The family of murdered teen Michell Bright now have closure after over two decades with a jury finding her killer guilty.
On Friday in the NSW Supreme Court, jurors found Craig Henry Rumsby guilty of Michelle’s murder in February 1999 and choking an 18-year-old woman with intent to rape her in January 1998.
Both crimes were committed in the central NSW town of Gulgong.
Bright’s body was found hidden in long grass by the side of Barneys Reef Road.
The 17-year-old’s blouse had been pushed up, the clasps of her bra ripped off, and her jeans and underwear were around her ankles.
An autopsy of her body, which had grazes on the abdomen, thighs and knuckles, could not confirm the cause of death with a report saying Bright was killed by “homicidal violence of an undetermined aetiology”.
Rumsby also choked another female victim who was then 18 years old with the intent of sexually assaulting her after she left a New Year’s Eve party.
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He denied both charges despite making a confession to NSW Police to both crimes before his arrest.
His legal team claimed that was tricked into making the confession. However, the jury didn’t buy these submissions.
Police had interviewed Rumsby regarding both the murder and attempted rape since 1999 but only made their arrest after the unsolved homicide team reopened the cold case in 2019.
In August 2020, police publicly announced a $1 million reward for anyone who had information about the murder.
Rumsby will be sentenced at a later date.
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