Man to be charged with 2011 murder

SA Police have today arrested a 45-year-old man and expect to charge him with the murder of Stephen Hugh Newton in 2011.

Mr Newton’s decomposing body was found inside his home on Davison St, Mount Gambier on Friday November 4, 2011. He died as a result of an assault.

Photograph: Mr Newton

A range of items including a TV, DVDs, a computer game console, and games were taken from the property.

The accused is expected to be charged as a result of a painstaking investigation conducted by Task Force Resolute, part of the SA Police (SAPOL) Major Crime Investigation Branch’s Operation Persist.

Operation Persist is the SAPOL ‘cold case’ campaign which has seen police use a range of strategies to review and investigate long-term, unsolved South Australia murder cases.

Detective Superintendent Des Bray, the officer in charge of Major Crime, said the man was expected to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court Friday morning tomorrow (Friday, 22 November).

“With this matter before the courts, police are limited in any comment we can make at this time,” he said.

“However I would like to reiterate that SA Police never consider unsolved matters such as this ‘closed’ and even though matters may not be in the public eye, we continue looking for fresh lines of inquiry in a bid to bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone with information about any murder inquiry is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au – a single piece of information can make all the difference.

Rewards are available in connection with a number of these cases and will be paid by the Government of South Australia, at the discretion of the Commissioner of Police, to anyone who provides information and assistance that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspected murder.

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