.

Kirsten Moriarty’s body was found after an officer peered through the window of the Yaris. (ABC News)

The cause and time of the 48-year-old’s death are yet to be determined.

When asked if he was concerned by the fact that Ms Moriarty’s car was not noticed by police for several days, Mr Wyber said he did not see that as an “issue”.

“I’m not sure if she got the help she should have got … that’s more of my concern,” he said.

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On Tuesday, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) said in a statement that it was independently monitoring the police investigation as a declared critical incident.

“The NSW Police Force will prepare a report for the coroner, and a mandatory inquest will ordinarily be held,” the LECC said.

NSW Police told the ABC it could not make further comments on a critical investigation.

Defying the odds

Mr Wyber said his daughter was being remembered as a bright, determined and intelligent woman who lived a full life.

After growing up in southern Sydney and the US, Ms Moriarty pursued a career as an environmental scientist before moving to Queensland and working as a regional newspaper journalist.  

A smiling woman in a hospital bed. Her legs are bandaged.

Kirsten Moriarty was “positive” after her near-death experience, according to her father. (Supplied: Ron Wyber)

“[Kirsten] seemed to be living quite a good life there, until she had an accident,” Mr Wyber said.

Her father said she had discovered a passion for skydiving and wingsuiting during a divorce.

A book cover bearing the title "From Dark Days to Blue Skies" and an image of a smiling blonde woman holding a parachute.

Kirsten Moriarty wrote about her near-death experience in a book published in 2013. (Supplied: Ron Wyber)

In July 2010, Ms Moriarty collided with high-voltage powerlines when a routine skydive near Ipswich went wrong.

“She’d done like 100 jumps before … but somehow she jumped out of the plane late,” Mr Wyber said.

“Her ankles, thighs and chest landed across the three wires, and she was hanging up there for a couple of hours and got very badly burnt — right through to the bone, basically.”

Despite several months in hospital and 16 operations, Mr Wyber said his daughter was “really positive” about the accident and later detailed her experience in a book called From Dark Days to Blue Skies.

She spent four years living in the UK after working in media liaison at Somerset Regional Council for one year and as a councillor between 2012 and 2016.

Two men and a woman skydiving, the former in tandem.

Ron Wyber and Kirsten Moriarty skydived together after the accident. (Supplied: Ron Wyber)

Somerset Regional Council said in a statement it was saddened to learn of Ms Moriarty’s passing.

“Cr Moriarty served the community with dedication, contributing meaningfully to the region through her commitment to local issues and her willingness to advocate on behalf of residents,” a spokesperson said.

“Her service made a lasting impact, and she is remembered with respect and gratitude.”