The grief-stricken friends of a woman allegedly murdered by her estranged husband claim the legal system let the mother-of-three down.

Adrian Basham, 41, was charged with murder last Thursday after Samantha Fraser, 38, was found dead at her home on Phillip Island, south of Melbourne, in late July.

Ms Fraser's friend Alice Bradley claims Basham had made threatening remarks to his wife, a respected psychologist.

'That he had contacts high up in the police force and that if she went to the police nothing would happen,' Ms Bradley told A Current Affair.

She said the system had failed to protect Ms Fraser.

'I'm just so angry this has happened again. An articulate, intelligent, beautiful woman has been killed, and it's been allowed to happen again? This is just wrong,' she said.

Ms Bradley said Ms Fraser was in 'in fear most of the time' because Basham 'wanted to know where she was, what she was doing, who she was with all the time'.

She also claimed Basham had 'stalked' and 'followed' Ms Fraser.

Ms Fraser's and Basham's seven-year marriage ended in 2016.

'What made her decide to go was her fear of what the children were witnessing and hearing,' Ms Bradley claimed.

Basham, 41, was meant to face court over nine assault charges after Ms Fraser reported him to police following their separation but the man was never kept in custody.

Detectives are investigating whether the impending court proceedings could have been a motive for the woman's death.

Ms Fraser's body was found after authorities were alerted when she didn't arrive to pick up her children from school on the afternoon of July 23.

A welfare check was conducted at her home on Seagrove Way, Cowes, where police found her dead.

Her death came as a shock to the local community, who were notified of the police investigation four days after her body was found.

Basham first appeared in court last Thursday. He will next face court on January 10.