A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder following the discovery of human remains during a search for a missing teenage girl in regional Victoria. The boy was charged with one count of murder by detectives from Victoria’s missing persons squad on Saturday evening.
Body found in bushland
Police found the body of Layla Jeffery, 13, in Donald, a small town in the state’s rural west, late on Thursday afternoon after she went missing last weekend. A large-scale search was conducted in bushland west of Byrne Street after the teen was reported missing on 5 July. The high school student was last seen on McCracken Street in Donald the previous day but had not been heard from since.
Arrest and charges
Local police, along with specialist officers from the dog squad, air wing and search and rescue squad, were involved in the search. Det Insp Dave Dunstan of the missing persons squad said officers searched a home in Donald shortly after 11am on Friday. “At this location, we’ve arrested a 16-year-old youth,” he told reporters. “We also have a 53-year-old Donald woman and a 55-year-old woman from Melbourne assisting us with our inquiries.” Dunstan said the teenage boy was known to both Layla and the police.
Court appearance
A police spokeswoman said on Saturday the youth was expected to appear late afternoon before a children’s court for a remand hearing. Residents in the small town of about 1,500 people came together following the devastating news of Layla’s body being found. Donald resident Peta Edmunds said the community was in grief. “Our hearts are broken, and our entire community is grieving the heartbreaking loss of beautiful Layla,” she posted to Facebook.
