Justin Stein, 32, appeared in the High Court of Australia as he prepares to stand trial on the charges.
He is accused of murdering Charlise Mutten, his fiancee’s daughter, while on a family holiday in the NSW Blue Mountains and dumping her body in a plastic barrel, news.com has learned.
He denied the charges
The schoolgirl’s body was discovered with gunshot wounds in bushland near the Kolo River in the NSW Central Tablelands in January 2022.
Stein denied murdering the nine-year-old after he was left alone with her on January 11.
Stein was staying at his family’s Mt Wilson property in January 2022 with his fiancee, Kallista Mutten, and her daughter Charlise when the student disappeared.
Prosecutors allege Stein killed the nine-year-old either on the night of Jan. 11 or in the early morning hours of Jan. 12 when the couple was alone with her.
She then allegedly traveled from Mt Wilson to Sydney’s north-west and inner west before returning to the Colo River, near Hawkesbury, where she dumped her body.
Charlise was reported missing on January 14, prompting a lengthy official search of the surrounding bush involving hundreds of volunteers.
Her body was found four days later in a barrel in the bushes and Stein was arrested.
He remained behind bars on pretrial detention for two years as he awaited his trial, according to the theaustralian.com.au
The shocking video
In a video released by police, they are searching for the gun and are hoping for more information from the public.
The video shows the stepfather who was caught in the darkest act after shooting his 9-year-old stepdaughter.
Detectives say Stein drove a red car around Sydney trying to dispose of the 9-year-old’s remains.
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