Mark Stephen Murphy has been found guilty of murdering Gregory James Thurlow after 25 years since the murder. Learn more about the case.
Gregory James Thurlow went missing in Queensland more than 25 years ago, and the man accused of his murder has admitted to the crime in court.
On Tuesday, Mark Stephen Murphy of Burpengary East appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for a committal hearing. He was apprehended in September 2020 at the age of 59.
Who Is Mark Stephen Murphy? Age & Wiki Explored
Mark Stephen Murphy, 59, was charged with Mr. Thurlow’s cold case murder after he was last seen in October 1996.
More than two decades ago, the guy from Burpengary East was interviewed as part of the original inquiry.
At the time, police stated that they felt Mr. Murphy was the principal person of interest in the investigation but were also looking into other possibilities.
Mr. Murphy’s arrest occurred after a reassessment of the case began in March, prompting additional witnesses to come forward in response to an information request.
Murphy will be sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court later, which has yet to be determined.
Mark Stephen Murphy, the man accused of murdering missing man Gregory Thurlow in 1996, has pleaded guilty and been committed for sentencing in the Supreme Court. @7NewsBrisbane https://t.co/2Sn6txnZyY
— Rosanna Kingsun (@rosannakingsun) December 14, 2021
Was Gregory James Thurlow Murderer Arrested?
Mark Stephen Murphy is suspected of killing Gregory James Thurlow, an unemployed construction worker, in North Brisbane in October 1996.
During the brief committal proceedings on Tuesday, Prosecutor Rhys Dunmall presented 48 statements and an exhibit list before Brisbane magistrate Peter Saggers.
In response, Murphy’s legal aid counsel, Thomas Schafer, agreed that there was sufficient evidence to send the matter to the Supreme Court.
Murphy stated guilty when Mr. Saggers asked if he wished to respond to the accusation.
According to the court, the admission was made in compliance with Murphy’s instructions to Mr. Schafer.
Mr. Thurlow was last witnessed leaving a Bray Park house late on October 1 in a green 1980 VC Holden Commodore vehicle, according to police.
Police investigating the 1996 disappearance and suspected murder of Gregory James Thurlow are searching 2 hectares of bushland off Anzac Avenue in Mango Hill. @7NewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/0Z45RbUD6h
— Rosanna Kingsun (@rosannakingsun) September 10, 2020
Where Is He Now? Mark Stephen Murphy Jail Sentence
Murphy will be sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court later, which has yet to be determined.
More than 25 years after Gregory James Thurlow went missing in Queensland, the man accused of the murder has admitted to the crime in court.
He is accused of killing Mr. Thurlow on or around October 1, 1996, at Scarborough, a seaside neighborhood on the Redcliffe peninsula north of Brisbane.
Mr. Thurlow was 27 years old when he vanished in early October 1996. On October 1, he left his mother’s Manly West house and informed relatives he was going to Redcliffe.
That evening, he traveled to a property on Longland Street in Scarborough before going to a friend’s house on Mitze Street in Bray Park.
He was last seen alive during the night of October 1 and the early hours of October 2, leaving the Bray Park residence with a male companion.