Footage released of David Russell shows his reaction hours after murdering Oliver Todd

Only hours after beating a man to death in a Murray Bridge home and dumping him in a paddock 20km away, a murderer is confronted by police. Watch his reaction.

Only hours after beating a man to death in a Murray Bridge drug house, wrapping him in a blanket and securing it around his head with a ratchet strap, David “Crazy Dave” Russell was confronted by police.

Major crime detectives and Murray Bridge police were looking for Oliver Todd, 47, known as Ollie, who had disappeared from his home over night on December 11, 2019.

Mr Todd’s housemate had returned in the early hours of the morning to find furniture strewn around the house and blood stains starting at the back of the house and moving out the back door.

Police begun searching for Mr Todd, starting with Russell who had been at the house earlier that evening.

Officers attended Russell’s home and asked him whether he had seen Mr Todd.

Russell replied that he had seen him the night before and feigned shock at the disappearance of his friend.

He said Mr Todd and his housemate had been arguing over some “dope” the night before but they had been talking again by the time he left the house.

Mr Todd’s body was found 20km away in a paddock in Jervois.

Screen grab of David Russell from police body camera only hours after he beat Oliver Todd to death. Picture: SA Supreme Court.

Russell was arrested on a warrant for failing to attend court on unrelated charges and was later charged with murdering Mr Todd.

On February 28, 2022 he pleaded guilty to murder.

Ned Terry Hutchinson, 32, and Terrence Bradley Wilson were also charged with murder with prosecutors alleging they helped beat Mr Todd to death.

While Mr Hutchinson and Mr Wilson pleaded not guilty and are standing trial in the Supreme Court before Justice Kevin Nicholson, presiding over the proceedings in the absence of a jury, Russell pleaded guilty to murder.

During the trial for Mr Hutchinson and Mr Wilson, the court heard that all the men were heavy drug users.

Kos Lesses, prosecuting, said in his opening that Mr Todd had suffered at least 11 blows to the head which, along with ligature marks to his neck, were listed as the cause of death.

Giving evidence in his own defence Mr Hutchinson said he was at the house when Mr Todd was murdered by Russell.

Mr Hutchinson told the court he had been helping Russell – who he called “Crazy Dave” – move belongings to Mr Todd’s home when he went inside to find the men “having a bit of a fight” and intervened.

“Dave came running back in, he sort of grabbed me, threw me out of the way sort of … and then Dave, he struck Ollie with what appeared to be a small axe,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“He took a big swing. I just remember seeing the shiny head of the axe and a wooden handle.

“Ollie yelled out like ‘No Dave’ (but) before he could finish the word ‘Dave’, Dave had hit him, I believe, in the top of the head somewhere with an axe.”

The trial continues with sentencing submissions for Russell expected once a verdict has been rendered.