Awaiting extradition to Australia
An Australian fugitive, sought in Australia on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to murder, was arrested in Palau on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, through collaborative work between the South Australian Police criminal investigation unit, Australian Federal Police, and Palau law enforcement. The accused, Ms. Lisa Lines, a 43-year-old woman, is currently held in Palau jail pending a court hearing today.
When contacted, Palau’s Attorney General Ernestine Rengiil said she could not reveal the details of the case, which was sealed, but said under Palau law, the court can be requested to issue a provisional arrest warrant for a person that has a pending case, which is what the Office of Attorney General did. After the arrest, the Australian government can apply for extradition from the court so that the person can be extradited.
Ms. Lisa Lines, a former university professor, author, and mother of two children, is accused along with her boyfriend of attempting to kill her ex-husband with an ax, which left him paralyzed from the neck down. The charges said that she and her boyfriend attempted to kill her ex-husband and, failing to do so, hired a hitman to kill him.
Her ex-husband was initially accused of attacking Lines and her boyfriend, with Line’s boyfriend claiming self-defense. In 2019, Lines’ ex-husband Hawton was cleared of charges, and both Lines and her boyfriend were charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to murder.
According to news reports, Lisa Lines escaped Australia in 2017 with her two children to Taiwan, a country with no extradition agreement with Australia.
Upon arriving in Palau, Ms. Lines was arrested, and her two children were taken to Australia while she remained in jail awaiting her extradition.