Amigo’s Castle owner Vittorio Stefanato charged with Christine Neilan’s murder

The owner of a tourist attraction in outback NSW has been charged with the murder of Christine Neilan.

A man who built a well known tourist attraction in a small outback NSW town has been charged with the murder of a woman more than 18 months on.

Vittorio Stefanato, 73, was led out of the grounds of Amigo’s Castle — the popular Lightning Ridge tourist attraction he built in the 1970s — by Homicide Squad detectives on Monday morning and charged with the murder of Christine Neilan, 39, last January.

Ms Neilan’s body was found in bushland near Sunflash Street and Black Prince Dr — next to Amigo’s Castle — about 8am on January 9, 2020.

The body of Christine Neilan, 39, was found in bushland near Lightning Ridge last January. Picture: NSW Police

Vittorio Stefanato at the Amigos Castle in Lightning Ridge.

In the five decades before it became a crime scene on Monday morning, Stefanato had turned it into one of the town’s most popular tourist attractions and even featured in a number of articles and television shows.

But NSW Police Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty revealed it will be alleged in court that it was the local icon Stefanato who fatally shot Ms Neilan in the head.

Detectives leave Stefanato away after his arrest on Monday. Picture: NSW Police

Police search a waterway near where Ms Neilan’s body was found. Picture: NSW Police

Amigo’s Castle in Lightning Ridge.

“A post mortem examination revealed Christine had died as a result of head injuries and I can now reveal that those head injuries were caused by a gunshot wound,” Det Supt Doherty said.

Det Supt Doherty said Strike Force Bullarook officers had spent the week carrying out searches around the Lightning Ridge area in the lead up to Stefanato’s arrest, during which time they seized a firearm.

He said that being part of a “small” regional town, Ms Neilan and Stefanato would have known each other, but remained tight-lipped about any alleged motive.

“During the three-day crime scene warrant search a firearm was located and that will be balistically examined,” Det Supt Doherty said.

“Lightning Ridge is again a reasonably small township, everyone knows each other, but there’s no direct relationship.

“What I can say is it’s a strong brief of evidence and police will allege this man shot Christine.”

Police continued to search properties and surrounds in Lightning Ridge on Tuesday as Stefanato fronted Walgett Local Court where he was refused bail.

He is due to reappear before the same court next Monday, October 25.