Police search Riviera Ski Park, where Charlise Mutten was seen before death

It’s believed the mother of Charlise Mutten was staying at a low-budget accommodation site when her daughter was allegedly killed 80kms away.

Police believe the mother of murdered schoolgirl, Charlise Mutten was staying at a caravan park when her nine-year-old daughter was allegedly murdered in the NSW Blue Mountains.

Guests at the Riviera Ski Garden believe they saw the girl with her mother, Kallista Mutten in the days before her death, and claim Ms Mutten’s fiance and Charlise’s stepfather, Justin Stein was also seen at the property, The Daily Telegraph reports.

“The daughter was there for a couple of days, she was playing around with the daughter of a friend of mine,” one witness told the publication.

The caravan park’s owner confirmed to the Telegraph he had spoken to the police, while locals said they saw authorities taping off one of the caravans in the park.

The low-budget accommodation site offers cabins starting from $80 per night. Picture: Google Maps.

Police are believed to have searched the property on the weekend after Charlise was reported missing at 8.20am on Friday, despite the fact she reportedly hadn’t been seen since the afternoon of Thursday, January 13. Stein, 31, was later arrested in the inner-city suburb of Surry Hills at 8.30pm on Tuesday night and charged with murder.

The budget accommodation is located 80km east or around a one hour and 45 minute drive from the location where Charlise was allegedly murdered. The multimillion-dollar Wildenstein wedding venue in Mount Wilson has been linked to the girl’s disappearance where it was previously believed that the family were staying at.

Charlise Mutten with her mum, Kallista Mutten. Picture: Supplied.

Detectives found Charlise’s body on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied.

A large-scale investigation including Police, SES and RFS crews swept the Mount Wilson venue, with police believing Charlise could have been missing in the 15 to 20 hours before they were notified.

Since Charlise’s death, it’s believed Ms Mutten has yet to be formally interviewed by police due to a medical episode which she has been hospitalised for.

On Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said it had been “difficult” to speak with Charlise’s mum in the lead up to Stein’s murder charge.

“It has been difficult to approach and contact her but at some stage hopefully when doctors allow, we will be talking further with her,” he said.

Detectives will allege in court Stein had driven to Sydney with Charlise’s body in the back of his boat, with police believing he had tried to launch it from an inner-Sydney dock, an exclusive report by The Daily Telegraph revealed earlier this week.

Authorities found her body inside a barrel on Tuesday near the Colo River, 76km from Sydney.

While the schoolgirl normally lived with her grandmother in Coolangatta, Queensland, she was spending two weeks with her mother during the school holidays.

Justin Stein has been charged with the murder of Charlise Mutten. Picture: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/justin.stein.908

University of Newcastle criminologist, Dr Xanthe Mallett, said it is “quite unusual” for there to be such a long period of time between the child disappearing and it being reported to police. He also said the first 24 hours after a child disappeared were often critical to the investigation.

“I think what is unusual is that she wasn’t reported missing for a number of hours. That is quite unusual in a child disappearance,” she told Sky News.

“However, we don’t know why that was.”