Deceased/Not Found Australia - Johann Morgan, 40, Tamworth, NSW, 8 Aug 2015 *Arrest*

Police in Tamworth, in northern New South Wales, have searched a third crime scene as the investigation into the disappearance of a 40-year-old woman continues.

Johann Morgan has been missing for almost a month, and police have already searched her West Tamworth home and a burnt-out car believed to be connected to her.

Officers today executed a crime scene warrant on a premises in Kenny Drive, collecting a number of items that will now be forensically examined.

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In early September, police confirmed they believed the missing woman had met with foul play. Now, the NSW Coroner has been informed of the disappearance and suspected death of Ms Morgan, with the coroner’s jurisdiction to assist in the investigation. The referral was made in recent weeks by Oxley police who, by law, must refer the case when they believe the missing person is deceased.

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Troy Jason Ruttley has been charged with the murder of 41-year-old Johann Morgan after he was arrested by Oxley detectives at a Yulong St home in Dubbo on Monday night, following a four-month probe by police...

According to court documents, detectives will allege Ruttley murdered Ms Morgan in West Tamworth between August 8 and August 10, this year...

Several searches of waterways and paddocks between Coledale and Bective involving police divers, sniffer dogs, Operation Support Group (OSG) and Target Action Group (TAG) officers, have failed to find any trace of the missing mother.

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A recent NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) study into intimate partner homicides suggested a majority of the victims and offenders didn't come to the attention of police for domestic violence before the murder.

However, some do...

In 2012, police took out an AVO protecting Tamworth woman Johann Morgan from Troy Jason Ruttley. In December, Ruttley – an ex-partner – was charged with her alleged murder.

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The murder trial of Troy Jason Ruttley is expected to begin in Tamworth’s Supreme Court tomorrow.

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Justice Anthony Payne discharged one juror in Tamworth Supreme Court on Wednesday morning – just a day after Troy Jason Ruttley’s trial for murdering Johann Morgan opened.

After discussions with both the Crown prosecution and the defence, Justice Payne told the court he was very reluctant to discharge the remaining 11 jurors but said Ruttley was “entitled” to have his case heard by 12 willing jurors.

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Justice Payne ordered a new jury and a fresh trial, to commence on Monday, with the case expected to run for more than three weeks

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Nine witnesses took the stand in the first day of the trial in the NSW Supreme Court in Tamworth, including the last people the Crown alleges saw Johann Morgan alive before she was killed by her then partner.

The Crown alleges Troy Jason Ruttley murdered Ms Morgan on or about August 9, 2015, and then disposed of her body which has never been found.

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A jury has heard a chilling recording of the last argument between a couple before she was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend in Tamworth, almost two years ago.

The daughter of Johann Morgan broke down in tears in the witness box in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon as the jury heard a secret recording of her mother and Troy Jason Ruttley arguing on the night the Crown alleges she was killed.

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In her father’s NSW Supreme Court murder trial in Tamworth, Ms Dennis was questioned about her statement to police at the time.

Oxley detectives asked her “why she hadn’t asked about Johann Morgan’s disappearance” – after she was reported missing in August, that year.

The court heard she told police “no”, and when the detective asked why not, the jury was told on Thursday she said: “I don’t want to know …. I don’t want to know, I don’t want to be involved”.

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"I didn’t do it," Ruttley told the jury, adding "I never harmed a hair on her head ... you can ask any of her family over there".

Ruttley admitted that he lied to police but denied he did it “to put them off the scent”, rather he said he “wasn’t sure at the time”.

"I just told them something to shut them up,” Ruttley said.

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....He said he then took his Mitsubishi Magna stationwagon to the quarry 17km out of Tamworth and burnt it, lighting the seat.

Ruttley said “none of the family members wanted it .... I’d rather see it burnt", adding that he wouldn’t have got any money from the wreckers anyway, and he had no money to fix it.

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In his closing address to the jury of six men and six women on Wednesday, Mr Rowe said that after Ruttley allegedly killed Ms Morgan, he returned to his Kenny Dr home to get his Mitsubishi Magna and used the car to "transport Johann Morgan's body ... to a location that is only known to the accused".

He then torched the car a day later at a quarry 17km outside of Tamworth.

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On a day of closing submissions from the Crown and the defence, Ms Betts said there were a number of issues raised by the Crown including that Ms Morgan's wallet was found in the house, family members had had no contact with the mother-of-eight since August, 2015.

She said those things along with the forensic evidence, combined with the argument between Troy Ruttley, the family, were issues, but not proof.

"You cannot be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Troy Ruttley killed Johann Morgan," she said.

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Justice Anthony Payne sent the jury home shortly before 4pm after they sent a note saying they had yet to reach a verdict, following close to seven hours of deliberations.

“Thank you all again for the commitment you’ve already shown to this case,” he told the panel, before excusing them for the weekend.

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Troy Jason Ruttley has been found guilty of murdering Johann Morgan in Tamworth almost two years ago.

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Following the verdict, sister Vivienne Morgan said the result had lifted a great weight “from their hearts”, but she said closure was still some way away.

“All I want is for him to give her up and give her back,” she said in an emotional interview.

“I just want to take her home.

“Her kids have been suffering for that long.”

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JusticeWillBeServed said:

http://www.northerndailyleader.com....lea-to-find-johanns-body-update-video/?cs=159



Sentencing is set for November.

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Troy Jason Ruttley was jailed for 24 years for the 2015 murder of Ms Morgan, in front of a packed public gallery in the NSW Supreme Court in Tamworth, on Tuesday morning.

Ruttley had his sentenced backdated to his arrest, and will be eligible for parole in 2033.

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"We really just want her, that's all," her son Michael Morgan said.

"(The sentence) is good enough, but all we wanted was our mother.

Ms Morgan’s sister Vivienne said the sentence provided some closure to her murder some two years ago.

"I just miss her so much," she said.

"I'll have a lot of closure when I get her back."

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Police have vowed to continue searching for her body, urging anyone with information to come forward.

"We're not finished with that part of the investigation," acting Superintendent Budd said.

"We're certainly very, very committed to finding where Johann might be.

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• Government offer a $750,000 reward to locate body of a murdered grandmother
• Johann Morgan was last seen at her home in Tamworth, New South Wales, 2015
• Her partner, Troy Jason Ruttley was sentenced to 24-years for her murder
• Police hope that the monetary incentive will bring new information forward

Bohemian said:

Police offer $750,000 reward for information as they hunt for the missing body of a murdered mother | Daily Mail Online

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Liora Bentley said:

The NSW Government has been very active in posting rewards lately. It's a good thing in reigniting publicity in cases even though rewards are not so successful in solving cases.

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'We just want her back': family supports no body, no parole laws

"We just want him to own up to what he did and give her back so we can...

www.northerndailyleader.com.au

Family of murdered Tamworth woman Johann Morgan welcome 'no body no parole' laws to find the missing mother's remains​