A group of rogue Sydney teenagers overran a Housing NSW property, which eventually became the scene of a bloody and brutal killing.
Mahmoud Hrouk, 16, came from a loving home but was found bashed to death in a house on a quiet street in Sydney's west on May 17.
His relatives found his disfigured body inside the weatherboard house in Belmore Street, Fairfield East, after his family reported him missing to police and spent the previous night searching for him.
Homicide Detective Inspector Grant Taylor has previously told Fairfax Media that the house was used as a "local hangout" for youths in the past three to five months.
Fairfax Media understands the principal resident of the property died last year.
It is believed that a relative of the deceased used the house to entertain local youths and to host parties, and allowed the property to be trashed.
A Family and Community Services spokesman said the house was occupied by a legal tenant, up until six days after the killing.
He said the department had no knowledge of improper use of the house.
"85 Belmore Street had been occupied until 22 May, 2015 by a legal, rent-paying tenant," the spokesman said.
"Family and Community Services was not aware that the property had been improperly used by young people," he said.
"Given that this investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment any further on this matter."
Someone familiar with the group of boys who had been using the house described them as a bunch of "shitbags".
A Belmore Street resident said the group had recently hosted a party that carried on until 4am. The music was so loud he was unable to sleep.
The front of the cream house is sprayed with orange graffiti and the lawn is covered in mounds of garbage.
Inside the house were piles of clothes, toys, plastic cutlery, high-visibility vests, CDs, plates, pots, coat hangers, mops and gloves.
There was no furniture.
At the back of the house is a navy pool table covered in dirt and strewn with tea bags.
Inspector Taylor said a number of youths were recently seen moving a couch into the house and he was eager to speak to anyone who had seen anything.
"We are very interested if anyone can tell us who may have frequented that house and used it as hangout," he said.
"Some individuals have delivered a two- or three-seater lounge to that residence for use sometime in last month or so."
He said Mahmoud's killer or killers possibly fled the house and ran towards Seaman Avenue late on the Saturday or in the early hours of the Sunday.
Mahmoud's mother, Maha Dunia, and his father, Azzam Hrouk, said they wanted their son remembered as a family boy, who aspired to own his own construction company and play professionally for the Bulldogs.
"He was the kindest, he was my baby, he was a beautiful boy," his mother said.
About 59,500 people are waiting for Housing NSW accommodation.
Anyone with information is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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