The Murder of Caroline Stuttle

For this case, I watched an episode of Death on the Beach. It’s season 1 episode 4, titled ‘Australia Murder on the Bridge.’

A 19-year-old British backpacker is killed in Australia.

Background

Caroline Ann Stuttle was a 19-year-old woman from York, England. Caroline had dreams of being a forensic psychologist someday, and to travel. Her first choice was to go to New York, but after speaking to her family, she decided that Australia would be safer.

Caroline had saved up her money to go to Australia with her friend, Sarah, who she became close with in college. They landed in Australia in January 2002.

The Trip of a Lifetime

Caroline spoke with her family as much as she could. She told them that she was having the time of her life. Caroline’s mom, Marjorie, said Caroline really enjoyed the people, and the sunshine.

Caroline had been to Brisbane, Sydney, Byron Bay, and Surfers Paradise. But, by April 2002, Caroline and Sarah were running low on money. They took a detour to Bundaberg, Australia, to pick tomatoes for extra cash. It was common for backpackers to arrive in Bundaberg to pick fruits and vegetables to earn money.

On April 10, 2002, around 8:30pm, Caroline told Sarah that she was going to make the short walk to a phone box to call her boyfriend. The phone box was located in Bundaberg’s town center, which was only about a 7-8 minute walk from where they were staying.

By 10pm, Sarah was worried. She and another friend went out to look for Caroline. They couldn’t find her, so they contacted the Bundaberg police.

The Discovery

It wasn’t long until after the police began their search that they found Caroline. Caroline had been found lying on the ground under the Burnett Bridge. She had sustained severe injuries to her skull and spine.

*Burnett Bridge in Bundaberg, Australia*

In the early morning hours of April 11, Caroline’s family was notified about her death. Her brother, Richard, immediately began searching the internet for any information. With the time difference, the Australian media was already posting articles with headlines like, ‘British backpacker thrown from bridge.’ Richard realized that his sister had been murdered.

The Bundaberg police searched the area over the next 48 hours. There wasn’t any physical evidence found at the scene. The police picked up cigarette butts, in hopes that there was some DNA left on them. There were also cadaver dogs brought in, but nothing was found.

Several witnesses came forward that they had heard a woman screaming. They said they weren’t able to see anything because it was pitch black outside.

It was reported that Caroline had a handbag and cell phone with her, but those items weren’t found at the scene. The police started to believe that Caroline might’ve been robbed.

A Jailhouse Confession

By July 2002, the police didn’t have any leads. The Stuttle family went to Australia to make an appeal to the media, and speak to anyone they could to keep Caroline’s case out there.

Several suspects emerged, but the police discovered that these people just wanted money or drugs as a reward. The Bundaberg police, and a family liaison officer from the U.K., named Richard Crinnion, also tried to create a reconstruction. But, this didn’t lead to anything either.

During the reconstruction, the manufacturer of Caroline’s handbag had made another bag like the one Caroline had with her. Caroline’s actual handbag was eventually found by a farmer in his field. The farm was just a few kilometers from where Caroline had been killed. No one was sure how long Caroline’s bag had been in the field. There were no DNA or fingerprints found on it.

A call came into the police station from a jail in Rockhampton, Queensland. Two inmates came forward to say that an inmate named Ian Previte, had confessed to killing Caroline.

A listening device was put into Ian’s cell. A few weeks later, Ian began to talk. He said he was addicted to drugs, and saw Caroline walking alone on the bridge. He tried to rob her for money, but she fought back. Ian said Caroline fell off the bridge during the struggle. The police knew this wasn't true. Caroline had severe injuries, and the height of the bridge was a factor. Caroline would’ve been thrown over to land in the grassy area where she was found.

Ian was arrested and charged with murder.

The Conviction

On September 27, 2004, Ian’s trial began. Caroline’s brother and father attended the trial.

Ian pled not guilty. But, much to the defense’s surprise, the prosecution found a new piece of evidence. A note had been written on the bench near a hostel where Ian had once stayed. The note said, ‘I threw the girl off the bridge. I’m sorry.’ A handwriting expert said that Ian was most likely the one that wrote it.

The jury deliberated, and found Ian guilty. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison with no chance of early parole.

Ian was released from prison in May 2020.

Other

Caroline’s family created the Caroline Rainbow Foundation. It’s a charity that works to raise awareness of the importance of safer travel.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Caroline was only 19-years-old, and already knew what she wanted to do with her life. Her life was taken because a man who was dependent on drugs thought that she would have just handed over her money to him. Caroline attempted to fight back and get away, but Ian had one mission: to get drugs. I believe that if Ian was tried in the U.K. or U.S., than he would’ve gotten a much harsher sentence. It’s unfortunate that he’s out there somewhere walking around when Caroline isn’t.

Sources

https://carolinesrainbowfoundation.org

https://www.the-sun.com/news/4569702/bro-brit-backpacker-confront-her-freed-killer/

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-52592959

https://www.bundabergnow.com/2020/05/08/caroline-stuttle-remembered-as-killer-walks-free/

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/oct/16/australia.world

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Backpack+murder+accused+made+THREE+%27confessions%27.-a0122563783