Murder suspect posted about teenage girl’s death day before his arrest
The man accused of killing a teenage girl in the central coast of NSW more than 21 years ago left a comment on a post about her death just a day before his arrest.
Craig Henry Brumsby, who now lives in Sydney, was arrested on Tuesday evening for the murder of teenager Michelle Bright.
Police say he was so shocked by the arrest that he needed medical care for heart palpitations.
“He was actually taken back to the police station and had heart palpitations and had to get medically treated for a couple of hours,” Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said.
Michelle was just 17 when she was last seen alive on February 27, 1999, when a friend dropped her off on Herbert Street in Gulgong after a birthday party.
Three days later, her deceased body was found in long grass on the side of Barneys Reef Road.
Rumsby was arrested for Bright’s murder a day after a reward put out for information to solve Bright’s murder was doubled to a whopping $1 million.
He posted on the NSW Police Facebook page on Monday: “It’s so sad they haven’t caught her killer... Michelle was like a sister to me.”
“I feel sorry for the family.”
The 53-year-old appeared in Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday and did not apply for bail.
He will return to court next Wednesday.
Det Supt Doherty says Rumsby had been a person of interest for several years and responses to the plea reaffirmed existing evidence against him.
Police are yet to finalise the investigation; however, it is unlikely the reward will be paid.
Michelle’s mother Loraine chose not to speak to the media on Wednesday, explaining on Monday she’s endured 21 years of “indescribable pain”.
Det Supt Doherty said the charges against Rumsby had also shocked Loraine Bright.