Found Deceased Australia - Stephanie Scott, 26, Leeton, NSW, 5 April 2015 - #2 *Arrests*

[sleuthermelb]

Hi FromGermany. I suspect the concealment of Vincent's face has been done to protect Vincent's twin brother. I notice the uncensored Facebook profile photo of Marcus doesn't seem to be available anywhere online anymore; all instances have a black bar covering his face. His Facebook profile no longer seems to be public, or he has removed his profile photo. Wouldn't surprise me if the authorities asked him to take it down.

I was surprised he left it up so long, to be honest. If my twin was known as a killer I wouldn't want my face out there either.

 

[Walk A Mile]

But the killing is another charge ...?

Yeah, it is. And the charge on the rape is upgraded because the rape occurred in conjunction with the commission of another, more serious crime. In a similar way, burglary becomes aggravated burglary when the offender has a weapon, but being charged with aggravated burglary doesn't preclude them from being charged with unlawful possession of a weapon too, if such charges are appropriate.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

I can't find the article but I'm sure early on police said they didn't believe she was murdered at the school?

They keep a low profile:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...-man-over-murder/story-fni0cx12-1227296382068

He said Mr Stanford’s home and the area where Ms Scott’s car was located had both been declared crime scenes. “There area number of scenes that will be processed by our forensic services police over the coming days,” he said.

“Certainly some areas of the school have been examined. That was the last place Stephanie was seen. There are also a number of other locations of interest to us at this point.

“We have two declared crime scenes at this point in time but there may be others.

 

[Fuskier]

They keep a low profile:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...-man-over-murder/story-fni0cx12-1227296382068

He said Mr Stanford’s home and the area where Ms Scott’s car was located had both been declared crime scenes. “There area number of scenes that will be processed by our forensic services police over the coming days,” he said.

“Certainly some areas of the school have been examined. That was the last place Stephanie was seen. There are also a number of other locations of interest to us at this point.

“We have two declared crime scenes at this point in time but there may be others.

Hi FG, this article posted yesterday from http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cleaner-vi...0150604-ghgcjr states that Police allege Stephanie Scott was killed in Leeton. It does not reveal her place of death. So this opens up possibilities: maybe he abducted her from the school and drove her to his home where he raped & killed her? Maybe he raped and killed her in the back of his van?

 

[Liadan]

Is it possible that school camera's caught the incident? And that is why the time frame is so tight?

I reckon VS did take pictures of the incident but I don't think he recorded his 'assault act'. I think it was an opportunistic crime. So to set up recording between 1:40 and 2pm, requiring Stephanie's login (which times out after a few mins) on her laptop, then to set up filming program and arrange a vantage point - it seems like a mad rush unless he really knew his way around Stephanie's computer, and additionally knew in advance that Stephanie was going to be there so could put together plans to ambush her.

I don't think he taped the act of his rape but yes I think he got pictures after the act - photos of VS over powering his conquest (disgusting), which could also have been time stamped by Stephanie's computer. I think the aggravated assault was just a spur of the moment decision and he was caught up in his power and dominance.

At that point he left he had to dispose of her body. He was still in the grips of the thrill of his power and the scenario. - His family were away - bingo - bring her home and he had time to work out what to do. By the time the thrill had worn off he realises he is in deep poo poo and had to dispose of a computer a body and a car. We have no idea (initially) where the car was left but witnesses see VS disposing a computer.

Disposal of the body needs to eliminate any contact with VS - so he burns it. But the forest/weather conditions are not great for high temperature combustion and Stephanie's corpse is able to reveal more evidence than VS plans on making available.

 

[Angeline]

I'm concerned about this mountain of evidence that will take "three months to hear". I mean, what the heck do they have? It just sounds disturbing. At least it means the police will most likely get a conviction.

 

[Alice Bernadette]

From this article, it sounds like Stephanie's family found out for the first time about the sexual assault charge in court too.

So aggravated sexual assault is when there is physical injury? Isn't sexual assault itself already physical injury; isn't that bad enough?! What further injury would account for the aggravated component?

I agree, the 20 minute window is very specific, compared with the original very broad window of something like between 1pm and 7.20pm... Police must have got hold of something to pin it down, and what better way than image-based time stamps...

Her body was only partially burnt. I reckon there would still be evidence of a rape there too.

Yes I agree. On autopsy they would have some evidence of rape.

 

[Alice Bernadette]

I have no understanding that the perpetrator is so protected. About the victim we know much to all; the perpetrator we may see only drawn and still with a black balk. :notgood:

They do this to make sure there will be no grounds for appeal if there is a guily verdict. Once there is a verdict there will be plenty of information around about the perp.

 

[Xantara]

I wonder why he didnt have a lawyer for all this time? Usually it's the first thing you get for yourself once you've been charged, isnt it? The family probably couldnt afford one, but I thought you can even get a legal aid lawyer faster than this. Maybe the family dont really understand the legal system properly and didnt know how to organise this for themselves?Or Vincent, not engaging at all with police, also declined to have a lawyer?
He cant expect to get through this without ever speaking at all though, can he? When it comes to a trial, he will be asked questions and will have to answer them.

 

[Xantara]

Yeah, it is. And the charge on the rape is upgraded because the rape occurred in conjunction with the commission of another, more serious crime. In a similar way, burglary becomes aggravated burglary when the offender has a weapon, but being charged with aggravated burglary doesn't preclude them from being charged with unlawful possession of a weapon too, if such charges are appropriate.

This is what puzzles me. I also agree that murder is a separate charge. But what is more serious than rape? Apart from murder, but murder is a separate charge...

 

[Deleted member 102539]

http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/aggravated-assault/

The following is an example of a state statute dealing with aggravated assault:

"A person is guilty of aggravated assault if he:
...........................................
or
attempts to cause or intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a teaching staff member, school board member, or other employee, including a student employee, of any elementary or secondary publicly-funded educational institution, any elementary or secondary private school licensed by the Department of Education or any elementary or secondary parochial school while acting in the scope of his or her employment or because of his or her employment relationship to the school.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

I wonder why he didnt have a lawyer for all this time? Usually it's the first thing you get for yourself once you've been charged, isnt it? The family probably couldnt afford one, but I thought you can even get a legal aid lawyer faster than this. Maybe the family dont really understand the legal system properly and didnt know how to organise this for themselves?Or Vincent, not engaging at all with police, also declined to have a lawyer?
He cant expect to get through this without ever speaking at all though, can he? When it comes to a trial, he will be asked questions and will have to answer them.

I think, he will not do this: answer.

I think also, VS doesn't want a lawyer and perhaps his poor mother has to be quite careful, what to do and what not to do because of his psyche.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Yes I agree. On autopsy they would have some evidence of rape.

Maybe. But I wonder about the techniques that can be applied despite the burned body.

Was it VS' intention to not burn the whole body??? Maybe he just wanted to prevent identification by face?
Did he think, Stephanie would never be found? But then the place (near a path) wasn't intelligently chosen.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Liadan:

Is it possible that school camera's caught the incident? And that is why the time frame is so tight?

Yes, that may well be! I didn't thought of that before, but only of recording by VS.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Hi FG, this article posted yesterday from http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cleaner-vi...0150604-ghgcjr states that Police allege Stephanie Scott was killed in Leeton. It does not reveal her place of death. So this opens up possibilities: maybe he abducted her from the school and drove her to his home where he raped & killed her? Maybe he raped and killed her in the back of his van?

All is possible. IF she should have "vanished", then perhaps VS didn't choose the school as a crime scene for more than a menace. It would have looked as if she were simply no longer there. Stephanie away, car away, laptop away. Nobody had known, where she might be.

Oh, everything is so terrible! Poor girl, poor fiance, poor parents and siblings of both families!

 

[Amee]

Hi FromGermany. I suspect the concealment of Vincent's face has been done to protect Vincent's twin brother. I notice the uncensored Facebook profile photo of Marcus doesn't seem to be available anywhere online anymore; all instances have a black bar covering his face. His Facebook profile no longer seems to be public, or he has removed his profile photo. Wouldn't surprise me if the authorities asked him to take it down.

I was surprised he left it up so long, to be honest. If my twin was known as a killer I wouldn't want my face out there either.

Its still there ....

 

[Angeline]

I've been trying to figure out if defendants have their identity obscured if accused of a sex crime? I think it's the case in some states but I'm not sure about NSW.

 

[Fuskier]

Yes I agree. On autopsy they would have some evidence of rape.

In addition, it is also possible that given the perpetrator took photos of her burned corpse, that he took photos of her naked, dead body capturing the injuries. He may have photographed injuries he caused on her body parts - in his depraved world. It's possible Police may have such evidence in their possession.

FG you speculated along the same lines as Liadan: that cameras had captured the time frame. This theory is plausible as school CCTV cameras may have captured evidence of VS carrying SS. Also captured images of both cars parked in the grounds, etc.

 

[sleuthermelb]

Good point about the CCTV guys, hadn't considered that.

From what I've read the courthouse was packed during Vincent's video link so by now there are members of the public who have seen Vincent's face.

 

[sleuthermelb]

Someone suggested this idea on another forum; interesting theory:

"Regarding how did he know she was there, I believe we may find out that the colleague she collected keys from to the school was him. That the LE questioned him and he said something like that he gave her the keys and she never returned them ... and that he left to go camping. But that the mobile phone triangulation proved him a liar and that when they turned up there Wednesday night they found the keys on him. It's a small country town so it's possible Stephanie was referred to collect keys from the cleaner's house. And that's what led LE to follow him up in the first place. This idea was prompted by my Sydney based teacher friend telling me they are advised to arrange to be at school after hourd when the cleaners or General admin staff are there...for tge teachers' safety...and that got me thinkin did she check with him casually when he would be at school so he is tipped off....or indeed did she actually get keys from him at his house...and that's why his mother knows to help LE. Very sad for all."