David’s father, also named David gave permission to reveal his son’s name, has told of his anguish over his death on what was the 17-year-old’s birthday
UPDATE
A teenager today appeared before Goulburn Local Court today to face a charge of being an accessory after the fact.
Facts submitted to the court today alleged the four teens drove to the forest on Saturday afternoon with the intention of drinking and smoking cannabis.
The facts claim one of the teens chased and murdered Mr by hitting him to the back of the head with an axe.
Police earlier told the owner of a home that was searched that they were looking for an axe, possibly double-sided.
Police divers are still searching a small dam at Tahmoor in the southern highlands, for a possible murder weapon.
Charged … The man arrested over the Belanglo Forest murder being led away by police.
Donna Auchterlonie (R), the step-mother of David Auchterlonie, being comforted at Bowral Police Station.
David Auchterlonie …. murder victim found in the Belanglo State Forest
THE father of a teen allegedly murdered in Belanglo State Forest by a relative of serial killer Ivan Milat wished his son happy birthday hours before his body was found in a shallow grave.
David’s father, also named David gave permission to reveal his son’s name, has told of his anguish over his death on what was the 17-year-old’s birthday
“I said to him, ‘Have a good night, be good and be safe’,” Mr Auchterlonie said.
“It was his birthday, this happened on his birthday,” he said, shaking his head.
His stepmother Donna Auchterlonie said she spoke to David about 4pm and he seemed in good spirits.
“He said he was fine, he was having a good day, and he would talk to me later,” she said.
The couple said they had no idea what may have motivated someone to allegedly murder their son.
“I just don’t get it,” Mr Auchterlonie said.
“I am in two minds about what I think.
“Why would you go into the bush at 8pm at night?”
Mr Auchterlonie said his son had known the accused killer for many years.
Shaking his head and wiping away tears, Mr Auchterlonie said he wanted answers he knows he may never get.
“I can’t explain this, I don’t know what this is about. None of it makes sense,” he said.
The teenager had left school in Year 10 and was not working at the time of his death.
“He’d been to TAFE and tried a few things … he was working out his place in life,” Mr Auchterlonie said.
The family said David wanted to get the most out of life.
“We took him to the snow last year and he wanted to go up the highest mountain, that was him,” Mr Auchterlonie said.
A relative of the accused was stunned to hear the man had been charged with a murder in the same forest where Milat had killed seven backpackers.
“He’s a blood relative of Ivan but has had no contact with Ivan in jail and was brought up as a normal human being. And as far as I know, he had never been to the forest,” she said.
Yesterday Milat’s teenage relative was charged with murder. Two other men, aged 18, were charged with being accessories to murder after the fact.
Police found the body of teen David Auchterlonie in a shallow grave in Belanglo State Forest on Sunday night after a tip-off.
Police believe he died some time between 9.45pm on Saturday and 6am on Sunday.
Police will allege the group went into the forest some time after 6pm and allegedly consumed alcohol. Some time later, there was a fight and David was allegedly fatally attacked.
Empty beer bottles and marijuana were allegedly found at the scene.
The first anyone in the Milat family knew of a death in the forest was when police turned up at a property yesterday morning with a search warrant.
“They said they were searching for some sort of axe, possibly double-sided,” the Milat family member said.
“We were given very few other details, very few. I have no idea if Ivan has been told.”
The woman, a close relative of Ivan Milat’s, said no one could understand how the accused could be involved in anything like murder.
The relative was arrested and charged at 7.30am yesterday morning. During a brief appearance police made an application to carry out forensic procedures such as swabs of both hands, nail clippings, and photographs of scratches allegedly on the accused’s body.
Dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt he sat silently during the hearing and did not apply for bail, which was formally refused.
He was remanded to appear in the same court via video link on Thursday.
Chief Inspector Pamela Young of the Homicide Squad believes the actions of those arrested “led to the violent death of a boy in his late teens”. The teenager had died from head injuries.
“It would appear that they, certainly, are friends. We don’t have a reason [for the alleged murder] at this stage,” Insp Young said.
The man who tipped police off to the alleged murder, and is among those charged, was last night in protective custody.
His lawyer asked the magistrate to place his client in protection and suppress his name from the media: “My client went to police and is concerned about ramifications.”
Police are searching a dam near the forest for the alleged murder weapon.
Insp Young ruled out any link to the remains of a woman found in Belanglo in August.
She said police were shocked to find another body in the forest.
“We have all shaken our head about just the series of happenings down that way,” she said. “[The forest] has some isolation. I suppose it has some attraction to people.”
Ivan Milat is serving seven life sentences for the murder of five European and two Australian backpackers.
