The nature of convicted killer Simon Rochford's death in Albany Regional Prison was exposed on the opening day of the Deputy State Coroner's inquest.

Rochford had been placed in an observation cell and was on an at-risk program following media reports that he had become the prime suspect in the 1994 murder of Mosman Park jeweller Pamela Lawrence.

Counsel assisting the Coroner, Felicity Zempilas, told the inquest Rochford borrowed the knife from tool supplies on May 16, 2006, three days before he died.

Rochford's lifeless body was discovered at 7.30am on May 19, the morning after a TV news report.

At the time of his death, 38-year-old Rochford had served eight years of a minimum 15-year life term for the murder of his girlfriend Brigitta Dickens in July 1994.

Deputy State Coroner Evelyn Vicker called upon Detective Senior Sergeant Tom Mills to give evidence on the opening day of the inquest.

Det Sen Sgt Mills, who compiled the investigation report for the Coroner, was the officer in charge of the Prison Squad at the time of Rochford's death.

Det Sen Sgt Mills confirmed a listening device installed in Rochford's cell had been tested and was found to be in working order on the day of the suicide.

He also stated the putty knife was found in a rubbish bin after Rochford's body was discovered.

He said the deceased was discovered fully clothed and had obviously suffered extensive blood loss.

Rochford was named prime suspect in the Pamela Lawrence murder after a cold-case review revealed his palm print had been found on a display case in Mrs Lawrence's shop during the original investigation.

Andrew Mallard, who had pleaded his innocence over the crime, spent 12 years in prison for the murder until his conviction was overturned by the High Court in 2005.

On May 11, 2006, detectives investigating the new evidence questioned Rochford for five hours.

In Brigitta Dickens' murder, Rochford had attached a steel weighlifting collar to a broom handle and used it to club her to death.

The collar could not be located in 2006, but its dimensions were known and a photograph of it was available.

The shape and dimensions of the collar were consistent with the wounds in Mrs Lawrence's skull.

The photograph of the collar showed it was painted blue, and a rucksack belonging to Rochford was found to contain blue flakes of paint identical in chemical composition to those removed from Mrs Lawrence's wounds.

On October 11, 2006, the Police Commissioner announced the cold-case review was complete and Andrew Mallard was no longer a person of interest.

It was also stated there was sufficient evidence to implicate Rochford. If he had still been alive, police would have prepared a Brief of Evidence against him for the WA Director of Public Prosecutions.

Police confirmed Rochford left a suicide note, but it did not contain a confession to Mrs Lawrence's murder.

The Coroner's inquest into Rochford's suicide will continue at Albany Court House until Thursday, July 17. It will then move to Perth Coroners Court until July 25.

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