Man arrested 40 years after rape, murder of Australian girl

USPA News - Australian police have arrested a 61-year-old man for the abduction, rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in southeastern Australia more than four decades ago, officials announced on Thursday, making it the region`s oldest unsolved homicide case to have resulted in an arrest. Colin Michael Newey, 61, was arrested at his home in the town of Murray Bridge in Southern Australia just after 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

He was extradited to Sydney in the state of New South Wales (NSW) on Thursday and formally charged with forcible abduction, sexual assault and murder. Newey is accused of the murder of 17-year-old Bronwynne Richardson, who was attacked in the city of Albury on October 12, 1973, and dragged into a vehicle. She was subsequently driven to a reserve west of Albury, where she was physically and sexually assaulted before being thrown into the Murray River. Richardson`s body was recovered from Horseshoe Lagoon, off the Murray River, two days after she was abducted. An investigation into her death was launched, but police were unable to determine who was responsible. A coronial inquest in 1975 determined the teen had died of strangulation and drowning. "This is yet another example of why the Unsolved Homicide Team was formed in 2008," said Detective Superintendent Mick Willing of NSW Police. "By their very nature, these old, unsolved cases are extremely challenging investigations, but we have a team of Unsolved Homicide detectives who are brilliant at what they do, and are committed to getting results no matter how long ago the crime occurred." Police had launched a number of investigations over the year, but all had failed to find Richardson`s killer. An investigation in 1990 yielded new information that led to the arrest of three men, but none of them were convicted. Subsequent investigations in 2008 and 2011 also resulted in new information and provided police with their strongest line of inquiry yet, which led to Wednesday`s arrest. Newey has been refused bail and was ordered to appear in court on Friday.