A married couple from regional New South Wales has been found not guilty of murdering Amber Haigh, a teenage mother who disappeared more than two decades ago.
Robert and Anne Geeves, both 64, were acquitted by Justice Julia Lonergan this morning following a lengthy trial in the Supreme Court at Wagga Wagga.
Ms Haigh was a 19-year-old woman with an intellectual disability who lived with the couple at their farm at Kingsvale, near Young, before she vanished in June 2002, leaving behind her five-month-old son.
The baby was fathered by Mr Geeves who was arrested alongside his wife Mrs Geeves in May 2022 and charged with murdering the teenager.
Prosecutors accused the couple of killing Ms Haigh as part of a plot to gain custody of her baby boy, while defence barristers argued there was no evidence behind the allegation.
Amber Haigh had a young son, fathered by Mr Geeves, before she went missing in June 2002. (Supplied: Supreme Court of NSW)
In her judgement, Justice Lonergan said the Geeveses had applied for a judge-alone trial, with defence lawyers arguing a haze of mistrust hung over the couple.
"Cases are not decided on rumours, speculation, innuendo or suspicion," she said.
"Even if I suspect the accused probably committed the offence charged … I must acquit the accused.
"I have decided the version of events provided by the accused may be true."
Justice Lonergan said in her judgement there was "no evidence" that Ms Haigh's pregnancy was "embraced as an opportunity for Robert and Anne to have another child".
"There was nothing sinister in their provision of assistance," Justice Lonergan said.
"There is evidence she [Ms Haigh] tried hard to care for him [her son] and there is evidence she struggled with that and sought support wherever she could get it."
Justice Lonergan told the court that when Ms Haigh first left home she was moved by her mother to Kingsvale to live with her aunt Stella Nealon.
She then moved to Mount Isa in Queensland, then back to Kingsvale — initially with family, before moving in with Mr and Mrs Geeves.
"Sadly, Amber's mother did not want her, her father was frightening," she said.
"Amber went back and forth between places and people looking for love and solace. She never found it.
"She was still looking for it when she disappeared."
After the verdict was handed down, Mr and Mrs Geeves were taken out of the dock and sat with their lawyers.
Silence filled the courtroom after the not guilty verdict was read out.
Then a young man screamed as he stormed out of the courtroom.
The pair had been in custody since they were arrested in May 2022.
Almost 80 people watched the judgement either via audio-visual link online, or in the public gallery of the Supreme Court in Sydney, including Ms Haigh's mother, Rosalind Wright, the Geeveses son, Robbie Geeves, and witnesses who gave evidence during the trial.