Yes that's a possibility that he knew this lady before. But with all the dating at restaurants and so on, it sounded like a new relationship to me with a woman he hardly knew and who lived in another state (possibly Bundaberg, Queensland as it is eight hours away from Lawrence or the Central Coast NSW for that matter) so she might not have been aware of his wife's disappearance nor that he had just come out of prison. He probably decided to enjoy himself while he could and be able to hide away. Surely, she will get fed up soon, he will cut his hair and shave his beard off and try to do a runner with the police and media after him.
I can see two possible motives.
One is power, jealousy and control in that "If I can't have you, nobody else will". I wonder if she considered him stalking her by his visits every two days. I would hate that. If he had the keys, she would not have known when he would turn up. Sharon had dated this man for 15 months so obviously the resentment and anger had built up. I doubt that JE had only just discovered this relationship. However, at one stage, the media reported that Sharon's boyfriend came from Sydney and had been cleared. So maybe Sharon used to visit him there pretending to stay with girlfriends and this was the first time he had come to visit her. If I read between the lines, it appeared that Sharon's boyfriend was going to stay at her house the night and then had to stay with another friend because JE's car was there. That is possibly why he did not have a car himself and was in Sharon's car.
The other is money and greed. With Sharon gone (and if he got away with it), he would have both houses, two cars (and so on) so he would be a better prospect for a new girlfriend and have a more prosperous retirement. As they were only separated, my guess is that she had not yet changed her will, so John would have been the beneficiary. Maybe a property settlement and divorce were looming and he decided that he wanted Sharon's new house and/or he could let it out for income as he was retired. I seem to remember that they actually bought that house rather her just renting it. He soon painted it after she "disappeared" so that was probably part of his plan.
Also I think they must have had an altercation when Sharon arrived home and she told him it was the end and /or he told Sharon to end her relationship with this man and she refused. Sharon tried to escape to go back to where the boyfriend was staying and JE restrained her or threatened her with one of his guns. At some stage, I predict that JE either suffocated or strangled her whether it was in Lawrence or Grafton. Had Sharon changed into her night clothes having put the clothes she was wearing that night into the washing machine? Otherwise did she change into something with pockets such as a tracksuit into which she put her mobile phone?
So either Sharon was already dead when she left Grafton and went to Lawrence, or she left Grafton alive being threatened with a gun. In either scenario, she either had her mobile phone in her pocket or he took it. His car was in the garage so did he use her car to drive from Grafton to Lawrence? Then he drove it back next day?
I am wondering what forensic evidence they have found? JE had Sunday and Monday to clean up. IIRC he did not report it until the Tuesday.
These are just my ruminations for the day trying to put it all together. I welcome your comments.
