A woman accused of killing a two-year-old girl while she was in a cult near Oberon will face the Supreme Court in a few months time, after she pleaded not guilty to murder.
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Ellen Rachel Craig, 61, appeared by audio-visual link from a prison to Bathurst Local Court on May 10, 2023, where solicitor Emma Mason formally entered the plea on her client's behalf.
The co-accused in the matter, Alexander Wilon, 72, also pleaded not guilty to the charges laid in relation to the matter, which include accessory after the fact to murder and improperly interfering with human remains.
Previous reports reveal the child was allegedly fatally beaten with plastic tubing by Craig around July of 1987 at a rural property at Porters Retreat in the Oberon area that served as headquarters of the cult, The Ministry of God.
Then cult leader, Wilon is alleged to have disposed of the toddler's body by burning it before placing it into a 44-gallon drum and putting it in the river.
Craig was extradited from New Zealand in 2022 by Homicide Squad detectives after they received a tip-off from a fellow cult member who had known of the alleged murder for over three decades.
Both Craig's and Wilon's matters have been committed to the NSW Supreme Court to face trial, with arraignment to take place on July 7, 2023.
Both remain behind bars.
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Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
