THE family of Johann Morgan have made an emotional plea to find her body after her boyfriend was found guilty of her murder.
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Troy Jason Ruttley was convicted of murder in the NSW Supreme Court in Tamworth on Monday after less than two days of deliberations by the jury.
Ms Morgan’s body has never been found.
Ruttley showed no emotion as the foreman read out the jury’s unanimous verdict, finding beyond reasonable doubt that Ruttley had killed his girlfriend in Tamworth, almost two years ago.
The family of Ms Morgan – including her children and sisters – burst into tears after the verdict was read out in court.
Following the verdict, sister Vivienne Morgan said the result had lifted a great weight “from their hearts”, but she said closure was still some way away.
“All I want is for him to give her up and give her back,” she said in an emotional interview.
“I just want to take her home.
“Her kids have been suffering for that long.”
Several members of the Morgan family were called to give evidence in the trial which spanned more than seven days.
“We've just being sticking it out, sticking together keeping close together, hoping to just get all this through and get her back,” Vivienne said.
“Johann was a good mother, a good grandmother, a lovable sister, never done any harm to anybody.”
The family said the trial had been hard and “terrifying” for everyone who had to give evidence, with the Crown calling more than 40 witnesses.
“I just want my mother home,” Johann’s eldest daughter, Tamika said, fighting back tears.
The Crown maintained Ruttley killed Ms Morgan inside her Cole Rd home on or about August 9, 2015, then dragged her body outside of the house into his Mitsubishi Magna stationwagon and then disposed of it.
He burnt the car the following day at an old quarry off the Oxley Highway, about 17km outside of Tamworth.
GUILTY VERDICT
TROY Jason Ruttley has been found guilty of murdering Johann Morgan in Tamworth almost two years ago.
The jury delivered their verdict on Monday morning in the NSW Supreme Court, following more than a day of deliberations.
Ruttley showed no emotion as the verdict was read out in front of several of Ms Morgan’s family.
More to come.