On a chilly winter’s day in June 2002, an intellectually disabled teenage woman disappeared from the New South Wales Riverina with out a hint.
Since then, the thriller of what occurred to Amber Haigh has captivated the huge Australian farming area, resulting from a surprising allegation: that the 19-year-old was killed by the daddy of her five-month-old child and his spouse, in order that they may take her little one.
20 years on, Robert and Anne Geeves – each 64 – had been charged together with her homicide, however on Monday had been acquitted after a high-profile trial.
Justice Julia Lonergan discovered that prosecutors had didn’t show their alleged motive, saying: “Instances are usually not selected hearsay, hypothesis or suspicion.”
The Geeveses are the final recognized folks to have seen Amber alive. They’ve lengthy mentioned they dropped her at a practice station 300km (186 miles) from their dwelling in Kingsvale – the place the three had been residing on the time – in order that she may go to her dying father on 5 June.
Regardless of in depth police investigations, a coronial inquiry, and a million-dollar reward for data, her physique has by no means been discovered.
Prosecutors relied on witness testimony and a whole lot of paperwork to assist their principle – that the Geeveses had “manipulated” Amber into having Robert’s child, after which “eliminated” her “from the equation” when she wouldn’t relinquish custody.
The courtroom heard the couple had an grownup son – who had beforehand dated Amber – however within the early 2000s nonetheless “desperately” wished one other little one, having endured a number of miscarriages and a stillbirth.
Nevertheless, the defence mentioned the allegation they killed Amber to steal her child was baseless, and that the investigation into the pair – who’ve spent two years in jail awaiting trial – was flawed from the beginning.
They informed the courtroom a “haze of distrust” had clouded the area people’s view of the Geeveses resulting from Robert’s historical past – which included acquittals for the homicide of an ex-partner who was discovered shot within the face on his property, and sexual assault fees involving two schoolgirls.
That previous, the Geeveses’ attorneys mentioned, had created a “presumption of guilt” that persevered for many years, and in the end “blinded” police as they appeared for Amber.
Over 9 weeks, dozens of witnesses gave proof concerning the ultimate months of the teenager’s life – describing a “sort hearted” but “susceptible” younger girl who struggled to discern between “love and exploitation”.
Two recalled how Amber had shared tales of abuse with them – together with cases the place Robert Geeves had allegedly plied her with alcohol, tied her up, and had intercourse together with her.
And the couple’s son Robbie informed the courtroom that his mom had referred to his ex-girlfriend as a “surrogate” and that each dad and mom had turned up at his dwelling at the hours of darkness asking him to just accept Amber’s little one as his “little brother”.
The prosecution additionally tendered an settlement Amber made Robert signal, promising to not take her little one, in addition to a will she’d created stipulating her aunt be given custody of the infant within the occasion of her loss of life.
“There was little signal, within the sea of proof on this case, that Amber was ever proven the love she wanted or deserved,” Justice Lonergan mentioned, including that it’s clear “past an inexpensive doubt” that she is useless.
However the decide in the end discovered a crucial “downside” with the prosecution’s case – there was “no passable proof” that Anne and Robert nonetheless held a need for extra kids when Amber grew to become pregnant.
She criticised the accounts of prosecution witnesses and mentioned the investigation had focussed on “disproving the Geeveses model of occasions” moderately than investigating the reason for Amber’s disappearance.
Wanting on the couple as they sat within the dock, Justice Lonergan ordered that they be launched from custody instantly.
One member of the general public gallery stormed out of the courtroom to scream. Amber’s kin, too, had been visibly shaken, with some later quietly breaking down in tears outdoors courtroom.
A youngster ‘on the lookout for love and solace’
The prosecution and defence agreed on little all through the trial – apart from that Amber’s life had been exceptionally troublesome, and that her loss of life got here prematurely.
“Amber went backwards and forwards between locations and other people on the lookout for love and solace. She by no means discovered it.
“She was nonetheless on the lookout for it when she disappeared,” Justice Lonergan concluded.
The courtroom heard that Amber had come to Kingsvale – an remoted suburb close to the regional city of Younger – within the Nineteen Nineties to reside together with her nice aunt Stella Nealon, after fleeing a “dysfunctional” childhood in Sydney marred by epilepsy, studying difficulties, and a violent alcoholic father.
Ms Nealon had lived subsequent door to the Geeveses, who had been each of their 40s on the time and had been launched to Amber by their 19-year-old son Robbie.
The courtroom heard that Amber’s life at her nice aunt’s home was risky, and at instances bodily violent. A lot of the stress stemmed from Amber’s relationship with considered one of her cousins, which had resulted in an abortion at age 14.
In police interviews performed to the courtroom, the Geeveses mentioned that they had supplied Amber refuge and that she had entered a sexual relationship with Robert shortly after.
The Geeveses mentioned that though their relationship with the teenager could have appeared “bizarre” or confronting to outsiders, the three of them “acquired alongside very nicely”, with Anne telling police that Amber noticed her as a maternal determine.
When it grew to become clear in 2001 that Amber had fallen pregnant with Robert’s little one, it precipitated a rupture inside the area people, and in the end severed Robbie’s relationship along with his dad and mom – an estrangement nonetheless obvious in courtroom on Monday.
By all accounts, Amber “adored” her son, however social staff and buddies testified that she’d additionally struggled to maintain up with the ceaseless calls for of motherhood.
The Geeveses have maintained that they did their finest to assist Amber navigate these challenges, and that they did so with out vested curiosity.
And in her ruling, Justice Lonergan discovered “nothing sinister” of their “provision of help” for Amber and her little one – whose privateness remains to be topic to strict authorized protections.
Additional, she mentioned the “constant” account given by the Geeveses – that they final noticed Amber as she walked in the direction of the station after kissing her son goodbye – was not “inherently implausible”.
Itemizing the main points of the case, she famous that whereas it was clear Amber was “attacked, abused and made to really feel unsafe” since childhood, the prosecution had failed to ascertain how she met her finish.
She conceded it’s an end result which leaves a number of the “factual issues” within the case – which has tortured so many near it for many years – unresolved.