Crime Stockton, NSW
With its beautiful windswept beaches and the rusting hulks of derelict ships rising above the water, Stockton has a stark beauty about it, but there are deep, dark secrets hidden beneath the surface.
It came to national prominence when police were forced to beg residents to speak up after the battered and raped body of 14-year-old schoolgirl Leigh Leigh was found in the long grass of the town’s beach in 1989.
And police must be feeling a sense of deja vu as they once again appeal to the residents of this town on the wrong side
of the Hunter River from the city of Newcastle to help solve a new murder mystery.
POLICE APPEAL
“Stand up, it’s time to stand up for Steven,” urges Detective Sergeant Jeff Little, who is in charge of Strike Force Kummari, which is tasked with finding out what happened to missing man Steven Fenwick.
“The pain of losing a son is life-changing. For those who know what happened to Steven, and where he is, know this: the burden of knowledge changes your life. Cowards hide behind silence while strong people stand up for others.”
Although only a kilometre from Newcastle across the water, Stockton is 18km by road, and some of its 4000 residents have long had an isolated, siege-like, antiestablishment mentality.
It’s 30 years since the infamous murder of innocent schoolgirl Leigh Leigh, but once again the secrets of Stockton have been driven to the surface as police searchh for answers about Steven’s fate. te.
‘Cowards hide behind silence... strong people stand up’
MURDER CASE
Steven, 33, was reportedly y last seen at a sporting fieldd at Stockton by his girlfriend inn the early hours of January 31, and police now suspect the known o own drug user was murdered.
He was not reported missing s ssing until later on February 1. Somes of his belongings, includingn g his phone, were found near the h he southern end of Stockton Beach, prompting authorities ties to think Steven had ggone for or an early morning swim.
But a missing person search quickly turned into a murder investigation, with Strike Force Kummari detectives now certain Steven has met with foul play – and once again they are being hindered by a veil of secrecy within the Stockton community.
Adding to the mystery are some “interesting” social media posts immediately after his disappearance, and the discovery of a bike not far from where he was last seen.
Stevensteven’ss mother Debbie Fenwick released an emotional plea to the Stockton community, pleading for help. “Steven has always been the type of person who w would go out of his way to help h his friends, family and even strangers s in need,” she says.
“Even growing up, when his friends needed help, he would aalways ask us, his family, if they could stay until they got back on their feet. Our family and Steven’s closest friends miss him dearly.
“Please help us fifind find him, help us fifind find answers.’’