The courtroom was tense as the crown prosecutor requested Justice Rebecca Wilson to formally charge Weaver with murder.
In a firm voice, Weaver entered a plea of “guilty” to the charge of murdering David Charles Thornton. This crime occurred between January 24 and March 10, 2019, in the Ipswich suburb of Goodna, a location west of Brisbane.
When given the opportunity to speak further, Weaver chose to remain silent before Justice Wilson.
The victim, Thornton, was a former mathematics and science teacher. He was last spotted near his residence in Goodna on February 22 and was subsequently reported missing by his family on March 12, 2019.
In their search for Thornton, police began investigating his property over a weekend at the end of March. Their efforts culminated in a grim discovery on April 1, 2019, when they unearthed a freezer containing human remains identified as Thornton’s.
On April 1, 2019 they excavated the freezer that contained human remains belonging to Thornton.
Weaver was extradited to Queensland from NSW on April 3, 2019 following his arrest on the previous day at a Pacific Highway rest stop at Tyagarah, just north of Byron Bay.
He was due to face the start of a Supreme Court trial on July 27 this year.
Wilson today ordered Weaver continue to be remanded in custody and scheduled a review on April 8 to confirm a date for sentencing.
Weaver’s barrister said she would seek a subpoena for her client’s medical records to assist with sentencing.
