New South Wales Police have charged step-father Justin Stein with the death of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten. 

Charlise was found dead inside a barrel near the Colo River in the Blue Mountains following a family holiday in January 2022. Charlise lived in Queensland with her grandparents but had travelled to NSW to spend her school holidays with her mother and her partner Mr Stein. 

Mr Stein was tracked by Police through CCTV from a dock in Sydney to the Colo River where Charlise’s remains were found inside a barrel. Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson stated that Mr Stein’s movements included

“to fuel a boat and then to try and float that on one of the docks on Sydney Harbour … then tracking that individual back to the location [where the body was found]” 

Mr Stein’s lawyer has indicated that Mr Stein plans to plead not guilty to the charge as Police continue to search for the murder weapon. It is believed that Charlise was shot with a small-calibre firearm.

Recently Police attended Silverwater Correction Centre to charge Mr Stein with additional charges of possessing an unauthorised and unregistered firearm, possession of ammunition without a licence and break and enter (in company). Mr Stein was also charged with possession child abuse material linked to other, unrelated matters. 

Mr Stein did not attend the Penrith Court on Friday, 20 May 2022 when the Prosecutor indicated that approximately 120 items of significance had also been seized including from his electronic devices. Mr Stein has been remanded in custody pending his next date in the Penrith Local Court on 15 July 2022. 

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