Fresh theories have been aired about the cold case murder of a mother-of-three with no known enemies, amid hope of breaking the silence surrounding the violent homicide.
Stacey McMaugh, 41, and her long-term partner Robert Pashkuss, 50, were found beaten to death in their NSW home in January 2008.
A coroner in 2016 found Mr Pashkuss was struck from behind in the kitchen with a heavy, blunt instrument before the killer or killers searched the house and found Stacey in the bedroom where she was also attacked.
Ms McMaugh, who worked in a wine company's call centre, had no known enemies and many close friendships, the coroner found.
Her partner, however, made his income from selling drugs.
Police on Wednesday revealed they now believe Mr Pashkuss was trying to withdraw from that business when he was killed.
Further information indicated that on the afternoon of January 5, before he died, Mr Pashkuss was seen outside his Caves Beach home in the Lake Macquarie region with a number of other people including a male person wearing a black leather vest.
"Police have information which suggests their deaths are linked to organised crime networks including outlaw motorcycle gangs operating in both NSW and in Queensland," local crime commander Superintendent Tracey Chapman told reporters on Wednesday.
Despite those leads, the coronial findings and a $250,000 reward for information, detectives have so far been unable to lay charges.
DNA evidence or other forensic evidence such as fingerprints and blood stains, and the murder weapon were not found at the crime scene or as a result of other searches.
"That reward remains available," Supt Chapman said.
"It's never too late to come forward. No piece of information is too small. No piece of information is insignificant.
"What you may think is insignificant may be that final piece of a puzzle that police need to allow us to progress our investigation."
A family representative said it was time for those in the know to come forward about who killed the "warm, kind, caring and family-orientated" couple.
"We know someone knows what happened to Robert and Stacey that day," Georgia told reporters.
"It's been 16 long years without answers for us and it's time that you come forward.
"If you know anything about what happened to Robert and Stacey, you need to come forward to the police."
