Murder at Anna Bay

Judith Brown, a mother of three, was murdered in her Anna Bay home, just north of Newcastle, on 2 June 2000. Detective Sergeant Peter Fox from Maitland Police Station led the murder investigation. Early suspicions indicated Judith Brown might have fallen victim to a botched break-in. With no eyewitnesses and the forensic evidence not pointing to a single suspect, investigators were left with little to go on. Within weeks of the murder, Peter Fox's team was reduced to one, with the support of Crime Scene Examiner, Detective Senior Constable Peter Muscio. Against advice to take what he had to a Coronial Inquiry and with a growing workload, Peter Fox continued his investigations into Judith's Brown s murder. A suspect emerged, though there was insufficient evidence to make an arrest. Driven to see justice done, he continued to gather evidence, spending part of every day following up leads. After 18 months Peter finally put together a compiling, though circumstantial case against his suspect. It was a risk. Some of Peter's colleagues still didn't believe the evidence would stand the scrutiny of a trial. three years after Judith Brown's murder, Peter Fox's suspect faced trial in the Newcastle Supreme Court. the jury would hear not all of Peter's evidence, most importantly, what Peter believed to be the motive for the murder. Peter, himself, would be accused of being obsessive, while every piece of physical evidence was attacked for supporting only what Peter Fox wanted it to. In the end, the murder of Judith Brown was solved, not by a confession or showing motive, but by passionate police work in presenting one of the most fascinating and complicated circumstantial cases to be placed before a NSW Supreme Court.