A woman accused of killing an Elong Elong grandfather seven years ago has maintained her innocence as her trial got under way.
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Appearing before the Supreme Court in Dubbo on Monday, August 14, Kylie So doubled-down on her not guilty plea for the suspected murder of 71-year-old retired farmer Robert Dickie in 2016.
As prosecution and defence discussed a series of crime scene photos which will later be shown to the court, 50-year-old So, wearing a cross necklace around her neck, sat in the dock where she was assisted by a Vietnamese translator.
So - a New Zealand national - was extradited to Australia in 2020 following investigations which determined Mr Dickie had been murdered, despite his body having never been found.
Mr Dickie was last seen leaving his Elong Elong home on foot on June 14, 2016, and his family, concerned for his well being, reported him missing two days later.
Despite multiple appeals, no further sightings of Mr Dickie have been reported.
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So was initially interviewed by NSW Police less than a week after Mr Dickie's disappearance but she left Australia shortly afterwards.
Presenting the crime scene photographs to the judge on Monday, the crown prosecutor told judge Justice Mark Ierace that crime scene investigations in 2017 turned up evidence of blood in the bedroom of Mr Dickie's home.
A blue light revealed patches on the carpet where blood had possibly been cleaned up and investigators found dark stains on the underlay of the carpet, the underside of the bed frame and the mattress.
So was arrested at her Auckland apartment in April, 2020 before being extradited to Australia to face trial.
The trial, which began on Monday, August 14, will resume at the Supreme Court in Dubbo on Tuesday at 10am.
It is expected to run for up to seven weeks.
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