A man has been charged with allegedly using a hammer to murder a Bendigo mum.
Samantha Kelly went missing on January 20 and her housemate Peter Arthur, 44, of Kangaroo Flat, was charged in an out-of-sessions court hearing on Friday night with her murder.
Their other housemates, Christine Lyons, 44, and Ronald Lyons, 43, were charged with being accessories to murder.
Police said Arthur killed the 39-year-old mother-of-four with a hammer, before telling Christine and Ronald Lyons about it.
The Lyons allegedly took one of Ms Kelly's children to a preschool on February 1 and enrolled her under another first name and their own surname.
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After the murder, Arthur and the Lyons allegedly took $3690 from Ms Kelly's bank account over five transactions.
Police say Arthur confessed to killing Ms Kelly and dumping her body in a shallow grave, which he later led detectives to in a dry creek bed.
All three accused were remanded in custody to face the Bendigo Magistrates Court on February 15.
