Convicted rapist Francis John Wark found guilty of killing teenager Hayley Dodd following retrial

A convicted rapist, who had a history of picking up women and violently sexually assaulting them, has been found guilty of killing a teen.

Hayley Dodd was just 17 years old when she disappeared.

A convicted rapist has been acquitted of murdering a missing teenager more than two decades ago, and has instead been found guilty of manslaughter.

Francis John Wark, 65, faced a retrial in the West Australian Supreme Court, charged with murdering Hayley Dodd, 17, who vanished in July 1999 while walking along a regional road near Badgingarra, northeast of Perth.

An ankh earring that prosecutors said belonged to Hayley — which was allegedly found in the seat cover of Wark’s ute during a cold case review in 2013 — was a key piece of evidence.

Hayley Dodd vanished in July 1999.

Hayley, who was just 152cm tall and weighed about 40kg, was embarking on what she hoped would be a working trip around Australia with a friend at the time of her disappearance.

Director of Public Prosecutions Amanda Forrester said Hayley was travelling to a property to surprise some people she had stayed with before, but she never arrived.

“She had the misfortune to be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Ms Forrester said in her opening address last month.

Wark provided police with details about his movements that day, and items were seized from his vehicle but were securely stored rather than thoroughly examined.

Francis Wark faced a retrial in the West Australian Supreme Court. Picture: Twitter/Channel 9

Hayley’s disappearance remained a mystery until a cold case review in 2013, including the discovery of the earring in the car seat cover, although there was no DNA on it.

It was also “highly likely” the DNA on some hair that was found could have come from Hayley, Ms Forrester said.

But defence counsel Darryl Ryan told the jury that Wark had no time to commit the crime and never saw Hayley.

“He had nothing to do with Hayley Dodd at all,” Mr Ryan said in his opening address.

Ms Forrester argued Wark had a “tendency to pick up women and violently sexually assault them”, noting he had been convicted after admitting he attacked a woman he gave a lift to in Queensland in June 2007.

That woman was repeatedly raped and beaten for hours until she ran to a neighbour and police were called, the court heard.

Hayley’s mother, Margaret Dodd, leaving the first trial. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

Hayley’s mother Margaret Dodd and detectives were in court for the verdict on Wednesday following the six-week retrial.

The jury deliberated for less than two days before reaching their decision.

There were gasps and tears in court as the verdict was handed down.

Wark was remanded in custody to face a sentencing hearing on April 13.

Outside court, Ms Dodd said there would be no closure until her daughter’s body was found.

“Ideally, we would have wanted murder but we got manslaughter, so at least he’s not going to get out for a while,” she told reporters.

“I just hope that now he tells us where Hayley is.”