A maritime murderer may have left Australian waters last year after a Chinese national disappeared from a ship west of Weipa, leaving behind only a trail of blood, a Queensland coroner has found.
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But there was not enough evidence for any charges to be laid.
Sun Peng, a crew member aboard the Hong Kong-registered ship Great Talent, went missing after a late-night drunken argument with a colleague, Sun Wendong, on March 22 last year.
The Great Talent, which was awaiting a load of bauxite, was anchored in shark-infested waters in the Gulf of Carpentaria, about 22 kilometres off the coast of Weipa.
About 8am on March 23, crew members discovered "significant amounts of blood", including a trail that led to the side rails of the main deck.
During the Queensland Police investigation, Mr Wendong denied stabbing Mr Peng and throwing him overboard.
Mr Wendong told police had been annoyed when Mr Peng rubbed his head, but said he had not assaulted his crewmate.
In an inquest handed down this month, Coroner Jane Bentley found Mr Peng, 28, had already been bleeding due to a cut he sustained earlier in the night during a drinking session.
"I am unable to ascertain whether he sustained any further injuries at the hand of Mr Wendong," she said.
Ms Bentley found the cause of Mr Peng's death to be "undetermined but suspicious", with little or no likelihood of his survival.
During the investigation, on March 24, police projected lights into the water surrounding the Great Talent.
"The area under the lights on both sides revealed sharks of various types and sizes in the water around the vessel," Ms Bentley said.
"The sharks were too numerous to count."
Ms Bentley's inquest heard Mr Peng had been drinking with five other crew members – Zhenhui Zheng, Yongmin Shen, Hai Tao Miao, Li Hanwen and Mr Wendong – in Mr Hanwen's cabin.
By about 3.30am, only Mr Peng and Mr Wendong were still drinking and, according to Mr Hanwen, both were drunk.
"(Mr Hanwen) heard them start to speak more loudly and then to yell at each other," Ms Bentley said.
"He saw Mr Wendong smash a glass on the table. Mr Peng then picked up a bowl and smashed it on the table. In doing so he cut his hand."
Mr Hanwen told police no assault took place in his room, although there was some pushing and shoving.
It was when Mr Peng and Mr Wendong broke the glasses Mr Hanwen realised they were "getting quite serious".
Mr Wendong told the inquest he did not recall the argument with Mr Peng as he was "very drunk".
Mr Hanwen said a bleeding Mr Peng left the room about 4.10am and, about a minute later, Mr Wendong also left the room.
Blood was found throughout the vessel – on the upper deck, A deck, B deck, all four tiers within the engine room and on the main deck – but there was no evidence of pooling, which would have indicated a heavy bleed.
"Police concluded that possible causes of Mr Peng's death include drowning, being eaten by sharks, or that he was killed by a person or persons on board the vessel and then his body disposed of overboard," Ms Bentley said.
"Mr Wendong and Mr Hanwen stated that Mr Peng cut his hand when he smashed a bowl.
"The forensic evidence is consistent with that version and consistent with Mr Peng moving around the vessel with an injury to his hand."
