Important update 22 years after the teenager's disappearance

A couple have been acquitted of murder charges in the New South Wales region of teenager Amber Haigh. A judge dismissed allegations that they killed the young mother to gain custody of a child.

Robert Samuel Geeves, 64, and Anne Margaret Geeves, 64, were acquitted on Monday of the murder of Ms Haigh, who disappeared more than 20 years ago while living at her Kingsvale property.

Following a nearly eight-week trial in the High Court earlier this year, Judge Julia Lonergan delivered her verdict on Monday, finding Mr and Mrs Geeves not guilty of Ms Haigh's murder.

Ms Haigh, 19, who had an intellectual disability and suffered from epilepsy, was living with the Geeves on their property in Kingsvale, near Young, when she disappeared in June 2002.

During the trial, prosecutors claimed the couple killed Ms Haigh to gain custody of a young child.

Both pleaded not guilty to the murder and the court was told they claimed they last saw Ms Haigh when they dropped her off at Campbelltown railway station on June 5, 2002.

According to their version of events, they drove Ms Haigh to the south-western outskirts of Sydney so that she could travel on to western Sydney to visit her sick and dying father.

The court was told that at 8.49pm that evening a withdrawal of $500 was made from an ATM in Queen Street using Ms Haigh's card.

“The defendant's account is not fundamentally implausible and is supported by other independent evidence,” said Judge Lonergan.

“Both Robert and Anne were asked many questions about what happened on the trip. Their reports were consistent and were presented consistently.”

Judge Lonergan said the fact that Ms Haigh had previously travelled by train to Sydney did not arouse suspicion.

She also said that Mr Geeves called his boss and asked for a later start to work the next day before eventually taking the day off.

And Judge Lonergan said this confirmed their late arrival at Kingsvale.

Prosecutors alleged that the Geeveses controlled Ms Haigh's spending and use of her bank cards.

However, Judge Lonergan stated: “This is not supported by the evidence.”

“I have come to the conclusion that the defendant’s version of events may be true,” said Judge Lonergan.

“Under these circumstances I must acquit.

“For all these reasons, I must return a verdict of not guilty against both Robert Geeves and Anne Geeves.”

Judge Lonergan said she had determined Ms Haigh was dead and noted that she had not filled her prescription for her epilepsy medication or seen a doctor.

However, she said it could not be established beyond doubt that she was killed by the Geeves.

The Geeveses reported Mrs Haigh missing at Young Police Station on June 19, 2002.

Her body was never found and she never contacted her family.

The court was told that Mr Geeves began having sexual intercourse with Ms Haigh in 2001.

During the trial, prosecutor Paul Kerr claimed the couple killed Ms Haigh to gain custody of a child and failed to take her to the station.

The prosecution alleged that the Geeves had appointed Ms Haigh as a “deputy”.

According to the prosecution, Ms Geeves had “desperately” wanted another child; the court found that she had suffered three miscarriages and one stillbirth.

Michael King, Ms Geeves' lawyer, told the court that there had long been public suspicions about Mr Geeves.

The defence argued that the police could not have disproved at the time that the Geeves family had made the trip to Campbelltown.

Her defense also pointed out that no incriminating evidence was obtained after police placed listening devices in the Geeves' house and car.

Ms Haigh's disappearance remains an ongoing mystery for the remote and close-knit community around Kingsvale, about a two-hour drive from Canberra.

Judge Lonergan said there was no evidence that Anne or Robert Geeves had told anyone that Amber had been used as a “surrogate mother”.

“It is true that the Geeves helped Amber,” said Judge Lonergan.

“She was a socially vulnerable young woman with little support from her family… Her help was not harmful and I would not like to conclude that it was.”

She also refused to find that the Geeves had attempted to “isolate” Ms Haigh from her family.

She found that Ms Haigh had had a turbulent home life, that her mother had not wanted her and that her father was a “frightening, inconsistent and abusive factor in her life”.

“Amber moved between places and people in search of love and comfort,” Judge Lonergan said.

“She never found it. She was still looking for it when she disappeared.”

Robert and Anne Geeves were released from prison after the verdict.