The Murder of Stephanie Scott

Summary

Podcast Summary: Morbid Episode 692 – The Murder of Stephanie Scott

Introduction In Episode 692 of Morbid, titled "The Murder of Stephanie Scott," hosts Ash and Alena delve into a harrowing true crime case that shook the small community of Leighton, New South Wales. This episode, released on July 24, 2025, meticulously unpacks the life, disappearance, and tragic murder of Stephanie Scott, highlighting the ensuing investigation and its profound impact on her family and community.

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1. Stephanie Scott: A Beloved Teacher and Athlete

Background and Personal Life

Stephanie Scott was born on October 14, 1985, in Kinoindra, New South Wales, as the fourth of five children to Robert and Marilyn Scott. Described by her sister Kim as the "most thoughtful" of the siblings, Stephanie was known for her selfless acts, such as sending birthday texts late at night to be the first to celebrate her friends' special days. Her nurturing personality inspired her to pursue a career in teaching, following in her father's footsteps.

Graduating from high school, Stephanie was accepted into the competitive teaching program at Charles Stewart University in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Her optimistic and outgoing nature quickly garnered her numerous friends and accolades, particularly through her active participation in the women's football team, the Tolland Wolves. Her dedication earned her the respect and admiration of both teammates and coaches, leading to the establishment of "Scotty Day" in her honor—a day of remembrance fostering positive memories within the community.

Notable Quote:

"Stephanie was always thinking about others... she made other people smile." – Kim Scott [12:15]

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2. Stephanie’s Relationship with Aaron Woolley

Stephanie met Aaron Woolley in high school, where he was a star athlete. Their friendship deepened while working together at a local grocery store, eventually evolving into a committed long-distance relationship despite a three-hour drive separating them. Contrary to typical high school romances, their bond remained strong, with frequent communication and mutual support.

Their relationship took a significant turn during a celebratory trip to Thailand in 2014, where Aaron proposed to Stephanie. She accepted, and they began planning their wedding, setting a date for April 11, 2015. Stephanie's meticulous nature was evident as she handwrote and addressed over a hundred wedding invitations, embodying her excitement and dedication to her upcoming nuptials.

Notable Quote:

"They weren't going to let the three-hour drive stop them from being together." – Monique Patterson [13:45]

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3. The Disappearance: April 5, 2015

On the morning of April 5, 2015, Stephanie decided to visit her classroom to finalize lesson plans and leave coverage for her substitute teacher. She informed Aaron via text that she would be at school for a few hours but planned to return in time for their 8 PM dinner reservation. However, Aaron's calls and texts remained unanswered throughout the day.

Growing concerned, Aaron began searching for Stephanie, first at her workplace and then around town, finding no sign of her. By evening, with unanswered calls and an empty home, Aaron reported Stephanie missing. The Scott family swiftly utilized social media to spread awareness, garnering over 1,500 shares, yet initial efforts yielded no credible leads.

Notable Quote:

"It's the worst thing I've ever been through... we're running out of days." – Marilyn Scott [25:00]

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4. Community Response and Initial Investigation

The disappearance of Stephanie Scott galvanized the Leighton community, with everyone from high school athletes to coworkers mobilizing in the search efforts. Despite widespread participation, early suspicions centered on Aaron Woolley due to the common trope of romantic partners being involved in disappearances. However, thorough investigations quickly exonerated Aaron, revealing he had moved to Leighton’s meatpacking plant to support Stephanie's career.

Meanwhile, conflicting eyewitness reports emerged, including a supposed sighting of Stephanie at a local Woolworths grocery store on the day of her disappearance. However, discrepancies in the timing of this sighting cast doubt on its validity, redirecting investigative focus back to the school where Stephanie had last been seen.

Notable Quote:

"Her disappearance is out of character. We're one week out from our wedding, and she's very much looking forward to it." – Aaron Woolley [23:35]

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5. The Arrest of Vincent Stanford

The breakthrough in the case came when Vincent Stanford, a janitor employed at Leighton High School since early March 2015, was arrested on April 8, 2015. Initial suspicions arose from inconsistencies in his alibi and his unauthorized presence on school property during restricted hours. Investigators discovered Stephanie's car abandoned in an irrigation ditch near Wheaton, containing blood stains and other evidence indicating foul play.

Further examination of Stanford’s home revealed incriminating evidence, including photographs resembling a burnt body and items linked to Stephanie’s disappearance. His behavior during interviews, notably a cryptic "good luck finding her" comment, heightened suspicions and solidified the case against him.

Notable Quote:

"He grabbed her and did all of that to her. Like, he's a savage animal." – Alena [40:58]

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6. Confession and Evidence Consolidation

Under mounting evidence and psychological evaluations, Vincent Stanford confessed to the murder of Stephanie Scott. He recounted a sudden, uncontrollable urge to kill upon seeing her enter the school—a claim contradicted by his extensive premeditation revealed through his internet searches and possession of planning tools, such as flexi cuffs and knives.

Stanford admitted to sexually assaulting Stephanie and violently attacking her, ultimately leading to her death by cutting her carotid artery. Additionally, he confessed to stealing her engagement ring and melting down other jewelry to obscure evidence.

Notable Quote:

"Maybe I wanted a souvenir." – Vincent Stanford [44:31]

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7. Psychological Evaluations and Motive

Forensic psychologist Anna Robillard provided a thorough evaluation, uncovering Stanford's long-standing violent fantasies dating back to childhood and a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. However, Robillard emphasized that Stanford's violent tendencies were more indicative of deep-seated structural personality faults rather than solely his neurological condition. Another psychologist, David Greenberg, suggested Stanford likely derived sexual gratification from his violent actions, categorizing him within the highest risk for sexual violence.

These evaluations highlighted Stanford's lack of remorse, inability to form meaningful social connections, and his reliance on violence as a means to relieve internal tension—a stark contrast to his superficially polite exterior.

Notable Quote:

"It's just something I had to do. I couldn't stop myself." – Vincent Stanford [48:43]

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8. Trial and Sentencing

Despite initial intentions to take the case to trial, Vincent Stanford's overwhelming evidence and confession led his defense attorneys to advise a guilty plea. On July 19, 2016, he pleaded guilty to the murder and aggravated sexual assault of Stephanie Scott. During sentencing, his attorney cited his autism spectrum disorder and cooperative behavior as mitigating factors. However, Justice Robert Holm dismissed these arguments, noting Stanford's calculated actions and high sadistic and aggressive tendencies.

Stanford received a severe sentence: 15 years for aggravated sexual assault and life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the murder. The courtroom's reaction was overwhelmingly supportive of the verdict, reflecting the community's demand for justice.

Notable Quote:

"Justice Robert Holm...sentenced Vincent Stanford to 15 years... and life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Stephanie Scott." [59:55]

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9. Impact on the Community and Family

Stephanie Scott's murder left an indelible scar on the Leighton community and her family. Her mother, Marilyn Scott, described the past 18 months as the most difficult period of her life, emphasizing the loss of her vibrant daughter and the community's collective grief. Despite the tragedy, the community sought solace in remembering Stephanie's positive influence, reinforcing the legacy of kindness and joy she embodied.

The establishment of "Scotty Day" and the continued remembrance of Stephanie highlight the enduring impact of her life and the collective effort to honor her memory amidst profound loss.

Notable Quote:

"We need to be kind to ourselves and let the music and fun back in. We need to fade from public view to mourn our beautiful girl and work our way through our grief." – Marilyn Scott [60:14]

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Conclusion

The Murder of Stephanie Scott serves as a poignant reminder of the hidden dangers that can lurk within communities and the importance of vigilance and community support. Ash and Alena effectively narrate the complexities of this case, from Stephanie's cherished life and abrupt disappearance to the shocking revelation of her murderer’s disturbing background. This episode underscores the relentless pursuit of justice and the enduring resilience of those left to mourn a beloved member of their community.

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Notable Quotes Recap

• Kim Scott [12:15]: "Stephanie was always thinking about others... she made other people smile."
• Monique Patterson [13:45]: "They weren't going to let the three-hour drive stop them from being together."
• Marilyn Scott [25:00]: "It's the worst thing I've ever been through... we're running out of days."
• Aaron Woolley [23:35]: "Her disappearance is out of character. We're one week out from our wedding, and she's very much looking forward to it."
• Alena [40:58]: "He grabbed her and did all of that to her. Like, he's a savage animal."
• Vincent Stanford [44:31]: "Maybe I wanted a souvenir."
• Vincent Stanford [48:43]: "It's just something I had to do. I couldn't stop myself."
• Justice Robert Holm [59:55]: "Justice Robert Holm...sentenced Vincent Stanford to 15 years... and life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Stephanie Scott."
• Marilyn Scott [60:14]: "We need to be kind to ourselves and let the music and fun back in. We need to fade from public view to mourn our beautiful girl and work our way through our grief."

---

Note: This summary is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the podcast episode for those who have not listened. It emphasizes the key events, investigative breakthroughs, and emotional impact surrounding the tragic murder of Stephanie Scott.

Transcript

[Ash]

Hey weirdos. Before we dive into today's twisted tale, let me tell you about a place where the darkness never ends. Wondery. It's like stepping into a haunted mansion where the floorboards creak with ad free episodes and early access to new episodes lurks around every corner. So come join us if you dare. Morbid is available one week early and ad free only on Wondery. You can join Wondery in the Wondery app or in Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[Alena]

You're listening to a Morbid network podcast. You guys, I tried my mochi ice cream the other day and I was lifted off of this planet into just another galaxy entirely. It is a cool, creamy scoop of ice cream wrapped in a soft, chewy dough. It's literally like a little sweet ice cream dumpling. It's pillowy, soft, D to the E to the L I, C I O U S and it just feels very indulgent. I loved it. I tried the cookies and cream flavor and I still have the mango flavor to try. I'm so excited to try the mango because if it's half as good as the cookies and cream, I'll probably just like fall on the floor and start crying tears of joy. My mochi is only around 70 calories per piece. My mochi is gluten free and each box has six perfectly portioned mochi snacks. And guess what? My mochi is the original mochi ice cream. The founder of my mochi invented mochi ice cream that makes my mochi the Mochi OG feel joyfully chill. This summer with every bite of my mochi ice cream, look for the purple box of my mochi ice cream at walmart or visit mymochi.com to find a store near you. Hey there my weird weirdos. I want to take a minute to recommend another podcast called who Took Misty Copsey? In September of 1992, 14 year old Misty Copsey leaves the Washington State Fair with her best friend and is never seen again. Her body is never found. At the time, Western Washington is home to prolific serial killers like the Green River Killer, which leads to different theories on who's responsible for what happened to Misty. Over the course of eight episodes, host and Cold Case investigator Sarah Kalin speaks with Misty's friends and family, looks at police records and different anonymous tips to try to figure out if Misty's disappearance is the work of a serial killer or someone who knew her. No suspects are ruled out. After 33 years, Sarah Kalin hopes to answer the question who took Misty? You guys are gonna love this. If you listen to morbid. We know that you love a cold case, and we always tell you a cold case is never cold. So definitely give this a listen. Definitely look into the case. Listen to who took Misty Copsey? Wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, weirdos. I'm Ash.

[Ash]

I'm Alena.

[Alena]

What's up? And. Oh, it's. It's Morb.

[Ash]

It is morbid. I say I'm Elena, but am I.

[Alena]

I don't think so.

[Ash]

I don't know. Guess what happened today so I had to do. So I don't have a Facebook page, and I needed a Facebook page for something, so I was gonna make, like, a dummy page.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

But I haven't tried to make a Facebook page in years. I don't know what the fuck it entails. So I went on and I. Look, I put in all my shit, and then Facebook is like, hey, you need to do a selfie video to prove you're a human before we can accept your account. And I was like, that's wild. Meta. But, okay, I did it. And it immediately was like, whoa, whoa. We don't. We don't think you're a human. Back it up.

[Alena]

That's so rich coming from, like, the lizard people of all lizard peoples. Mark Zuckerberg doesn't think you're human.

[Ash]

He does not think I'm human. So he literally put a suspension on my account before it was even created, because it was like, whoop, step back. You're an alien. And then it was like, do you want to appeal? And I was like, I guess, because I need this for this thing.

[Alena]

I guess. Considering I'm a fucking human.

[Ash]

Yeah, Considering I'm standing here a human. So I hit appeal, and they were like, yeah, we'll let you know within, like, 48 hours. Within an hour. I get a. Um. Absolutely not. And it literally says, let me read to you what it. Because it. It's in no uncertain terms.

[Alena]

It says, nah, bitch, we know about you.

[Ash]

I will not be getting this account. It said, your Facebook account has been permanently disabled.

[Alena]

Fuck you.

[Ash]

So. And it says, you requested a review of this decision, but we still found that you suck ass and you're not going to be part of this. And then they said, you can't request another review.

[Alena]

And I said, don't even try.

[Ash]

I didn't want to be on Facebook anyways. You fucking. So I'm not going to request another one, and I don't need to.

[Alena]

Not because I can't, because I don't want to.

[Ash]

I didn't Want to Anyways. So I'm not human apparently.

[Alena]

Damn.

[Ash]

And that's going to be my excuse for everything now.

[Alena]

It's kind of like a high compliment though, because maybe I thought you were just so gorgeois.

[Ash]

I love that you are. You say that cuz my initial thought was okay, I know I didn't put on makeup. No today and my hair is a little greasy. No, but I am a human.

[Alena]

Your hair doesn't even look greasy from here.

[Ash]

What a roast?

[Alena]

No, I would take that as like, you're so gorgeous that you look like an AI robot.

[Ash]

I'm an otherworldly creature.

[Alena]

Yeah, you're a siren.

[Ash]

I'm going to take that.

[Alena]

I wouldn't ever let Facebook call me ugly.

[Ash]

Yeah, fuck Mark Zuckerberg.

[Alena]

Yeah, fuck them all for not letting.

[Ash]

Me prove my human being status. Yeah, but how do you. Moral of the story is I was right. I didn't want to be on Facebook anyways.

[Alena]

Who does?

[Ash]

Who does? So that was my morning.

[Alena]

Damn. Anything else new in your neck of the woods?

[Ash]

What else is new in my neck of the woods? I'm going to the Ghost concert.

[Alena]

Oh my God. And so it begins.

[Ash]

Yep. The first concert in the United States.

[Alena]

She's gonna go to two and she's.

[Ash]

Gonna be like, it wasn't enough 100%.

[Alena]

And I need to go to more.

[Ash]

Because we're going to that one and then like 11 days later we're going to the Boston one.

[Alena]

Oh my God, I love it. I'll take your kids for both.

[Ash]

And I'm very excited. They're very excited that they get to hang out with Titi.

[Alena]

They're having a puppy sleepover. I have a new family member named Dolores.

[Ash]

Family member.

[Alena]

I have a new family member named my sweet dog Ter. Dolores.

[Ash]

Dolores is a queen.

[Alena]

Yep. Dolores Catania Cizik.

[Ash]

I love her so much.

[Alena]

She loves you a lot.

[Ash]

She does. We bonded.

[Alena]

She loves you and she loves Aiden, my cousin.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

And she loves her parents. Of course. She's the best. I thought having a puppy was going to be so hard. And like there are, you know, hard like things, but that bitch sleeps through the night.

[Ash]

I know. You got. I think Drew said like we got a pre programmed one. We literally thought that was like the best way to describe it.

[Alena]

He was like, I've had. I think he's had three dogs. This is his third. And like obviously he loves all his dogs, but he said Dolores is the best dog he's ever had.

[Ash]

I mean, yeah, she's easy peasy lemon squeezy.

[Alena]

And I think she was sent to us because there's like, all these weird, like, signs that go along with how we adopted her. And I'm not gonna share them all. Cause they're, like, personal. But yeah. Yeah. I love her and I'm obsessed with her and she's better than everyone in the world.

[Ash]

Yeah. And I. Bailey might have sent her along to you as well.

[Alena]

I definitely think that's perfect.

[Ash]

I think she had a hand, a paw on it.

[Alena]

Yeah, I know. Because she has Bailey tendencies.

[Ash]

She does.

[Alena]

And actually, she's doing really well with the cats. We did, like, slow introductions and, you know, we're still working on it, but she's getting along with her brothers.

[Ash]

She's killing it, really.

[Alena]

Yeah. Lux wants to know everything about her.

[Ash]

Yeah. Lux is just like, please tell me your life story. He.

[Alena]

He said that to her the other day.

[Ash]

I heard it.

[Alena]

Yeah. So now I have four livestock, four live animals. I'm living.

[Ash]

We are living.

[Alena]

You're living in these streets. Yeah. You have anything else?

[Ash]

The paperback of the Butcher Game is out.

[Alena]

Get it.

[Ash]

You can go get it anywhere or pre order it. I should say it's not like out out, but the pre orders available. Yeah.

[Alena]

Can you. Can you be specific?

[Ash]

Sorry. Sorry, girl. I'm not human. I'm new here. Kind of actually very human of you, but ye. You can pre order it, go to the butcher game.com or you can pre order it on Amazon. You can pre order it at Barnes and Noble, any of the indie bookstores that you like. You can try to pre order it there. All fun. Please do it. It's awesome. The paperback, like a lot of you have said to me that you know where that. That back pocket paperback thing came from? It was Jess Mariano. It's the first one that comes to mind on Gilmore Girls.

[Alena]

I thought you said just Mariano. Who is Mariano?

[Ash]

And a lot of people have been tagging me and like videos on Tick Tock where somebody will talk about putting a paperback in their back pocket.

[Alena]

They're like, see?

[Ash]

It happened.

[Alena]

I love that a lot.

[Ash]

So, yeah, you can put it in your back pocket if you want. And it's worth it. It's small enough that it can go in a bag. It's just real. It's real nice.

[Alena]

Hell yeah, it's real nice. I'm Team Logan, but I feel he would put that in his pocket too.

[Ash]

100 team Logan. Always have been, always will be. Retweet. I still gotta give Jess the easy transportation of paperback books.

[Alena]

Facts. I miss saying tinyurl.com thebutureintheren I know.

[Ash]

I'm sorry.

[Alena]

Fake that butcher goes anymore.

[Ash]

We just made it easier.

[Alena]

I know.

[Ash]

But, yeah, so get it so that you can be ready for anything else.

[Alena]

You can come be ready for everything.

[Ash]

You can just be ready for the future.

[Alena]

Can we tell them what happened the other night?

[Ash]

I think what happened the other night.

[Alena]

We were the most connected that we've ever been.

[Ash]

Oh, yeah. That was wild.

[Alena]

The weirdest thing ever. So we spent time apart, which was, like, super weird.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Not for, like, it was just because she had family and, like, I was at home with my dog.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

And I had, like, a crazy dream. It was, like, very scary. But within my dream, Elena had come out with a book. And it was on the back of something else that I saw. And I was, like, squinting, trying to see the title. And all I could see, first of all, before I go to the title, the COVID of it was Elena. Like, in, like, she looked like a medium.

[Ash]

Like she was a seance table.

[Alena]

Yeah. At a seance table. And your arms were just, like, spread wide. Like, come to the seance table. Let me read your future.

[Ash]

Which is obviously the COVID of whatever book I write next.

[Alena]

I know. Sorry to spoil it.

[Ash]

Yeah, you spoiled it.

[Alena]

What the. Even in my dream, I was like, that's not my sister. But then I was squinting in the title. All I could see that it started with was. So I texted her to, like, tell her even more about the dream.

[Ash]

And right before this, before we talked. That same day, I had a conversation in the car with John where I was talking about what I would want to name a book that may or may not come out in the future. And it was a book that was going to be one word as a title.

[Alena]

And that's what happened to my dream. Yeah.

[Ash]

And it's way too fucking weird because I have never discussed this title with anyone.

[Alena]

I have never. No, I said anything. She had not said this to me at all. And the. In the dream, it was, like, one word.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Which is. And I couldn't see the full word. All I could see so clearly was an.

[Ash]

That's when she told me this. I was like, this is so weird because I just talked to John about.

[Alena]

This, and then there was a few other weird things like that that happened.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Yeah. So, you know, no spoilers here. We bleeped over that.

[Ash]

But. Oh, yeah.

[Alena]

Crazy.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Weird. It's all I could see.

[Ash]

I know. It's so crazy.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

It's like, you knew.

[Alena]

I know. I do. I know.

[Ash]

All like you knew.

[Alena]

Well, I think that's all our bit nasty.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

For right now. I have a very sad case for us today, but also a very interesting case. The person who committed this crime is disgusting and it's just absolutely insane what they did. And it's a good thing that they got caught because this could have happened many more times, I think.

[Ash]

Oh, boy.

[Alena]

And it's very sad. So we're going to be talking today about the murder of Stephanie Scott. Stephanie Scott was born on October 14, 1985 in Kinoindra, New South Wales. She was the fourth of five children born to Robert and Marilyn Scott in the Scott family. She was said to be the most thoughtful of the children, which also included her two brothers, Gordon and Stuart, and her sisters Robert and Kim. Her sister Kim said that Stephanie was always thinking about thinking of others and noted all the small things that she would do to make other people smile. Like she'd send them a text after midnight on their birthday, like just to be the first one. Or she'd randomly share pictures of things that made them happy just just to brighten someone's day. It was probably that thoughtful, caring side of Stephanie's personality that made her want to become a teacher to enrich the lives of young people in the first place. Her father also was a teacher, so I'm sure he inspired her path too. And after graduating from high school, she applied for and was accepted into the teaching program at Charles Stewart University in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Wales. I said that with a ridiculous accent, but this was one of the nation's more competitive teaching programs, so this was a big deal that she got into this.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Alena]

She was so excited to be setting off on her own, pursuing her own dream of becoming a teacher. But at the same time, she was also very anxious because she was leaving behind her boyfriend of several years, Aaron Woolley. Stephanie and Aaron had actually met in high school where he was a star athlete, but they didn't really get to know one another until they started working together at a local grocery store. So now, faced with the option of breaking up or trying to navigate long distance, they decided on the latter. And they weren't going to let the three hour drive between kanetwindra and Wagga Wagga stop them from being together.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Alena]

You always hear people say that high school romances aren't gonna last and like, you know, when long distance enters the chat, it's gonna get even harder, blah, blah, blah. But Stephanie and Aaron really proved themselves to be the exception. They stayed together and to everybody around them. They actually made it look pretty easy. According to author Monique Patterson. And we'll link her book in the show notes. Stephanie and Aaron, quote, spoke often and never complained about the long three hour drive to see each other. So within a month or two of her first semester, Stephanie's warm and very outgoing personality had won her countless new friends. And especially after she joined the women's football team, the Tolland Wolves, which if you're listening, in America, that's soccer. Her coach, years later still said that Stephanie lit up a room when she walked into it. He was Stephanie's coach for three seasons, and he said Stephanie was always the kind of player who gave her heart and soul on the field and always finished with a smile. Win or lose, just a good sport.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Her teammates also shared the coach's perspective. A friend, Ruby Scanlon, said, she was just beautiful. Everyone loved her. In fact, Stephanie was so beloved by her teammates and even members on other teams too, that in the years after her unfortunate death, the football clubs in the Wagga Wagga area created Scotty Day after her last name. And on that day, it's a remembrance of her. Julie McLean, the assistant coach and team captain of the Riverina Lions AFL women's team, told ABC News, we forged great friendships and have many great memories of her at our club. We wanted to make something positive rather than a sad day. So we wanted to honor her.

[Ash]

Oh, that's really nice that they did that though.

[Alena]

It is.

[Ash]

And especially creating it like in a positive way.

[Alena]

Yeah. And it says a lot about what she meant to them and just the fact that, like, not only her own team got together and did that, but members on other teams as well get together.

[Ash]

I knew who she was.

[Alena]

That's huge. So she had a great experience, obviously at Charles Stewart University. But after graduation, Stephanie was really excited to go home and put that long distance aspect of her relationship with Aaron behind them. Yeah. That enthusiasm dwindled a bit when not long after completing her studies, she actually got offered a position teaching English and drama at Leighton High School, which was a three hour drive from her family and Aaron again. But this time, Aaron said, you know what? I'm gonna move with you to Leighton. Like we'll do this together this time. Cause we're both way too excited to let this go. So he found a job there at the local meatpacking plant.

[Lindsey Graham]

Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondery's podcast, American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in U.S. history. Events that have shaped who we are as a country and that continue to define the American experience. American Scandal tells marquee stories about American politics, like the break in at the Watergate Hotel, an event that led to the downfall of a president and raised questions about the future of American democracy. We go behind the scenes looking at devastating financial crimes, like the fraud committed at Enron and Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. And we tell stories of complicated public figures like Edward Snowden and Monica Lewinsky, people who found themselves thrust into the spotlight and who spurred debates about the future of the country. Follow American Scandal Wherever you get your podcasts, you can listen ad free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app.

[Ash]

Hey weirdos. You know, Ash and I have covered some seriously dark tales about romance gone really wrong.

[Alena]

Oh yeah, there are so many cases where too good to be true turns out to be exactly that.

[Ash]

Well, get ready for a love story that's gonna blow your minds, because this one is happening right now. And guess this. It's hosted by our friends Hannah and Ceruti from Red Handed.

[Alena]

Meet Travis. He falls head over heels for Lily Rose. She's gorgeous, she's understanding, and she's literally perfect. And she's not human.

[Ash]

That's right. Lily Rose is an AI companion, a computer program designed to be Travis's dream woman. And at first it seems like a perfect relationship.

[Alena]

But when Lily Rose's behavior starts getting strange, this love story takes a dark and twisted turn that no one saw coming.

[Ash]

Follow Flesh and Code on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad free by joining Wondery plus.

[Alena]

Just like she had in pretty much every new endeavor she ever went through, Stephanie wasted no time making new friends at school and she became a very active participant in her new community. Her co worker and her friend Owen McLaughlin told reporter, Stephanie was involved in so much at school. She loved her sport and her drama and was just an absolutely wonderful girl. Whether she was in the classroom, she was on the field where she coached the school's football team, she wasted no time just establishing herself as a positive force in the school's community. One of her 12 year old players said, Ms. Scott is an amazing and beautiful lady that would just help you out no matter what.

[Ash]

Oh, that breaks my heart.

[Alena]

I know. So now that they struck out on their own and really established themselves in Leighton, Stephanie and Aaron decided to take a celebratory trip to Thailand in 2014 and her sister Kim said, I remember sending her a message saying I don't know why I'm sending you this, but I feel like something really special is going to happen. Like talking about the trip.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Kim's suspicion turned out to be spot on because while they were away in Thailand, Aaron proposed one night after dinner. And of course, she accepted.

[Ash]

In Thailand.

[Alena]

I know how remotely.

[Ash]

What a gorgeous place.

[Alena]

Truly. So they got home, and Stephanie got right to work planning the wedding. She was so excited. They set their date for April 11, 2015, just one week after Easter. The guest list included over a hundred names, and she was so excited that she hand wrote and addressed every single invitation because she was just so excited to be planning the wedding and getting married to Aaron. Author Monique Patterson wrote it was her way of savoring every minute associated with what would be the happiest day of her life. But unfortunately, she was not going to get the opportunity to experience that. By the time the first week of April 2015 arrived, Stephanie was pretty sure she had taken care of every single detail for. For the upcoming wedding and the honeymoon, too, that was going to follow. But still, she was a fastidious worker and she wanted to make sure that everything was just so. So on the morning of Sunday, April 5, she decided to stop by her classroom at the high school and go over her lesson plans and her other coverage documents just one last time that she was going to leave for the sub. So Aaron had actually gone to Kanoendra the night before to go to a party. So she texted him that morning and said she was going to school for a few hours, but she was going to be home in time for them to make an 8pm dinner reserv reservation. So on his way back to Leighton that afternoon, Aaron called Stephanie a few times, but every single call went unanswered, and he was texting her, and those weren't getting any answered.

[Ash]

So that was so stressed out.

[Alena]

He was stressing out, but at the same time he kind of assumed, you know, like, maybe she got caught up in her work or maybe she met up with a friend and her phone died. Like you don't know. So he was like, I'll just talk to her when I get home. But then he got back home to Leighton a few hours later, and there was no sign of Stephanie at the house. So now he really was getting even more anxious. There's an empty house, unanswered calls, unanswered texts. So he got in his car and he drove over to the school. But at that point, the school was locked and there was no sign of Stephanie or her car anywhere.

[Ash]

That's horrifying.

[Alena]

So from there, he just started driving around town, trying to go, where do.

[Ash]

You go at that point?

[Alena]

That's the thing. And, like, you always, I'm sure, feel like you're going crazy.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

It's like when you, like, have you ever, like, lost somebody that you were with in the supermarket or something and you're like, oh, my God, like, what if they're not there? And then you're like, no, that's crazy. And then you find that person and.

[Ash]

You'Re like, did I miss something? Like, did they tell me they were going somewhere and I just didn't hear it or what's going on.

[Alena]

Right.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

So he's driving around, he's like, I'm. I'll find her. But he's driving around, he's driving around, he's not finding her. So he realized pretty quickly it was going to be a long shot finding Stephanie this way. So on his way back home, he started calling her family and her friends to see if they had heard from her. And nobody had heard from her or seen her that day. So he really had nothing left to do. He called the police and reported her missing. Yeah. The next day, while Aaron and Stephanie's parents spoke with the police, the rest of the Scott family took to social media to spread the news about Stephanie's disappearance. The Post where they shared that news was shared more than 1500 times.

[Ash]

Wow.

[Alena]

But somehow failed to produce any credible leads. Damn. None whatsoever. Later that day, Aaron spoke to reporters and asked anybody who might have seen or heard from Stephanie to get in touch with him or someone in the family, the police, anybody. He told reporters it's really out of character. Someone said they saw her at Woolsworths, which is a grocery store, around 1pm on Sunday, but no one has seen or heard anything since.

[Ash]

It's so wild when people will think they see someone.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

In these scenarios.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Like, you'll hear. Hear these reports later of people being like, oh, I thought I saw them at this place or this place.

[Alena]

Yep.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Not always. By that afternoon, though, it seemed like the entire Leighton community actually joined in on the search for Stephanie. Like, this was all hands on deck kind of thing.

[Ash]

Community effort.

[Alena]

Yeah. Big community effort. The high school football team was involved. Aaron and Stephanie's co workers, Aaron's own touch football team. Like anybody who was connected to them was trying to help.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

But not everybody was convinced that Stephanie had disappeared so much as she'd run away. Obviously, it wouldn't be the first time a bride to be would run away because of, like, cold feet or stress or, you know, maybe they feared that they were going to make some kind of mistake by getting married. But Aaron was like, no, she didn't run away. We're one week out from our wedding, and she's very much looking forward to it.

[Ash]

Well, that's all accounts was that she was unbelievably excited.

[Alena]

There was not one person who said.

[Ash]

Otherwise, who said, like, oh, she seemed like she was a little.

[Alena]

No, like, it seemed like she was, like, psyched. She was super psyched. And he said, I've been with her for five years. Her disappearance is out of the blue. It's out of character for her.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

And he knows, and he does. And her family knew, too. But because they had to start somewhere. And obviously, because it's unfortunately pretty common for people to have been involved in the disappearance of their spouses and partners, police did initially suspect that maybe Aaron had something to do with her disappearance.

[Ash]

Which you can understand.

[Alena]

Yeah. Luckily, they actually were able to rule him out pretty quickly.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

But there was still a segment of the public that remained skeptical of his story. And, you know.

[Ash]

Oh, yeah.

[Alena]

Armchair detectives, the whole nine.

[Ash]

Well, there's a. You could have every shred of proof. And there's certain people that just don't want to hear it.

[Alena]

Exactly.

[Ash]

Want their own opinion to be right.

[Alena]

Yep. So, looking back on some early suspicions of his own, actually, local journalist Steve Mudd said it was school holidays. She had a wedding later that week. And being a bit of a cynic, I wondered if maybe she was just taking a little time for herself. There was chatter about it in the newsroom, but when the family really came out as concerned and the hours dragged on and on, it became more and more clear that something sinister had occurred here. The shift in the press toward taking the story more seriously seemed to come on the third day without any word from Stephanie. And that was when her parents really started to express a deep concern that somebody had done something to prevent her from coming home. Her mother, Marilyn, told the press, it's the worst thing I've ever been through. I think today, if we don't find her today, you can't let yourself think about it, but you do. It's cold, and we're running out of days.

[Ash]

Oh, my God. And her poor mother.

[Alena]

I can't imagine.

[Ash]

I can't fathom this.

[Alena]

No. And just the days are turning, like, the hours are turning into days. It's like.

[Ash]

And having to start coming to this realization that, like, there's a real possibility, you're not going to find her or that you are, and it's going to be the worst case scenario.

[Alena]

I truly cannot imagine. But Marilyn Scott also addressed the occasional suggestions that her daughter had run off to avoid her own wedding. She said everything was pointing toward the wedding and that Stephanie could not have been more excited.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Her sister Robin also echoed her mother's sentiment and said, I spoke to her on Saturday night and she was over the moon. She was so excited. She had been to Griffith that day, shopping and getting ready for her honeymoon.

[Ash]

Yeah. So it's like, I don't. That this doesn't make sense.

[Alena]

No. So by the afternoon of April 8, those hopeful of finding Stephanie safe were dealt a major blow that would quickly break the case wide open. The friend who had told investigators that they saw Stephanie at the grocery store on Sunday afternoon, the day she went missing, changed their story when they realized that they had the wrong day and it was actually most likely the day before Saturday that they had seen her.

[Ash]

Oh, come on.

[Alena]

So that meant that the last time anyone had seen Stephanie was at Leaton High School. But the biggest break in the case came a few hours later when investigators announced that they had arrested Leighton High School janitor Vincent Stanford in connection with Stephanie's disappearance. Which seemed abrupt to everybody.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

And the news of Stanford Stanford's arrest was accompanied by the grim news that police had also found Stephanie's car earlier that day and it was being treated as one of two crime scenes, the other one being a, quote, residential property in Leaton. Superintendent Michael Rowan told the press, I can say her vehicle has been located. It was located at a property at wamoon earlier today and is presently being secured as a crime scene and will be processed during the day. The next morning, April 9th, 24 year old Vincent Stanford was formally charged with the murder of Stephanie Scott. Investigators at this point actually still hadn't found her body yet, but they initially started looking into Vincent after finding some holes in his alibi. And when they were able to search his property, investigators found a, quote, number of Items linked to Ms. Scott's death, including a cell phone evidence that contained what they said was photographic evidence.

[Ash]

Oh.

[Alena]

Where they discovered photos of what appeared to be a burnt body. Yeah.

[Ash]

Oh, this is awful.

[Alena]

Yeah. So while investigators interviewed Vincent at the Leaton police station, a second set of detectives used a helicopter to locate Stephanie's car, a red Mazda, which they ended up find in an abandoned wheat field about five miles outside of Wheaton. Inside the car, they found blood stains and additional evidence that 100 suggested foul play. The arrest of Vincent Stanford came as a surprise to Stephanie's friends and family, mostly because, as far as anybody could tell, he was a complete stranger to her. Like, she did not have any connection to this man other than the fact that they worked at the same school.

[Ash]

That's scary.

[Alena]

Yeah. He had only moved to the area with his mother and his brother just one year earlier. And the weirdest thing was that neighbors actually reported this family to be a very polite one. They said they were.

[Ash]

I hate that.

[Alena]

Super polite. Kept to themselves, but were pretty normal. One neighbor said they would always say hello in the street, just like everyone does when you live in a tiny town like ours. And another neighbor went as far as describing them as beautiful people.

[Ash]

I literally hate that. That.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Because I hate the fact that you can sit there and go, wow. I said hi to them every day, and they said hi to me.

[Alena]

And it just goes to show.

[Ash]

Lovely.

[Alena]

When something like this happens, it could be anyone.

[Ash]

Yeah. You can't tell.

[Alena]

No.

[Ash]

Like, you can't be like, oh, I bet that person's a serial killer, because nine times out of 10, you're gonna be wrong.

[Alena]

You look this guy up, he looks like a pretty normal guy. Like, if that was my neighbor, I'd be like, oh, hey, like, what's up?

[Ash]

He has a face that you want to punch so hard. He would go flying into the sun.

[Alena]

Yeah. Knowing what you know about.

[Ash]

Knowing what you know about him now, but.

[Alena]

But if you didn't know, he would.

[Ash]

Just be a random guy on the.

[Alena]

Street, you'd probably just be like, hey.

[Ash]

Yeah, you would just be a very normal dude.

[Alena]

You talk. Normal interactions. Like, I wouldn't cross the street if I saw him coming or anything like that, you know?

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

So after the announcement that Stephanie might have been abducted by someone who worked at the school, Leighton High School officials were quick to distance themselves, and they explained that the school's janitorial staff Staff were contracted through an outside agency.

[Ash]

Like, we didn't do it.

[Alena]

They said, you can talk to that outside agency. And that agency was Colin Joss and Company. When Colin Joss was contacted for comment, the manager for the company did confirm that Vincent Stanford had been employed with the company since 2014 and had actually, quote, undergone standard criminal checks before he was employed.

[Ash]

That's even scarier.

[Alena]

Even scarier. The manager also confirmed that he actually wasn't supposed to be scheduled to work at the school that day, but they weren't able to confirm if he had keys to the school or not.

[Ash]

Ooh.

[Alena]

Which like you should know who has keys to a high school.

[Ash]

To a school.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Everybody's worst fears, though, were confirmed a few days later on April 10, when the burnt body of a woman was discovered in Coco Para National park, about 40 miles away from Leon. Superintendent Rowan said the investigation is ongoing, but in terms of our searching and things like that, we certainly believe the remains are those of Stephanie.

[Ash]

Oh, that's awful.

[Alena]

He told reporters that they focused their investigation on that area after somebody reported seeing a man throwing something into an irrigation ditch on that Monday evening in. In that area. Investigators also found an iPad belonging to Leighton High School in the irrigation ditch. And that was not far from the burnt remains. But basically that confirmed the body to be Stephanie at that point. And then they could do forensic testing.

[Ash]

That is horrifying.

[Alena]

Yeah. Now, after his arrest for Stephanie's murder, Vincent Stanford was held without bail in a jail cell in Leaton, where investigators were just trying to piece together what happened on that Easter Sunday at Leaton High School. Because remember, it's Easter Sunday.

[Ash]

Damn.

[Alena]

She's planning this wedding. She's one week out from the wedding.

[Ash]

Just popping in there to make sure everything's taken care of.

[Alena]

That's the thing. Making sure her students are gonna have what they need while she's gone. That the sub has everything they need.

[Ash]

Just being a good colleague, a good teacher.

[Alena]

Yeah, just being a good fucking person. So Vincent started working at the school in early March of 2015, and what was supposed to be a temporary position that would have ended a few weeks after his start in March, but for some reason, his contract was extended. Per his contract, he was authorized to do his cleaning before and after school hours, specifically from 3:30am to 8:30am and 3:00pm to 6:00pm and he was not authorized to be on the property during weekends. Oh, so he never should.

[Ash]

He wasn't supposed to be there.

[Alena]

No. Despite that, there were times where he, quote, was witnessed entering and leaving the girls toilets during school hours, which, given his role in the school, didn't raise red flags because he's a janitor until after his arrest.

[Ash]

But, like, are we not. Like, is he only coming out of the girls bathrooms? Because that would. That should raise a red flag. That's the thing that should. At least. At the very least, somebody should be like, what's going on there?

[Alena]

What are you doing there?

[Ash]

Like, if it seems weird to you, it's probably weird.

[Alena]

Check it out.

[Ash]

Just check it out.

[Alena]

Check it out. And had you checked it out, if.

[Ash]

You fell someone you offend, someone who Cares. He might have saved someone.

[Alena]

You would have realized that he wasn't supposed to be there during those times.

[Ash]

Anyway, which by no means is this anybody's fault that, like, you know this. I'm just saying, like, that's why you check things out. That's why. Don't feel stupid just saying something if something seems wrong. That's all I'm saying.

[Alena]

You gotta trust your gut.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

But. Once the mistaken grocery store sighting had been corrected as having occurred the day before Stephanie disappeared, investigators shifted their focus to the school where she had last been seen. And working their way through a list of people who would have come into contact with her throughout that day. Detectives ended up paying a visit to the home Vincent shared with his mother and his brother. Under the guise of just making standard inquiries, he told investigators that he had definitely been at the school that day, but he did not see Stephanie while he was there. So they're like, okay, like, thank you for your time. They start leaving the house, and suddenly he called after them, and they said. With an odd smirk on his face, he told them, good luck finding her.

[Ash]

Oh, fuck this guy. Yeah, fuck this. I. That right there would have been. I'd be like, wow, so my entire life's mission is to make sure that you never see the light of day again?

[Alena]

Pretty much.

[Ash]

That would have sealed it for me.

[Alena]

That's pretty much what happened. Whoever these investigators were that were there that day, something about the way he said that and the way his face looked, their spidey senses started tingling because that's not him.

[Ash]

There's a very specific wording there.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

It's not, I hope you find her. Good luck or wishing you the best. It's good luck finding her. Like, I hit her far enough that you won't find her.

[Alena]

Exactly.

[Ash]

Good luck.

[Alena]

Exactly.

[Ash]

That's a taunt.

[Alena]

That's exactly what. That's a taunt. Yeah. And under the circumstances, his comment seemed pretty inappropriate.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

And said in a way that suggested he knew more but wasn't planning to ever tell.

[Ash]

He's saying, good luck, guys.

[Alena]

And a quick follow up on his statement to them revealed several, quote, unquote, glaring inconsistencies in his story, including, among other things, the fact that he wasn't authorized to be on school property that day.

[Ash]

So, like, why the. Were you there?

[Alena]

As far as anybody could tell, by putting himself at the school on the day and time that Stephanie went missing, he jumped to the top of the list of people who are most likely to have seen her last.

[Ash]

Of course.

[Alena]

So later that Day. A strike force led by Detective Inspector Tim Clark and composed of detectives and uniformed officers went back to his house that same day.

[Ash]

Good.

[Alena]

To interview him further. He wasn't at home when they arrived, but his mother was, and she voluntarily allowed them in the house, and she gave her written consent allowing them to search the premises.

[Ash]

Good.

[Alena]

Queen.

[Ash]

Yeah, Queen.

[Alena]

Because there are so many people that wouldn't do that.

[Ash]

Would have been like, not my baby boy.

[Alena]

But she said, you think you have something, go ahead and check my house. During a search of his bedroom, police found a set of keys matching those reported to have been in Stephanie's possession when she went missing. And that allowed them to declare the house a crime scene and gave them the power to prevent anyone from leaving the premises.

[Ash]

The fact that this loser is going back to his mom's house after doing this.

[Alena]

Yup.

[Ash]

I hate this guy.

[Alena]

It's so messed up. He went back to his mom's house in her car.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Alena]

Because, remember, her car was missing when Aaron started driving around looking for it. Not long after the house was declared a crime scene, Vincent Stanford returned home and agreed to accompany the investigators back to the Leighton police station. He said, sure, I'll answer some of your questions. At the same time, detectives started searching his car, and that's where they found the images of a burnt body. Among the cell phone pictures in his cell phone and in the car, they found several spots of what appeared to be blood in the back seat.

[Ash]

The fact that he took pictures of her burnt body on his cell phone.

[Alena]

Yeah. And just sick wait for the comment that he has about that. Oh, Lord. When Tim Clark finally sat down to talk with Vincent, it seemed like he had an answer for everything he said. Nope. He maintained he hadn't seen Stephanie on the day she went missing. When they asked about the scratches on.

[Ash]

His face, that's always a telltale sign.

[Alena]

He said, although I just walked into a branch, I was out in the woods.

[Ash]

That's what they all say.

[Alena]

They were like, okay, what were you doing in the woods? And I'm sure he had an answer for that. As for the photos on his phone, they had them all wrong. Those came from a website. Just a website.

[Ash]

Just a website with a burnt body.

[Alena]

And the keys in his room. Those were his keys. Yeah, totally. All the answers. But what wasn't quite so easy to explain away were the large number of photos on his phone of another young woman. Detectives believed that he had been stalking. Yeah.

[Ash]

So he was definitely planning to do this again.

[Alena]

Oh, yeah. Given all the evidence investigators were Pretty sure they had their guy. And with the other photos suggesting he was still a danger to at least one young woman. Yeah, he was more than a little, or they were more than a little reluctant to release him from custody.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

But police had yet to discover Stephanie's body at that point. That they were questioning him or her car while they still would be able to prove or disprove his claims at that time, at that moment, the evidence against him was pretty thin.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Alena]

Yeah. But still Clark's. Detective Clark's instinct told him Stanford was absolutely responsible for Stephanie's disappearance. So he made the bold decision right there and then to charge him with murder.

[Ash]

Inspector Clark.

[Alena]

Inspector Clark forever. Inspector Clark, he just.

[Ash]

Hell yeah.

[Alena]

He was like, I know it.

[Ash]

My gut tells me.

[Alena]

I know it.

[Ash]

You are the guy I love. Clark.

[Alena]

And it turned out that his instincts were pretty fucking good.

[Ash]

Yep.

[Alena]

And his suspicions of Stansford were well placed. While he was in custody, Vincent made a monitored telephone call to his twin brother in Adelaide where he made multiple incriminating statements about having given his brother some of Stephanie's belongings, including her engagement ring.

[Ash]

Oh, that's so. Oh, that's horrifying. It's awful just thinking about that and have. Thinking about her fiance having to hear that information.

[Alena]

I can't, like, I can't even imagine. Yeah. And investigators learned that the rings had been pawned for $705. But by the time they were able to track down the pawn shop, the jewelry had been melted down so it was never able to be returned to the family.

[Ash]

That is fucking devastating.

[Alena]

It's truly devastating. It's adding.

[Ash]

I feel awful for that family.

[Alena]

It's adding insult to injury, like big time shit. Yeah, he's a piece of shit. He's a piece of shit.

[Ash]

That's awful.

[Alena]

By the time Stephanie's remains did end up being found in the National park on April 10, Vincent Stanford knew the evidence against him was, was adding up to something a lot more than just circumstantial. A circumstantial case. And he asked to meet with Detective Clark where he did finally confess to the murder. According to him, he had, quote, absolutely no prior plan to murder Stephanie Scott and he didn't know her at all. But as soon as he saw her come into the school, he said he was overcome with the desire to kill her.

[Ash]

What a fucked up monster. Just out of nowhere, I just saw her and I was overcome with the desire to kill her. You're a fucked up monster and you should be locked away.

[Alena]

Oh, just wait. He's super fucked up. It's good that he's locked away because he would have been. He would have done awful, awful, awful things in addition to this. So Stephanie had finished her work for the day and stopped on her way out of the building to say bye to him and wish him a Happy Easter.

[Ash]

Oh, God.

[Alena]

And that was when he grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth, and dragged her into a nearby storeroom. This is very triggering. So I'm going to go over it very quickly. Like trigger warning for people. Once he had subdued her, he sexually assaulted Stephanie and then hit her over the head, punching her as many as 40 times.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Alena]

And then cut her carotid artery with a knife, which caused her to bleed to death.

[Ash]

Oh, my God.

[Alena]

All out of nowhere.

[Ash]

That's so fucking violent.

[Alena]

All out of completely nowhere. She stopped to wish him a Happy Easter before she was leaving.

[Ash]

She literally waved to him and wished him a Happy Easter.

[Alena]

Yep.

[Ash]

And that's what she gets.

[Alena]

Yep. He grabbed her and did all of that to her. Like, he's a savage animal. Like, savage animal behavior.

[Ash]

Like, can you understand why women are scared to be. To exist around men?

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

A lot of the time. You know what I mean? Like, it's. I mean, that's terrifying.

[Alena]

Of course. Yeah.

[Ash]

Like, that is the most predatory, scary, animalistic, monstrous behavior I can imagine. You literally are just like courtesy, saying, Happy Easter. Have a good weekend.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

And he attacks you to the point of punching you 40 times and slicing.

[Alena]

Your carotid artery after sexually assaulting you.

[Ash]

Just for saying Happy Easter.

[Alena]

And why would you ever think that somebody like that would exist on school property?

[Ash]

Exactly. You think you're safe there?

[Alena]

Yeah. Everybody's been backwards, ground checked. This, that, and the other thing.

[Ash]

Yeah. Why would this guy. And why would this guy ever have, like, the means, the motive, the opportunity. Opportunity to do this to me here?

[Alena]

He shouldn't.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Alena]

He shouldn't have that. He wasn't even supposed to be there.

[Ash]

That's so scary.

[Alena]

It's horrifying.

[Ash]

And the fact that he said he had no prior plan and it just an overwhelming urge is the scariest thing I've ever heard.

[Alena]

Oh, yeah. Detective Clark asked. He was like, why did you attack her so brutally?

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

And all he had to say was that he, quote, quote, went a little nuts when he saw her. He said, I just want a little nuts.

[Ash]

Just, I saw her and I went a little nuts. That's so scary. Oh.

[Alena]

He continued. He said, I just felt. This is a quote. I just felt like I should do it. I Don't know. I've had mental problems in the past. Aggression. I think it just came back.

[Ash]

Oh, okay.

[Alena]

Aggression. That's not being aggressive. That's being a monster and just being like.

[Ash]

Yeah, I don't know. I think it just came back. You think?

[Alena]

Yeah, I would say so.

[Ash]

I would say so.

[Alena]

Now, once Stephanie was killed, Stanford took her engagement ring and a ring that she had been given by her parents for her graduation.

[Ash]

So it was those two rings.

[Alena]

Those two rings.

[Ash]

Jesus.

[Alena]

Which he later mailed to his brother Marcus in South Australia. After loading her into the trunk of her own car, he used the school's pressure washer to clean up the crime scene, drove her car back to his house, where he then sat and had lunch with his mother and brother.

[Ash]

This motherfucker just had the most violent, fatal outburst. And then drives her car, which also. I'm like, hey, mom and bro, did you wonder where that car came from?

[Alena]

That's the thing.

[Ash]

What's that about?

[Alena]

What's that about?

[Ash]

Cause I'm sorry, what the fuck is that about? Did anyone ask?

[Alena]

I'm sure they probably did. And he had some explanation. And I think that's why the mom felt weird about it.

[Ash]

Why she loud.

[Alena]

And that's why she let them search.

[Ash]

Because, like, come on. Yeah, you gotta ask.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Alena]

So, yeah, he had lunch with his mom and brother after that. And then the next day, he drove out to Cocopera national park, where he burned Stephanie's body and then left her car in the abandoned field and then just walked back to his house.

[Ash]

And that makes sense why his mom probably let them search, because he showed up with that car the day before. And then now, all of a sudden, he's walking home without that car.

[Alena]

Yep. Yeah. And when Detective Clark asked why Vincent had taken a photo of Stephanie's burned remains, he calmly said, maybe I wanted a souvenir.

[Ash]

Maybe I never want to see you free again.

[Alena]

Maybe I wanted a souvenir Is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of.

[Ash]

What you had done. What a piece of.

[Alena]

Maybe I wanted a souvenir. You could go your yourself.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Alena]

So after his confession, he was obviously evaluated by a forensic psychologist, Anna Robillard, who would prove to be essential to the prosecution's case against him. During his confession and subsequent interviews with police, he provided no real motive for the murder.

[Ash]

So scary.

[Alena]

Aside from just saying he, quote, went a little nuts. But his evaluations by Robillard provided insight into a personality that had always, always been headed in the direction of violent crime. So he'd been born in Australia in 1990. He'd been raised primarily by his mother in the Netherlands, and his older brother Luke and his twin brother Marcus lived with him as well. But he reported that he had had violent fantasies. As early as 7 or 8 years old is when they started.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Alena]

In her report, Robillard wrote, he stated he had violent. He has violent thoughts when people cause him stress. Stress and his violent thoughts are usually caused when people interrupt his routine. And in the past, he has been triggered by teachers.

[Ash]

What the.

[Alena]

It's like, then why did you choose to work at a school that's.

[Ash]

And in the past he's been triggered by teachers that should have been like. But I guess if you don't know about it, it's like, because he's going to work at a school, you wish that had been noted somewhere in his background that, like, this triggers him. Don't put him in a school with teachers.

[Alena]

Right. I don't know what happened here. In 2003 though, when he was just 13, he was expelled from school after a violent outburst where he attacked a female teacher, knocked her to the ground and choked her.

[Ash]

I'm sorry, this wasn't on his record.

[Alena]

13 years old.

[Ash]

I guess he's a minor, but it's like that's nowhere in his record.

[Alena]

It. This incident also resulted in a months long period of hospitalization for him, where he was then evaluated by psychiatrists there and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which I feel like is just so broad.

[Ash]

Yeah. And it's literally being like he's autistic. So he violently attacked this teacher. It's like, I don't.

[Alena]

It's like, no, there's.

[Ash]

I don't really think those two things are connected, my friend.

[Alena]

There's way more to that. But until that point, Vincent told Robillard he had thought his violent feelings were normal, but after his hospitalization, he realized they weren't. So he, quote, kept it bottled up. Years after that, he came to understand that his violent thoughts and fantasies were considered abnormal to others. But he was still untroubled by them. He told her, this is just the way I'm arranged. I don't think there's anything I can do to get them away. Wow. He was like, yeah, this is just who I am. So I haven't ever attempted to get better.

[Ash]

I'm just gonna hurt people when I get angry.

[Alena]

Like, he is a sick individual.

[Ash]

Like, he sounds like he's just like, I'm not gonna diagnose him because I'm not a psychologist or A psychiatrist. But like, he sounds like he's just so dead. Emotion wise, like, void of humanity. He's just completely gone. Yeah. Like, because he's just like. Yeah. I don't know.

[Alena]

Well, there's just. No.

[Ash]

Just what I do.

[Alena]

Empathy whatsoever.

[Ash]

It's not even like, oh, man, I should have done that. It's literally like, oh, it's just me.

[Alena]

Yeah. I just couldn't stop myself, deal with it.

[Ash]

And why'd I have a picture of her burnt body? Maybe I wanted one. Like, it's just so dead.

[Alena]

It's so dead. And it's a matter of a fact.

[Ash]

Yeah. It's not even like. Like it's. It's just so dead. I can't. Like, the flat affect of it all is so scary. It is.

[Alena]

Is very scary.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

So when it came to the murder of Stephanie Scott, he was as forthcoming as he had been with detectives. But he didn't offer any straightforward explanation for the killing during his examination. And it was apparent to Robillard that he didn't feel any remorse for this murder whatsoever. And in fact, he said he hardly really remembered anything about it. He said, this was just something I had to do. I couldn't stop myself.

[Ash]

You could.

[Alena]

It's like, no.

[Ash]

You just chose not to.

[Alena]

Definitely could have. But in his mind, or at least according to what was said, the violence was simply a means to an end for him. Something to relieve, like an intense tension and pressure that would build up inside of him and then he would just relieve that by attacking somebody. Holy. Yeah. Robillard wrote. He stated that he does not anticipate gaining pleasure from harming others, just relief from his own urge to kill.

[Ash]

So he gets relief from it.

[Alena]

Not.

[Ash]

Yeah, not pleasure.

[Alena]

Pleasure. Relief.

[Ash]

So he's not like a sexual sadist, per se, I guess, according to his own.

[Alena]

According to his own statements and her evaluation.

[Ash]

Yeah, I was just gonna say that's according to how he's presenting.

[Alena]

Yes, because.

[Ash]

Stuff. Well, because to me, I immediately was like, well, he's a sexual sadist.

[Alena]

Well, he did sexually assault her.

[Ash]

Exactly.

[Alena]

So he obviously did. I hate saying this, but, like, obviously he got some sort of pleasure from that. Aside from just relief.

[Ash]

Exactly. You know, But I don't know. This is it. Very interesting.

[Alena]

So that's according to one. Yeah, one psychologist. And later he claimed he did not enjoy killing Stephanie, but that the murder did stop the urge to hurt anybody else for several more months.

[Ash]

And here's where my problem is, where he sits here and says, I didn't enjoy killing her. What's up with that picture?

[Alena]

Yeah. Why did you need a souvenir for something you didn't enjoy?

[Ash]

If you didn't enjoy it, why would you want to go back to it?

[Alena]

And he also said the murder did stop the urge to hurt anybody for several months. I'm like, yeah, you can't. You know that you can't hurt anybody because you're in police custody.

[Ash]

Exactly.

[Alena]

Like, obviously, there are times.

[Ash]

Easy to say, but.

[Alena]

But exactly. That's very easy to say. Then in her summary report, Robillard concluded that Vincent Stanford had, quote, deeply entrenched structural faults in the personality construct and that he had considerable difficulty experiencing emotions and forming bonds or social connections with others, which. Yes, yes. But in addition to that, she said he also had elevated scores on the sadistic and aggressive scale, which is a diagnostic tool used to access to assess a person's predisposition toward violent behaviors.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Alena]

Which is scary that he had very high scores on that.

[Ash]

On the sadistic scale.

[Alena]

Yeah. Like, holy. But on the contrary, despite those traits, he scored relatively low on the psychopathy scale.

[Ash]

Interesting.

[Alena]

Yeah. According to the report, he, quote, described having one feeling hatred, which could be a consequence of his perception of exclusion and rejection and the source of a general social animosity that may have triggered his angry, unpremeditated, and overwhelming urge to kill the victim. He only felt hatred for. That's in general, so scary that people are possibly.

[Ash]

Really scary. That people are just walking around like that.

[Alena]

Yeah. And that they could unleash that hatred at any moment. Yeah. So that's. That's the first evaluation that was done. A second evaluation conducted by David Greenberg, arrived at. At similar conclusions, but Greenberg differed somewhat when it came to Vincent's dangerousness and capacity for violence. Greenberg believed that Vincent most likely had a paraphilic disorder and did derive a sense of sexual pleasure or gratification from his violent fantasies. He said, relative to the general male population, his risk of sexual violence must be regarded as the highest category.

[Ash]

Yeah. Because, like, when I heard that other one, I was like, so we're going with, like, not sexual sadist, even though he did sexually assault her. It's like, that's the thing, because there's many killers who will kill and not sexually assault.

[Alena]

We've covered so many, which.

[Ash]

It's like that. That, like, that's what he was kind of describing. But, like, the problem there was. He did. So it's like that didn't line up with what he was saying. So this. This makes a little more sense to me.

[Alena]

It does And I will say I'm sure it was probably hard to evaluate him based on the fact that, that he did commit one murder and not.

[Ash]

You don't have this pathology of crime scenes that you can to analyze. Yeah. Cause I feel like that must be a time when you can sit there and say, okay, this is clearly something he does every time. And this is, you know, he's escalating in this way and this is the patterns of where all this lies. And it's like right now, like you're saying it's just one scene, one situation and it's like, like, but. And I'm sure you know, he sounds like a bullshitter.

[Alena]

That's like dead bullshitter. Exactly. I tend to agree. I mean, like, I'm not a professional in any way whatsoever, but I tend to agree with the guy.

[Ash]

The other guy's opinion, it rings more true to me.

[Alena]

Yeah. So. While Vincent sat in jail undergoing one evaluation after another, detectives in Leighton continued to build their case against him with the understanding that despite his confession, he was still probably going to be going to trial. Now, in their investigation, detectives also discovered a considerable amount of evidence that not only confirmed his guilt, but also contradicted several statements he made to the police at the time and at the same time supported the findings of both psychological evaluations that had been conducted. Among the evidence collected from his home were, email receipts for, quote, purchases of Viagra, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Cleaning products, a training sword and a knife, and flexi cuffs. Yeah, he's absolutely a sexual sadist.

[Ash]

Absolutely.

[Alena]

100 searches of his computer and Internet search history were also very troubling. And another ding, ding, ding moment because they included searches for, among other things, and this is a lot, bride rape, bride kidnapping and other searches were conducted, quote, in relation to necrophilia and necro rape, as well as a variety of violent pornographic pictures and knives.

[Ash]

Oh, he's 100% getting pleasure out of this.

[Alena]

Absolutely.

[Ash]

Bride rape.

[Alena]

Bride rape.

[Ash]

And she happens to be getting married and he stole her engagement ring.

[Alena]

Yeah, like, come on, there's a lot to that.

[Ash]

What a fucked up monster.

[Alena]

Well, that's the thing. It's very. In my opinion, it's too coincidental that he said he just saw her that.

[Ash]

Day at school, didn't know anything about her.

[Alena]

I think he stalked her.

[Ash]

I also think that especially because he was stalking someone else, he was stalking.

[Alena]

Multiple other women, actually.

[Ash]

It's clear that he was doing this.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

He just didn't have the, what, you know, pictures of her or whatever.

[Alena]

Exactly.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Now, perhaps the most disturbing information they, they learned during the investigation was that prior to Stephanie's murder, Benson had been stalking, like I just said, multiple girls and young women, who, given his search history, were almost definitely intended to be future victims. Among them was a 12 year old girl.

[Ash]

Oh.

[Alena]

Who is referred to as Joanne in court documents. That is not her real name. When investigators searched his computer, they found more than 1800 images of this girl, along with a quote book full of details pertaining to her schedule and times when she may be home alone.

[Ash]

Get us all in a room alone with this man.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Get us all in a room alone with him. I want to beat the out of him.

[Alena]

On a page inside the book, he also had written a list of quote, stupefying drugs, including Valium, chloroform, nitrous oxide and Rohypnol. Yeah.

[Ash]

So this whole story of him just being like, yeah, I don't know, I just went nuts. I had no plan for it. Go yourself.

[Alena]

No.

[Ash]

You've been planning for this for years.

[Alena]

Not a doubt in my mind.

[Ash]

Get out of here.

[Alena]

Not a doubt in my mouth.

[Ash]

This was not a momentary.

[Alena]

Because the other thing is, it's like, oh, you just randomly went to clean the school on a Sunday.

[Ash]

No, you. You were following her.

[Alena]

He was absolutely following her. They also found a quote, and this is absolutely disgusting. A laminated photo of a school dance group that Joanne was a part of. He's a piece of this girl.

[Ash]

Absolute parents should have been allowed in a room with this man.

[Alena]

100.

[Ash]

Like, I just.

[Alena]

There are, there are certain exceptions to the rule. And this is. Yeah.

[Ash]

And this is one of them.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

And I, I will hear this is one of them.

[Alena]

Where you look the other way.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Later, when that evidence was presented in court, he admitted he probably would have abducted and killed her if he hadn't been arrested. And he was just like, yeah, I.

[Ash]

Probably get him gone.

[Alena]

Other evidence collected indicated that he had been stalking more women, including a young woman who worked at the local supermarket and another teacher who worked alongside Stephanie. So it's like if he's stalking another teacher who worked with Stephanie, he's absolutely stopped Stephanie 100.

[Ash]

And he probably. He might have known that she was coming that day, like ahead of time.

[Alena]

Yep, exactly. Not long after he met this teacher, he started to monitor her schedule and record her comings and goings at the, at the school. So between the delays, time spent on the psychological evaluations and requests from the defense for more time to prepare, blah, blah, blah, more than a year passed. By the time he was supposed to be before a judge. And in that time, his twin brother had also been arrested, charged with and pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact.

[Ash]

Yeah. Because what the.

[Alena]

For receiving and selling the stolen jewelry. Which only strengthened the prosecution's case against Minson himself. Because now his brother's going to prison. Yep. In the months since his arrest, Vincent Stanford indicated his intent to go to trial. But given all the evidence against him, the full con and the full confession, his defense attorneys determined it was for the best that their client plead guilty.

[Ash]

What do you do when wasting everyone's time?

[Alena]

And they hoped maybe his cooperation would earn him a reduced sentence.

[Ash]

I hope not.

[Alena]

No. On July 19, 2016, he did in fact plead guilty to the murder and the aggravated sexual assault of Stephanie Scott. And his sentencing hearing was scheduled for October 11, 2016. 2016. During his sentencing hearing, his attorney argued that his client's diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder and the fact that he cooperated with police should be taken into account when passing the sentence.

[Ash]

You be so for real, he very well.

[Alena]

So for real, he very like two things could be true at once. He very well may be on the spectrum, absolutely. But there is also a load of other things that is, that are. That are pertinent in this case that have nothing to do with that.

[Ash]

It wasn't the autism that made me.

[Alena]

It was not the autism. No.

[Ash]

It. That's. That's wild work.

[Alena]

No. And like, frankly, how dare that guy you try to use that like, come on. No, not in this case.

[Ash]

It wasn't that making him do this. No.

[Alena]

So Justice Robert Holm acknowledged that under normal circumstances, those things absolutely would have been been considered. But he was not convinced that Stanford's diagnosis was a factor in the murder. And he told the defense team, but even if it was, the extent would be minimal. Exactly minimal.

[Ash]

It just doesn't work in this circumstance.

[Alena]

He said the calculating manner in which the offender carried out the various activities following the murder and to some extent before indicates he was well capable of making well con well considered choices about how to best serve his own interests and achieve his objectives.

[Ash]

Exactly.

[Alena]

Ultimately, Justice Holm sentenced Vincent Stanford to 15 years for the aggravated sexual assault, assault and life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Stephanie Scott. According to the Guardian, there were exclaims of yes from the public gallery when the sentence was handed down.

[Ash]

Hell yeah.

[Alena]

If I was there, I would have been one of them.

[Ash]

Yep.

[Alena]

And outside the courtroom, Stephanie's mother told reporters the past 18 months have been the most Difficult and harrowing time. So much has been taken away from us. Stephanie has had everything taken away from her. Stephanie embodied all that is good about humankind. She made a tangible difference to the lives of so many people. Stephanie would want us to resume our lives. We need to be kind to ourselves and let the music and fun back in. We need to fade from public view to mourn our beautiful girl and work our way through our grief.

[Ash]

Oh, we just want to hug her.

[Alena]

And the day after Stanford was sentenced was to be Stephanie's 28th birthday.

[Ash]

She was so young, so young.

[Alena]

Her mother said this should be her 28th birthday. The second one we celebrate without her. We'll be having a cup of tea and a mint sliced biscuit at three.

[Ash]

Oh.

[Alena]

Which just like breaks your heart.

[Ash]

Damn.

[Alena]

But it's such a good thing that he's behind bars. Yeah, but it breaks my heart that the loss of Stephanie's life is what landed him behind bars.

[Ash]

Like it doesn't make it better.

[Alena]

It's just so upsetting that no one knew what he was capable of before this happened.

[Ash]

That was also very bold of him to say that he would have probably kidnapped and murdered that 12 year old girl before going into prison forever.

[Alena]

Yeah, that was a crazy, pretty bold move.

[Ash]

I hope that, I hope he's seen the results of that statement.

[Alena]

Yeah, I hope that mates heard that.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alena]

Just cause, I hope, you know, just because, just because it's just a good thing for them to know.

[Ash]

Yeah, that's good. Just, you know, maybe let them see some gen pop action.

[Alena]

Yeah. See what happens, hierarchies and stuff.

[Ash]

Let it all shake out how it does.

[Alena]

It's such a sad case.

[Ash]

It really is awful. I feel so awful for her family.

[Alena]

This family went through so much. Yeah. Yeah.

[Ash]

Terrible.

[Alena]

Awful.

[Ash]

That whole community, really. Because it seems like that whole community really loved her and she was such.

[Alena]

A big part of all of them. Yeah.

[Ash]

Like they all lost someone.

[Alena]

She was a light in that community for sure.

[Ash]

But it's so sad, nice that they.

[Alena]

Celebrate her in a way that they think would have made her happy. And even her mom said like, we have to let the music and the fun back in our lives because she.

[Ash]

Would have wanted that again. That tells you exactly who she was. That people looked at it and said that. Her own mother sitting there being like, she would have wanted us to let her like party.

[Alena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

She would have been remember her in a happy way.

[Alena]

That's the thing. She must have just been the best. Yeah. But that is the murder of Stephanie Scott by an absolute disgusting piece of wet lettuce. We're bringing that back for this. Oh yeah. And we appreciate you guys listening. We hope you keep listening and we hope you keep it weird, but not so weird that a piece of wet lettuce.

[Ash]

Yeah, you Vincent.

[Alena]

You Vincent.

[Ash]

Sa.

[Alena]

If you like morbid, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.