Five witnesses were due to give evidence — Rick Thorburn, Julene Thorburn, Trent Thorburn, Joshua Thorburn, as well as Detective Inspector Chris Knight, who led the homicide investigation.
Counsel assisting the coroner Kate McMahon said Tiahleigh was last seen alive by an independent witness about 5.45pm on October 29, 2015.
That night, Tiahleigh had been at a hip-hop dance class and complained of stomach pains.
Also that evening, Trent Thorburn told his mother he had had sex with Tiahleigh and he was worried she might be pregnant.
Julene and Rick Thorburn spoke that night and concluded Tiahleigh’s stomach pains could be a sign she was pregnant and their son Trent could go to jail for what he done.
Between 8pm and 10pm that night, Julene went to visit her sister and Trent and Josh were also out. When they returned, Tiahleigh was gone and Rick addressed his family.
“He said: ‘Tiahleigh is no longer with us’ … he said he had taken care of it and asked them to not ask any questions,” Ms McMahon told the pre-inquest hearing on Tuesday.
Ms McMahon said during that two-hour window, Rick Thorburn murdered Tiahleigh, but he had never explained how he killed her.
The next day, October 30, Tiahleigh’s school noticed she was missing and raised the alarm. Rick Thorburn claimed he dropped her off at school that morning and even helped police search for her.
Rick Thorburn had dumped Tiahleigh’s body in the Pimpama River.
On November 5, three fishermen found Tiahleigh’s body in the river.
Tiahleigh’s biological mother, Cindy, was not in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday because she was overseas. She will return in time for the two-day coronial inquest next month.
Source: | This article originally belongs to smh.com.au
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