Man, 19, released without charge after fatal Arnhem Land stabbing

Police release man arrested over Galiwin'ku stabbing death without chargeTopic:Police1m ago1 minutes agoWed 18 Feb 2026 at 1:12amOfficers from multiple units were deployed to Galiwin'ku on Sunday to assist with investigations and community support. (ABC News: Michael Franchi)In short:Northern Territory Police have released a 19-year-old man from custody following the stabbing death of a 27-year-old man in Galiwin'ku on Saturday.Detectives say they still believe there was an altercation involving multiple people, including the deceased man and the 19-year-old, during which the 27-year-old "suffered a critical injury".What's next?Police say investigations are ongoing, with multiple teams of officers deployed to the island to assist with their inquiries and support the community.abc.net.au/news/nt-man-released-without-charge-after-fatal-galiwinku-stabbing/106357704Link copiedShareShare articleAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died, used with the permission of his family.A 19-year-old man arrested over the stabbing death of another man in north-east Arnhem Land on Saturday has been released without charge "pending further investigations".In a statement, a Northern Territory Police spokesperson said the 27-year-old — referred to as Mr Garrawurra for cultural reasons — died in the remote community of Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island following "a fight between two men".The spokesperson said police received reports of people fighting with weapons before the 27-year-old was taken to the local clinic suffering a stab wound to his leg and a laceration to his arm. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.Police say investigations into the fatal stabbing are ongoing. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)"It is alleged that earlier the deceased and another man were fighting on the local oval at the time of the incident," the spokesperson said."The 19-year-old suspect was allegedly armed with a knife, while the deceased was armed with a stick or edged weapon."The spokesperson said the 19-year-old was also injured during the fight and treated for a laceration to his wrist before being taken to Royal Darwin Hospital in police custody.After the man was released, the spokesperson said "investigations still indicate there was an altercation between multiple individuals at around 12:30pm on Saturday, including the deceased and the 19-year-old"."During that altercation, the 27-year-old is believed to have suffered a critical injury," they said.'He was gone already'Mr Garrawurra's adoptive father, Don Wininba, told the ABC he woke on Saturday to the sound of "people shouting, yelling, running for help", before heading to the 27-year-old's mother's house to find him unconscious.Mr Wininba said he later learned Mr Garrawurra and two other family members had been challenged to a fight by a group of nine others who were "looking for other boys to have a fight with them"."The other mob, they did ring the clinic before I got in, and when I tried to ring emergency for an ambulance, he was bleeding," Mr Wininba said.Don Wininba says he took Mr Garrawurra to the local clinic after waiting an hour and a half for an ambulance. (ABC News: Michael Donnelly)"He had injuries in his right arm, one on the shoulder and one near his hips, and one [on] the rib".Mr Wininba said after waiting for an ambulance for an hour and a half, he recruited co-workers to help him take Mr Garrawurra to the clinic."Ambulance didn't come in to pick up my boy, he picked up the other boy," he said."I had to ring my staff to pick me and the boy [up] and take me to the clinic, but I lost him before, he was gone already."Emergency services targetedThe NT Police spokesperson said "a number of disturbances were reported" following the man's death, including a fire at a home within the community.They said an ambulance driven by police was later allegedly "damaged with rocks and other objects" before multiple people allegedly also threw rocks at an aircraft being used to fly the 19-year-old to Darwin."Members from the Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Crime Command, Cultural Reform Command and general duties were deployed to the island on Sunday and have been assisting investigations along with providing support to the community," they said."Detectives are continuing to investigate the entire circumstances of the incident and the events that led up to it."Posted 1m ago1 minutes agoWed 18 Feb 2026 at 1:12amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter) News in LanguageListen to the news in Warlpiri, Yolngu Matha and KriolListenTop StoriesMillionaire economist's dire warning for Australian property marketTopic:Income Distribution