UPDATE: 2:55pm: Although police have yet to find the body of Leeton teacher Stephanie Clare Scott, they will allege she was killed on Easter Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Police will allege that Ms Scott, 26, was killed between 11am and 7.20pm on April 5 by a cleaner at Leeton High School, Vincent Stanford, 24.
Police arrested Mr Stanford at a house on Maiden Avenue in Leeton, in the NSW Riverina, about 7.30pm on Wednesday, and took him to Leeton police station for questioning.
Police said on Thursday morning he was charged with the murder of Ms Scott after police allegedly found blood in a vehicle and a photograph on a camera of what is believed to be a burnt body.
Mr Stanford's matter was briefly mentioned in Griffith Local Court before magistrate Kate Thompson on Thursday afternoon. He did not appear in court.
His solicitor did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
It is expected Mr Vincent will next appear before Griffith Local Court via video link on June 4.
Fairfax Media understands police have seized the camera that contains photographic evidence.
Police began to home in on Mr Stanford on Wednesday after allegedly finding holes in his alibi. When they questioned him they allegedly found a number of items linked to Ms Scott's death.
Ms Scott's car, a red Mazda 3 sedan with registration BZ-19-CD, was spotted by a helicopter on Thursday morning, abandoned in a wheat field about eight kilometres outside Leeton. Two police officers are guarding the car.
Griffith Local Area Commander Michael Rowan said that the police still had no idea where Ms Scott's body was.
"This inquiry is in its infancy, it will take time," he told a media conference on Thursday.
He said that the police had so far secured two crime scenes, one at Wamoon where Ms Scott's car was found this morning and another at a residential property in Leeton.
He added that a number of areas within Leeton High School had been examined but that no crime scenes had been established there.
UPDATE: 1.25pm: A senior manager of the cleaning company that employs Vincent Stanford said he had undergone standard criminal checks before he was employed.
Mr Stanford, 24, has been charged with the murder of bride-to-be Stephanie Scott, 26, after police allegedly found blood in a vehicle and a photograph on a phone of what is believed to be a burnt body.
Police arrested Mr Stanford, a cleaner at Leeton High School, at a house on Maiden Avenue in Leeton, in the NSW Riverina, about 7.30pm on Wednesday.
Colin Joss & Co cleaning division manager Fleur Dooley said the suspect had worked for the Albury based company since October 2014.
"Our thoughts are with Stephanie's friends, family and the Leeton community during this difficult time," Ms Dooley said.
"We are currently seeking further information in regards to this matter and are assisting the police with their investigations," she said.
The company is contracted by the Education Department to clean more than 1000 schools across NSW.
UPDATE: 12.55pm: Leeton mayor Paul Maytom says it’s hard to find an unfamiliar face among his town’s 6700 residents, so when Stephanie Scott vanished on Sunday, the community rallied to find her.
"Most people knew Stephanie and many people I've spoken to over the last few days have just been basically in shock trying to work out what may have happened, and obviously now are just devastated."
"I'm still trying to come to terms with it," a shocked Cr Maytom said on Thursday.
"In the last few days everyone has just been talking about it in the town. For her to mysteriously disappear like that, everyone was hoping she was going to be found, and found alive. We didn't know what could have happened, and obviously I was not considering it would end up like this."
Cr Maytom said, in his role as mayor, he knew Ms Scott was a teacher at Leeton High School, but he did not know her personally.
UPDATE: 12.10pm: Griffith Local Area Command chief Superintendent Michael Rowan spoke to media outside Leeton police station a short while ago.
”We’ve charged this morning a 24-year-old male with the murder of Stephanie Scott,” Supt Rowan confirmed.
“He’s been formally bail refused by police. The arrest is the result of a numnber of inquiries we completed over the last number of days since Stephanie was reported missing.
“Stephanie’s body hasn’t been located at this time and obviously that is something that is a priority for us.”
Ms Scott’s red Mazda 3 has been recovered on a property near Wamoon. Key to the search for Ms Scott’s body is a white ute with a canopy, Supt Rowan said.
“In particular, we’re looking for a white Toyota Hilux two-wheel-drive coupe, it’s a spacecab model, and any movements or sightings of a vehicle similar to that description from Sunday in Leeton and the surrounding areas… if that information can be relayed to police through Crime Stoppers or direct to Griffith police.”
Crime Stoppers can be contacted by calling 1800 333 000.
EARLIER: Police have confirmed that a man has been charged with murdering Stephanie Scott. He will appear before Griffith Local Court on Thursday.
A school cleaner will be charged with the murder of missing bride-to-be Stephanie Scott after police allegedly found blood in his car and a photograph on a phone of what is believed to be a burnt body.
Police arrested Vincent Stanford, 24, a cleaner at Leeton High School, at a home on Maiden Avenue in Leeton about 7.30pm on Wednesday, and took him to Griffith police station for questioning.
Police said the man was expected to be charged with the murder of Ms Scott, 26, a popular drama and English teacher from Leeton High School.
Mr Stanford is expected to appear before Griffith Local Court on Thursday.
Fairfax Media understands police have seized the phone that contains photographic evidence.
Ms Scott was last seen on Easter Sunday at Leeton High School, six days before she was due to marry her partner of five years, Aaron Leeson-Woolley.
A NSW police spokeswoman said police had not found Ms Scott's body, and they were still searching for her car - a red Mazda 3 sedan with registration BZ-19-CD - that has not been seen since her disappearance.
Police are also appealing for anyone who has seen an older model white Toyota Hilux space-cab 2WD, with a canopy over the back, travelling in Leeton or surrounding towns since Sunday to contact police.
On Wednesday, Ms Scott's sister, Robyn, told Fairfax Media that her sister was incredibly excited about her upcoming wedding, due to take place on Saturday in the central western NSW town of Eugowra.
More than 100 guests were due to attend the wedding, including family who had travelled from overseas.
"I spoke to her on that Saturday night, and she was over the moon, she was so excited. She had been to Griffith that day shopping and getting ready for the honeymoon," Robyn said.
Robyn said her sister had gone to Leeton High School on Easter Sunday morning to prepare lessons for a replacement teacher who would take over her English and drama classes while she was on honeymoon in Tahiti.
She said that, at 12.59pm on Easter Sunday, her sister sent an email to the bus company that was due to take wedding guests to the reception venue on Saturday. In the email, Ms Scott confirmed she had paid the final deposit into the bus company's bank account.
That was Ms Scott's last known action.
Police formed Strike Force Gundibri to investigate Ms Scott's disappearance.
Police said that, on Wednesday night, officers attended a home on Maiden Avenue Leeton, where they spoke to two residents.
About 7.30pm, another resident of the home – a 24-year-old man – arrived at the property and was arrested.
Paul Mayton, the mayor of Leeton Shire, said news of Ms Scott's suspected murder was "absolutely devastating".
"I'm still trying to come to terms with it," he said on Thursday.
"The last few days everyone's been talking about it in the town. For her to mysteriously disappear like that, everyone was hoping she was going to be found, and found alive. We didn't know what could have happened.
"I was not considering it would end up like this. We have a small community, most people know each other or know the families in our shire, and to have someone like Stephanie, who's such a well-liked person, just about to be married next weekend ... it's just devastating."
Cr Mayton said Ms Scott's fiance had been "absolutely worried sick" since her disappearance.
Students and colleagues of murdered Leeton High School English and drama teacher Stephanie Scott will be offered counselling in the wake of her devastating death.
Griffith-based Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli has pledged his assistance to Ms Scott’s family.
“As the local MP, I will also offer whatever assistance I can to the Scott family during this particularly distressing time,” he said in a statement.
“It’s a tragedy for the tight-knit Leeton community and I know the town is devastated by what has occured.”
More to come
