Murder detectives are but to establish a motive behind the alleged homicide of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten – because it’s revealed the lady and her mom have been staying at a distant caravan park within the lead-up to the kid’s demise.
Three days because the physique of the little lady was found inside a barrel on the banks of the Colo River within the New South Wales Blue Mountains, police don’t know why her stepfather Justin Stein, 31, allegedly killed her.
Stein, who was educated on the prestigious Cranbrook College in Sydney’s japanese suburbs and is engaged to Charlise’s mom Kallista Mutten, has been charged together with her homicide.
NSW Police murder squad detectives are nonetheless attempting to determine why Charlise was within the care of Stein between January 11 and January 12, when she died.
The lady and her mom had been staying on the Riviera Ski caravan park at Decrease Portland on the Hawkesbury River, a few 90 minute drive from the place Stein lived at Mount Wilson.
Murder detectives are pursuing three key traces of inquiry surrounding the alleged homicide of nine-year-old schoolgirl Charlise Mutten
Antiques supplier Annemie Stein (above) defended her accused son Justin Stein and stated she didn’t approve of his relationship with Charlise’s mom Kallista Mutten which she referred to as ‘a headache’
It’s understood Charlise and Ms Mutten had been spending time on the caravan park and at Stein’s luxurious property Wildenstein.
Detectives hope Ms Mutten can make clear why her daughter was alone in Stein’s care the evening she was allegedly murdered.
Nevertheless, they’ve been unable to interview her resulting from her psychological state, and he or she stays in hospital beneath shut medical supervision.
Ms Mutten – who’s pregnant with Stein’s child – suffered a ‘medical episode’ concerning the time she contacted police on January 14 to say her daughter was lacking.
Police allege Charlise Mutten, 9, was murdered and her physique encased in a barrel which was towed for hours in a ship earlier than being dumped on a lonely riverbank in dense bushland
A cabin on the Riviera Ski Backyard caravan park Ms Mutten had been staying at on Hawkesbury River
The mom is known to have been staying on the Riviera Ski Park, at Decrease Portland, when her nine-year-old daughter was allegedly murdered 80 kilometres away at a lavish marriage ceremony venue in Wildenstein
As police proceed to construct an image of what occurred, residents claimed they noticed Stein with Charlise and Ms Mutten on the park within the days earlier than she was reported lacking.
‘The daughter was there for a few days, she was taking part in round with the daughter of a buddy of mine,’ one individual informed The Each day Telegraph.
Detectives have been seen taping off a an space of the caravan park earlier this week, earlier than leaving the scene carrying proof luggage.
It comes after Stein’s mom defended her son and made extraordinary feedback aimed on the nine-year-old’s organic mum, calling the scenario ‘a headache’.
Annemie Stein revealed she didn’t approve of the whirlwind relationship between her son – who went to Cranbrook, one in every of Sydney’s most elite non-public colleges – and the lady’s mom Ms Mutten.
Social media posts present the pair shared a speedy romance, saying they have been in a relationship a few yr after Ms Mutten, a former ice addict who has served jail time, walked free from jail.
‘You’ll be able to lead a horse to water however you possibly can’t make them drink, or select their companions, and typically it leads to a headache like this one,’ Ms Stein informed the Telegraph.
Detectives have but to establish a motive behind the alleged homicide after charging the lady’s stepfather Justin Stein, 31, over her grisly demise on Wednesday
The world subsequent to the Colo River (pictured) the place Justin Stein allegedly dumped Charlise’s physique in a barrel 5 days earlier than the nine-year-old’s decomposed stays have been discovered
Kallista Mutten and Justin Stein (pictured) had a whirlwind romance earlier than changing into engaged and welcoming her daughter on the tragic journey to Mount Wilson
The 56-year-old stated it will be painful for any guardian to have a toddler undergo what her son was experiencing as a result of ‘mother and father know their youngsters’.
Mrs Stein defended her privately-educated son revealing he had a ‘tortured life’ regardless of his rich upbringing.
On Wednesday, the alleged killer appeared in Central Native Court docket the place he didn’t apply for bail and it was formally refused.
His barrister informed Justice of the Peace Robert Williams that whereas on remand in jail, Stein wanted provides of treatment which he had been taking in excessive dosage for a few years to deal with ‘psychological well being issues’.
The antipsychotic medicines are used to deal with bipolar dysfunction, schizophrenia and autism.
Justin Stein, 31 (pictured), has been charged over the grisly demise after Charlise’s physique was found in a barrel close to the Colo River close to Sydney’s Blue Mountains on Tuesday, following a 5 day search
Social media posts present the pair shared a speedy romance, saying they have been in a relationship a few yr after Ms Mutten (pictured), a former ice addict who has served jail time, walked free from jail.
Mrs Stein described what would have been her step-granddaughter as a ‘beautiful’ and ‘lovely’ little lady who didn’t need to die.
Mr Stein revealed he had not seen his son for ‘a while’ and was shocked by the tragedy.
Ms Mutten left her daughter in Stein’s care final Tuesday, and court docket paperwork present detectives allege Stein killed her within the following 15 hours.
The rich vintage supplier Stein household have owned the Wildenstein property for 20 years.
Ms Stein described what would have been her step-granddaughter (pictured) as a ‘beautiful’ and ‘lovely’ little lady who didn’t need to die
Detectives haven’t had the chance to ask Ms Mutten (pictured) key questions concerning the alleged occasions after she suffered a ‘medical episode’ on the Wildenstein property
The sprawling property is presently being operated as a marriage venue by Justin’s older brother James and his husband Keegan Buzza with the youthful Stein brother staying in a shack on the five-hectare property in previous years.
Charlise usually lived fulltime together with her grandparents, Deborah and Clint Mutten within the Queensland border city of Coolangatta, however arrived within the Blue Mountains in the course of the Christmas-New Yr faculty holidays.
Kallista Mutten had relinquished guardianship of Charlise after growing a methamphetamine habit, failed makes an attempt to endure rehabilitation and a two yr jail stretch for killing a feminine buddy she drove right into a river whereas excessive on ice.
As police proceed to research the case, they allege Stein drove roughly 200km towing a ship loaded with a plastic barrel carrying the stays of the nine-year-old over a circuitous five-hour trek.
Stein stayed a shack on the five-hectare Wildenstein property (pictured) in previous years
Charlise (pictured) had been staying on the Wildenstein property with Stein and her organic mom over the New Years-Christmas holidays when she first went lacking
The barrel allegedly lay beneath a blue tarpaulin within the boat towed by Stein’s pink Holden ute from the Blue Mountains to Bunnings at Marsden Park, a close-by BP petrol station, after which on to 2 Sydney boat ramps.
Makes an attempt to eliminate the schoolgirl’s stays within the water are stated by police to have been thwarted by Stein’s incapacity to launch the motor boat taken from his household’s luxurious Blue Mountains property.
Ultimately, after failing to begin the boat and take the barrel now additionally encumbered with sand to sink into deeper water, Stein allegedly took off for the Colo River.
On the afternoon of Thursday, January 13, on a river financial institution round 80km northwest of Sydney, police say the 31-year-old pulled up his ute in bushland.
Stein then allegedly tried to tug the heavy barrel to the river’s edge and roll it in, however the weight of the sand prevented him doing so and eventually he was compelled to desert it within the scrub.
Rescue groups labored tirelessly to search out Charlise in thick bushland at Mount Wilson (pictured on January 17) – earlier than a physique was finally found
Charlise’s stays lay within the barrel for 5 days as emergency staff searched fruitlessly for the lacking lady round Mount Wilson, 65km additional west.
That was till the afternoon of Tuesday, January 18 when police, performing on GPS information, positioned the barrel within the bush and made the ugly discovery of Charlise’s decomposing stays.
Police allege that between 7pm on Tuesday, January 11 and 10am on Wednesday January 12 – when Ms Mutten is claimed to have been absent from Wildenstein – Stein murdered Charlise.
On Thursday, January 13, Stein left the Wildenstein property at Mount Wilson in his Holden Colorado, police say, towing a ship carrying the barrel with Charlise’s physique inside.
A blue tarpaulin is believed to have been draped over the barrel within the boat.
In accordance with GPS information detectives later obtained from Stein’s cell phone and his ute, he allegedly made the one hour 20 minute journey to Marsden Park Bunnings.
Charlise (above) together with her grandmother Deborah Mutten who learnt the tragic information this week that the adored granddaughter for whom she was full-time carer had died
Emergency companies volunteers gathered for one more futile day trying to discover Charlise alive when the truth is her physique lay inside a barrel on a river financial institution 65km away
At Bunnings, Stein purchased 5 20kg luggage of sand and made a cellphone name, police allege, emptying the baggage of sand into the barrel to weigh it down.
On the 5 Dock boat ramp on the Parramatta River in internal western Sydney, the place he’s stated to have did not launch the motor boat, as a result of it was ‘inoperable’.
The boat was nonetheless unable to be began and from the Windsor ramp, on the Hawkesbury River, it’s a 24km drive north to the Colo River through the Putty Highway.
It’s alleged Stein tried to tug the barrel from the boat and eliminate it within the river, however resulting from its weight didn’t get very far and dumped it in scrub close to the financial institution.
Nearly 4 hours later an individual, believed to be Ms Mutten, dialled Triple-0 to report that Charlise was lacking from the Wildenstein property.
When police arrived, Ms Mutten was current on the property with out the corporate of her fiancé and through an off-the-cuff spherical of police questions she had ‘a medical episode’ and was taken to Blue Mountains Hospital at Katoomba.
The court docket heard on Wednesday that Justin Stein (above, depicted by a court docket artist) is on a heavy dosage of antipsychotic medicine which he has been taking for years
After allegedly dumping his stepdaughter’s physique Justin Stein travelled to Sydney and stayed at a housing fee condo block within the internal Sydney suburb of Surry Hills (pictured)
Round 8.30pm, detectives went to Surry Hills and arrested Stein, who was taken again to the Surry Hills Police Centre and charged with Charlise’s homicide
On Friday afternoon, Stein drove his ute to Excessive Avenue, Penrith and entered Penrith Police station and spoke with detectives.
Police seized his parked ute and impounded it, towing it away to a location for forensic examination; officers additionally seized the motor boat from Wildenstein property.
For 5 days, emergency companies staff searched steep terrain round Mount Wilson in search of Charlise, with police warning by day 5 – the morning of Tuesday, January 18 – that the lady would by now be ‘torpid’ and motionless.
Whereas Ms Mutten was in hospital, Stein travelled to Sydney and stayed at a housing fee condo block within the internal Sydney suburb of Surry Hills.
Someday between 3pm and 5pm, police are believed to have set off for the Colo River utilizing GPS monitoring co-ordinates, finding the barrel and its grisly contents.
Police seized a ship from the Wildenstein property (above) the place Charlise was staying together with her mom and Justin Stein on vacation earlier than she was allegedly murdered
Younger lady go away tributes for Charlise after a candlelit vigil was held outdoors the entrance gates of the Tweed Heads Public College on Wednesday night
Round 8.30pm, detectives went to Surry Hills and arrested Stein, who was taken to the Surry Hills Police Centre and charged with Charlise’s homicide.
A court docket on Wednesday heard that Stein wished to be positioned in a safety wing in jail for his personal security as he awaited his subsequent look, in Penrith Native Court docket in March.
In the meantime, detectives have been annoyed of their makes an attempt to talk to Charlise’s pregnant mom in current days as she stays in hospital.
She is claimed to be within the care of docs and ‘tough to method’, which means police nonetheless had no performed a proper interview together with her.
On Wednesday night, devastated mourners held a candlelit vigil for the schoolgirl – leaving tributes outdoors
On Wednesday night, devastated mourners held a candlelit vigil for schoolgirl Charlise Mutten outdoors the entrance gates of Tweed Heads Public College.
The nine-year-old had been a scholar on the faculty on the NSW coast together with her fellow classmates commemorating their buddy with vibrant balloons, notes and flowers.
A message on the college’s discover board learn ‘don’t rely the times, make the times rely’ with the college releasing an announcement on Wednesday morning.
‘Charlise was a a lot cherished member of our college who brightened all our days, day by day,’ the assertion learn, including the college was ‘completely devastated’ by the information.
It was accompanied by a touching photograph of the nine-year-old holding a literacy award she had acquired on the end-of-year presentation day.
‘Charlise was a a lot cherished member of our college who brightened all our days, day by day,’ an announcement from the college learn (pictured, mourners outdoors her faculty on Wednesday)
‘Goodbye lovely lady… We are going to get solutions for you child, and we’ll honour you correctly,’ the schoolgirl’s organic father shared (pictured, a lady lights a candle at a vigil outdoors Charlise’s faculty on Wednesday)
Charliese’s organic father has additionally shared an emotional tribute to his daughter and vowed to ‘get solutions’ about her tragic demise.
‘Goodbye lovely lady… We are going to get solutions for you child, and we’ll honour you correctly,’ the person, who can’t be recognized for authorized causes, stated.
‘You’ve captured the hearts of the nation and the world, and now these hearts are breaking with mine.’
Her father vowed this ‘wouldn’t be the top of [her] or [her] story’ in his assertion.
‘This doesn’t occur. Children have to be protected. What’s fallacious with individuals?’
