A jury in the murder trial of Raymond Reddington, 79, finds him guilty of killing wife Sharon Fulton 40 years ago, despite a body not being found.
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Raymond Reddington found guilty of murdering wife Sharon Fulton 40 years ago
An elderly man believed to be in the final months of his life has been found guilty of murdering his wife 40 years ago, despite her body never being found.
After a trial spanning more than three weeks, a Supreme Court jury has found Raymond Reddington, 79, killed Sharon Fulton, who was last seen alive in Perth in 1986.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
Emotional plea
Speaking outside court, the couple's son Deryck Fulton made a plea to his father.
"My brothers, sister and I have had to deal with this tragic event each in our own ways for the past 40 years," he said.
Today's verdict closes a chapter in our lives.
The last chapter is finding mum's body, so that way we can bring her home and give her the respectful burial she deserves.
I plead to my father, our father, to finally let us know where she is.
Heath Fulton, who was three when his mother disappeared, wanted to acknowledge the years of work by cold case teams.
He also wanted to thank his grandmother and his mother's stepmother.
If they had not begun asking questions in the days following mum's disappearance, if they had not refused to be silenced, she may never ever [have] been formally reported missing, he said.
They were dismissed, they were minimised, but they were right.
Heath Fulton described what life was like with his father.
Silence worked in his favour. Silence protected him. Silence isolated us. Silence erased her, he said.
We were taught not to ask questions, not to speak her name.
Not to challenge the story we were given.
Mum, you are not forgotten, you are not erased.
You are not just a case file.
You are our mother.
And I promise you and my siblings that I will not stop searching for you."\
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