Erina: Adrian Torrens charged with murder of teenager Audrey Griffin

For almost a month – and as late as last weekend – police have repeatedly said the death of popular Central Coast teenager Audrey Griffin was not being treated as suspicious. On Monday, they charged a man with her murder.

The body of Central Coast teenager Audrey Griffin was found in Erina Creek on March 23. A man has now been cjharged with her murder. Picture: supplied

A man has been charged with the murder of popular Central Coast teenager Audrey Griffin, almost a month after her body was found in a creek and following police stating on multiple occasions that they were not treating her death as suspicious.

Adrian Noel Torrens, 53, was arrested in Surry Hills on Monday afternoon, with a police statement now alleging he had “a physical altercation” with Audrey.

He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where he was charged with murder and 11 unrelated domestic violence matters.

He was refused police bail to face Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.

The bombshell arrest comes almost a month after Ms Griffin’s body was located in Erina Creek on March 24, the day after she was last seen by friends at a pub on the coast.

Audrey Griffin’s death rocked the Central Coast, with police reiterating several times that her death was not being treated as suspicious. A man has now been charged with her murder. Picture: LinkedIn

The police statement on Monday said Ms Griffin’s death “was not initially believed to be suspicious”, a line they continued for weeks and reiterated on the weekend, when they released an image of a man they wanted for questioning and maintained foul play was not suspected.

Ms Griffin’s death rocked parts of the Central Coast.

A member of the Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club, Terrigal Sharks Rugby League Club and former vice-captain of Central Coast Sports College, Ms Griffin was known as a fit, talented and highly motivated young woman with the world at her feet.

A floral tribute beside Erina Creek where the body of Audrey Griffin, 19, was discovered on March 23. Picture: NewsLocal

Having graduated high school in 2023, Audrey was juggling training, part-time work at Crown Plaza Terrigal with tertiary studies at the University of Technology Sydney.

Two weeks before her tragic death, she had completed the gruelling ANZCO New Zealand half Ironman in a time of 06:40:32, placing her 194 out of 295 female competitors in the international event.

Hundreds of family and friends celebrated her life at a packed Greenway Chapel on April 11.

Originally published as Erina: Adrian Torrens charged with murder of teenager Audrey Griffin