Murder of Stephanie Scott

The murder of Stephanie Scott, a 26-year-old school teacher, occurred on 5 April 2015 in Leeton, New South Wales, Australia. Scott, an English and drama teacher at Leeton High School, disappeared six days before her scheduled wedding after being last seen visiting the school on Easter Sunday to prepare lesson plans. Her disappearance triggered a large-scale search and gained significant national media attention.

The investigation led to the arrest of Vincent Stanford, a cleaner at the school where Scott worked. Stanford had beaten Scott until she was unconscious, before raping and murdering her. After cleaning up the scene he disposed of her body by burning it in the nearby Cocoparra National Park.

In July 2016 Stanford pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault and murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the presiding judge describing his offence as being in the "worst category" of murder. Vincent Stanford's identical twin brother Marcus was also sentenced to one year and three months for accessory after the fact to murder.

Stephanie Scott was a 26-year-old school teacher in Leeton, New South Wales, where she taught English and drama at Leeton High School.^[1] Originally from Canowindra, New South Wales, Scott was described as a "happy and bubbly person", and was well-known and respected among the school and wider Leeton community.^[2][3][4] At the time of her death she was preparing to marry her partner of five years Aaron Leeson-Woolley, scheduled for 11 April 2015 in Eugowra.^[5][1]

Vincent Stanford lived in a small rental weatherboard home with his mother and older brother. Stanford was born in Australia before he and his family moved to the Netherlands when he was three. Shortly after this, his father Steve returned to Australia, and had no further contact with Stanford or his siblings. Stanford's mother and siblings later relocated back to Australia around 2011 and settled in Leeton.^[6] Despite his father abandoning the family, it was found that there were no adverse or dysfunctional circumstances in Stanford's childhood may have caused his actions.^[7] He began working at Leeton High School, among other schools, an Essential Energy facility and a TAFE (vocational education) institution, as a cleaner in early March 2015.^[8] Stanford had passed all necessary police and Working With Children Check requirements before commencing his employment and an internal review by his employer, Colin Joss and Co, found that nothing could have been done to prevent Stanford's actions. This is refuted by family, who indicate Stanford's flouting of rules was a clear red flag that should have prompted action.^[9]

On Easter Sunday, 5 April 2015, Stephanie Scott visited Leeton High School to prepare lesson plans for the substitute teacher who would cover her classes during her upcoming honeymoon in Tahiti.^[3] Her fiancé, Aaron Leeson-Woolley, had travelled to Canowindra on Good Friday for a friend's farewell party, though Scott did not attend due to their imminent wedding. Leeson-Woolley sent several text messages throughout the day, though they all went unanswered. Later, he found his fiancée absent upon his return that night. Assuming she had stayed elsewhere due to her feeling anxious about the wedding and his absence over the weekend, he waited until morning before reporting Scott missing at the Leeton Police Station.^[8]

Scott's disappearance sparked a large search effort, involving local police, SES volunteers, local sporting clubs and members of the wider Riverina community.^[5][3] Her disappearance was described as out-of-character and unusual by many, including her fiancé. Police stated Scott was last seen around 11 am at Leeton High School, when she collected the school keys from a colleague before entering the school alone. Her last communication was an email at 12:59 pm to a bus company, organising transport for her wedding guests.^[10][8]

Police established a task force entitled Strike Force Gundabri to investigate Scott's disappearance and began tracking her phone, social media, and bank accounts, none of which had seen activity since Saturday, the day before her disappearance. Searches focused on the area between Leeton and Griffith, including police divers searching canals and dams in the area.^[11][8]

On 7 April, investigations revealed Vincent Stanford's white Toyota Hilux ute had been seen continuously at the school over the weekend. Investigators went to Stanford's home to speak with him, where he claimed he was "cleaning the bins" over the weekend.^[12][8] Continued appeals for information regarding Scott and her red Mazda, which had also not been seen since her disappearance, were made by Leeson-Woolley and police to the public.^[5]

On the morning of 8 April, a detective visited Stanford's home to speak with him, but Stanford was not home. Later that morning Stanford provided a statement at Leeton Police Station, claiming he had been cleaning at the school all weekend but had not seen anyone except some people roller-skating. Later that evening police returned to Stanford's home to ask him for an interview and consent to search the property, but he was not there. Stanford's mother gave police permission to conduct a walkthrough of the home, where police observed fresh tyre tracks leading into the back shed. The tracks had a smaller track width than Stanford's ute, and police also found a used condom and piece of yellow tape. In Stanford's bedroom police found a set of keys matching the description of the school keys Scott had been given on the day of her disappearance. Police declared the residence a crime scene.^[8]

As police were conducting their search of the premises, Stanford returned home in his ute. He told officers he had been "out taking photographs" when they asked if he had been at work, and police noticed a camera in his ute. In the tray of the ute, there were several large MDF boards (wood-fibre boards used in construction and cabinetry), smeared with what appeared to be blood. Stanford's vehicle was seized and he agreed to accompany police to the station to be questioned, where police found an image of a badly burnt female corpse in bushland as the most recent image on the camera. Stanford denied the images were of Scott, claiming they were from a horror movie that he had saved because he found them "funny". Police then arrested Stanford for the murder of Stephanie Scott.^[8]

Police continued their search for Scott's body, as well as her red Mazda sedan. The car was located in the early morning of 9 April, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Leeton, and police declared it a crime scene.^[13] The next day, police searching on dirt bikes located Scott's badly-burnt body on the edges of Cocoparra National Park.^[14][8]

Vincent Stanford was arrested for Stephanie Scott's murder on 9 April 2015, four days after her disappearance and two days before her scheduled wedding. He was later additionally charged with aggravated sexual assault on 3 June.^[15]

Stanford first noticed Scott when she was working in the staff room at Leeton High School on 5 April. He later claimed to police he had never met her before and did not know she was going to be at the school that day. Upon seeing Scott, Stanford described feeling "Just that I had to kill her. I wasn't angry or anything. Basically emotionless. Just that I had to kill her" in a videotaped police interview.^[8]

As Scott was walking along an enclosed corridor on her way home, she noticed Stanford and said "I'm going home now, have a happy Easter", before stopping to search in her bag for her keys. Stanford then grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth with one arm and dragging her into an old photographic darkroom. Once in the room, Stanford released Scott, and she attempted to flee as he closed the door, before Stanford pushed her and she fell face-down on the floor. Stanford gripped her throat and began beating Scott in the head up to 40 times, during which she became unconscious. After this, Stanford raped Scott. He then drew a 40cm knife from his pocket and stabbed her in the neck, later saying he was attempting to sever her carotid artery.^[8][16]

Stanford left the scene and went home to have a cheese sandwich and cup of coffee before returning to the school.^[17] He cleaned the knife, picked up Scott's belongings that had been dropped as he was dragging her to the darkroom, then drove Scott's red Mazda sedan into the school grounds. Stanford loaded the body into the boot of the car after placing some yellow masking tape over the gash in Scott's neck, in an effort to slow the bleeding. After this, Stanford spent several hours cleaning up the crime scene before driving the Mazda back to his house and returning to the school on foot. He loaded the blood-soaked MDF boards into the tray of his ute before going home. Stanford was seen throwing Scott's laptop into a canal outside of Leeton, later recovered by police divers.^[18][19] Later that evening, Stanford drove the Mazda to a service station and filled a jerrycan with petrol.^[8]

Very early Monday morning Stanford drove the Mazda, with Scott's body in the boot, to Cocoparra National Park, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Leeton. He removed her body from the boot and placed it on the ground, before removing all her clothing, and turning his phone on to take several pictures of the body. Stanford stacked branches on the body before dousing it in petrol, focusing on the lower torso and groin area, likely to destroy evidence of the rape. He drove Scott's Mazda to a road near Wamoon and walked back to Leeton, where he began disposing of Scott's belongings in various public bins.^[8]

On 8 April, Stanford's older brother noticed him burning several of Scott's belongings in the fireplace at their home. Later that day Stanford returned to Scott's body and took photos of the badly-burnt corpse. He also stopped at Scott's Mazda, "just to have a look".^[8]

There were sixteen volumes of evidence submitted during Stanford's trial, in a wide variety of mediums.^[20] The condom found by police in Stanford's backyard was found to have his DNA on the inside, and Scott's DNA on the outside, noted not to have originated from blood. The yellow tape found near the condom was determined to be that which Stanford used to cover the gash in Scott's neck. In a cupboard in Stanford's room police found more condoms, handcuffs and personal lubricant, all of which had Scott's blood on them. The murder weapon was located at the home, as well as a red bra that Scott was wearing when she was murdered. When asked why he kept the bra, Stanford responded "maybe I wanted a souvenir".^[8]

Digital forensic analysis of search histories from Stanford's personal devices revealed he regularly searched for violent rape, violent sex, hard-core pornography and murder, as well as necrophilia. The day before the murder, Stanford searched for "sharpest puncture knives", "sharpest knife you can buy" and "serial killer knives".^[8]

Stanford was also found to have been stalking and photographing several young girls at the high school, with over 1,800 images of a 12-year-old girl found on his phone, as well as log books of her schedule, comments such as "home alone, time to abduct", and a list of stupefying drugs such as valium and chloroform.^[8]

Vincent Stanford's identical twin brother Marcus lived in South Australia at the time of Scott's murder. On 8 April, Vincent Stanford contacted his twin by text message, saying he was going to mail him some items he needed kept safe. After this, he sent two rings he had taken off Scott's body, as well as her driver's license. Marcus Stanford later sold these items on 9 May for $705 at his brother's instruction.^[21][8][22]

Vincent Stanford pleaded guilty to raping and murdering Stephanie Scott on 20 July 2016, appearing in the Supreme Court of New South Wales via video link from Long Bay Correctional Centre in Sydney. His crimes were described by Hulme J, the sentencing judge, as "callous", "highly disturbing", and murder of the "worst category". One day before what would have been Scott's 28th birthday, on 13 October 2016, Stanford was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault and life imprisonment for murder.^{[8][23][24][25]}

Marcus Stanford pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court of New South Wales to accessory after the fact to murder and was sentenced to 1 year 3 months imprisonment, inclusive of time served, for his involvement in receiving and selling on Scott's rings.^[26]

The murder of Stephanie Scott had a profound and widespread impact on the Leeton and wider Australian community. More than 1500 people attended her funeral held at the location of the scheduled wedding in Eugowra, New South Wales, where students, family, and close friends gave tributes describing Scott as a "beautiful person" who "knew how to brighten anyone's day".^[27][28] The colour yellow was Scott's favourite, and became a symbol of remembrance.^[29][30] Yellow was worn by many at her funeral service and in tributes around Australia. Hundreds of yellow helium balloons were released into the sky above the funeral service.^[31][32]

Women across Australia participated in the #putyourdressout movement, which gained international recognition and involved posting pictures of wedding dresses online and displaying them in a tribute to Scott.^[33][29]

Scott's murder continues to have an impact, and has been noted to have caused a 'national awakening' to gendered violence. The Leeton community continues to carry the grief of Scott's murder.^[34]

An amphitheatre was constructed at Leeton High School in Scott's memory.^[35]

• R v Stanford, Vincent [2016] NSWSC 1434 (13 October 2016), Supreme Court (NSW, Australia)
• R v Stanford, Marcus [2016] NSWSC 1174 (24 August 2016), Supreme Court (NSW, Australia)