Murder of Stephanie Scott
| Murder of Stephanie Scott | |
|---|---|
Stephanie Scott | |
| Location | Leeton, New South Wales, Australia |
| Date | 5 April 2015 |
Attack type | |
| Weapon | Knife |
| Victim | Stephanie Scott |
| Convictions |
|
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.