These three women were killed in the past year. And their deaths have one thing in common.

Warning: This post is shocking and could be too much for some readers. 

These three women were killed in Victoria in the past 14 months. And their deaths have one thing in common.

Kara Doyle, 24, was shot dead at Avondale Heights. Her boyfriend, Mehmet Torun, shot her in the stomach with a 12-gauge sawn-off shotgun in the home that they shared. In the lead up to her death, they were involved in ”out of control” confrontations. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Saria Johnson, 20, was shot dead last April. Jovan Jojic, also 22, has since been charged with her murder – and with shooting another man in the leg – in the bedroom of a St Albans house while with a group of other people.

And 20-year-old Maddison Murphy-West, a young mother, was killed last October. Her 20-month-old son Noah is now motherless – and it is believed he was in the home at the time of her death. She was previously a victim of ongoing domestic violence.

The thing all their suspected killers have in common? Ice addiction.

All three of these women were allegedly killed by men who were addicted to ice.

The Herald Sun reported this week that the Victoria police has investigated 14 homicides in 14 months, in which the use of crystal meth by the suspected killers was considered to be a factor linked to the murder.

Senior Sergeant Iddles, who left the police force last week, told the paper that in the last seven murder cases he had been involved in, “ice has been the common denominator”.

“I’ve spoken to some of the people (accused)… They haven’t slept for four days. It makes their behaviour erratic, unpredictable.”

Ice is a powerful drug – but with that comes the potential for a powerful dependence on the drug and chronic physical and mental problems.

The use of ice is linked to memory-loss indecision, depression and psychosis, and the drug can cause paranoia and hallucinations. Users are also more likely to become violent and aggressive towards others.

Withdrawal symptoms are similar and can include depression, anxiety, panic, paranoia and extreme fatigue.

Kara Doyle, Saria Johnson and Maddison Murphy-West – all women in their early 20s, with years and years ahead of them – are just three of the faces. Three of the faces that illustrate this endemic.

There have been 11 other people killed in cases suspected to be linked to ice. In the past 14 months, alone. In the state of Victoria, alone.

There’s still the rest of the country.

Ice can result in serious mental problems. This gallery gives a glimpse into how drug use can affect a user physically.

Help for victims of domestic violence: If you believe you may be an abusive partner, you can receive help via Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277. If you have experienced, or are at risk of domestic violence or sexual assault, you can receive help by calling 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732. If you are in immediate danger, please call the police on 000.

Help for individuals and families who have been affected by drug use: You can find information regarding help services here. You can find information regarding treatment for drug addiction here.

Have you seen the effects of ice in your community? Or on anyone you know?