Charlise Mutten disappearance from Blue Mountains now investigated as possible homicide
Nine-year-old Charlise Mutten was reported missing early on Friday, but now her disappearance is being investigated as a possible homicide
Police & Courts
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The disappearance of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten from a multimillion-dollar celebrity wedding venue in the Blue Mountains is being investigated as a possible homicide.
Charlise, who lives with her grandmother in Coolangatta, was on a two-week holiday with her mother Kallista Mutten and her fiance Justin Stein, 31, when she was reported missing at 8.20am on Friday.
The couple has told police that she had not been seen since some time on Thursday afternoon as the property, Wildenstein at Mt Wilson, has been declared a crime scene and a boat and a red ute seized for forensic examination.
Ms Mutten collapsed and was taken to hospital while Mr Stein drove to Penrith on Friday where she spoke to police. There is no suggestion the couple had anything to do with her disappearance.
The development came as hundreds of local police, Rural Fire Service crews and State Emergency Services volunteers spent the day scouring through the rugged, semirural terrain surrounding the home in search of clues.
A specialist walking party and trail bike team has been tasked with ensuring even the most remote bushland is searched.
Checkpoints have been established by police, with officers checking the identity of anyone who enters or leaves the Mount Wilson area.
As the search continues, police say they are confident the nine-year-old could survive three days in the bush with temperatures remaining mild and light rain providing a water supply.
“While police have grave concerns for her safety, we are thankful the weather has been kind to us, ” Blue Mountains Police Chief Inspector Garry Sims said.
“We do believe the weather would be sufficient for her to survive this time in the bush.”
He said that although the Homicide Squad have been called in to assist, police remain open to several lines of inquiry — including that she may have simply wandered off.
“Whenever a missing person is gone for more than a few hours we alway call in specialist teams,” he said.
“We won’t rule anything in and we don’t rule anything out.”
Police have seized several items for forensic testing including a glove found in the dirt, however, say that none of the items provide any indication of her whereabouts.
“Unfortunately we haven’t been led to anything yet that’s given us a definite indication of her location,” Insp Sims said.
While police say there is nothing to indicate foul play, this also hasn’t been ruled out, with the home from which she vanished declared a crime scene and under police guard.
“There’s nothing to suggest a crime in the true sense of the word but we are conducting forensic investigations at the home to try to find anything that can provide a starting point,” he said.
Justin Stein’s wealthy family, which is based in Perth, has owned the Wildenstein estate for 20 years and it was developed from a private weekend retreat to a stunning wedding venue by Justin’s brother James Stein Jr and James’ husband PR supremo Keegan Buzza.
The Dutch family also owns an antique jewellery business in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building.
“We are very distressed,” a family source said today.
The missing girl is described as being “of caucasian appearance, between 130cm and 140cm tall, of thin build, with brown hair and brown eyes”, NSW police said.
It is believed she was last seen wearing a pink top with a round neck collar, a black knee-length skirt and pink Nike thongs.
Wildenstein was the setting for the 2017 wedding of Jesinta Campbell to Sydney Swans star Lance “Buddy” Franklin.
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