Neighbour Charged With Murder in Gurranang Double Death Case
A 32-year-old neighbour has been charged with murder after a father and son were found dead two weeks apart on the same property at Gurranang in northern New South Wales.
Police allege Nicholas Scott, from Gurranang, was responsible for both deaths. He faces two counts of murder, meaning two separate murder charges, and one count of stealing a motor vehicle The Guardian.
Gurranang is about 25km north of Grafton. The first body, a 79-year-old man, was found inside a home on the property. Two weeks later, on Monday afternoon, police found the body of a 59-year-old man in a shed on the same property. The men were related, described as father and son Daily Mail.
The 59-year-old had travelled to New South Wales to help police with the investigation into the older man's death and to sort out the estate, the legal steps for handling property after a death. Police believe he died 24 to 48 hours before his body was found. Investigators say both men appeared to have similar injuries.
Scott was arrested at Grafton Base Hospital at about midday on Tuesday and taken to Grafton Police Station ABC News. One account put the time at about 12.20pm.
He appeared in court on Wednesday morning and did not apply for bail, a formal request for release before trial. He will stay in custody until his return to court in December.
Strike Force Faneel, the police team created to examine the deaths, continues its work. NSW Police have issued updates on the death inquiries, the creation of the strike force, and the later murder charges.
The broader context here is timing. The second death happened while the first death was already an active police case, and the second victim was there to help with that inquiry and the estate. That shortens the timeline for investigators and puts focus on forensic comparison, movements around the property between the finds, and the separate vehicle allegation.
Looking at what this means for the court case, the December mention will show how much the brief, the police evidence file for prosecutors, has grown. Similarity of injuries, time-of-death estimates and alleged links between the accused, the victims and the property will be central. For now the charges are allegations. Staying in custody without a bail bid protects the investigation while the strike force continues.
