Melb woman home murder mystery

Minutes after a Melbourne SES commander left home to help out police, someone was in his house murdering his mother.

The 48-year-old Hoppers Crossing woman, who has not been formally identified, had severe upper body injuries when a family friend found her body at 9.25pm on Thursday.

Her son, Wishhasad Somawansa, had been called to help police after a brawl in nearby Wyndham Vale at 8.30pm.

The woman had spoken at 8pm on the phone to her husband, who had driven his long-haul truck to Brisbane.

When he tried to call her back a number of times and she didn't answer, he asked the family to check on her.

"This matter is extremely disturbing for Victoria Police to have what may be a random attack, or a targeted attack," Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bailey told reporters on Friday.

"The house hasn't been ransacked but we can't say nothing hasn't been stolen."

Wishhasad's local SES controller Laurie Russell said members were asking why they went out to help the community when their families could become victims.

"We just can't believe it. We've got a member out there assisting the community, and some other mongrel is back here belting his mother up," Mr Russell told reporters.

Mr Russell said the 21-year-old Wishhasad was extremely popular with other SES members, and was close to his "lovely" family.

Det Snr Sgt Bailey said the medical student was not a suspect.

"We've taken a statement from him and he's quite traumatised," he said.

No weapon has been found in the house, and the door was left open.

Yellow forensic cones were spread across the home's driveway, while the woman's body was wheeled out just before 10am.

The family moved to Australia from Sri Lanka in 1999 and Det Snr Sgt Bailey said police had no history of domestic violence at the house.

The woman's husband left home on Wednesday, and arrived back from Brisbane on Friday morning.

Friend Lucky Dharmabandu said the husband came to him for mechanical work and was "very friendly".

Police have asked for public assistance to solve the crime.