Queensland orders investigation into the death of Shirley Brifman, who was supposed to be a chief witness in a police corruption case 45 years ago. A coroner will delve into the case to shed light on Brifman’s death.

Brifman supposedly died of drug overdose on March 4, 1972, while under the watch of police at a “safe house” in Clayfield, in Brisbane’s north. The Queensland attorney general, Yvette D’Ath, has made an order to “make inquiries” into her death.

Her passing has been filled with controversy as she has died shortly before she was due to appear as a witness in a perjury case that involved a notorious detective, the late Tony Murphy. D’Ath called on to possible witnesses who have information about Brifman’s death.

He said a coroner’s inquiries could be used to determine if a full inquest has to be conducted. “I believe that Ms Brifman died in such circumstances as to require the coroner to make inquiries,” D’Ath said.

Brifman has attested to paying off the police for several years while involved in illegal prostitution in Brisbane and Sydney. These include running brothels in Kings Cross and Potts Point. In 1971, she went public with corruption claims through national media.

Mary Anne, Brifman’s daughter, has found her mother’s body. She was unsuccessful in her attempts to have Brifman’s sudden death examined by the landmark Fitzgerald Inquiry in the mid-1980s. No inquest has ever been held in relation to the death of Brifman.

Last year, Mary Anne petitioned D’Ath’s office for an inquest. She told the Courier-Mail’s Matthew Condon that she has a number of witnesses.

“My mother’s death had a horrendous impact on my life. I think I have a right to a voice at last. I need to express it,” she said. Mary Anne believes that there is a trail of evidence that needs attention.