A man has been charged with the murder of a teenage girl, more than a month after her body was found in a creek — despite police initially saying they were not treating her death as suspicious.
The partially-submerged body of Audrey Griffin, 19, was found in Erina Creek on the NSW Central Coast on March 24, a day after she was last seen leaving a nearby pub following a night out with friends.
Her death wasn’t deemed as suspicious at the time as a preliminary autopsy had initially suggested that Ms Griffin had drowned.
However, after further investigations, police charged 53-year-old Adrian Torrens with murder in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills on Monday night.
‘Police will allege the man had a physical altercation with the victim,’ a police statement read.
The man was refused bail to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
Ms Griffin was a much-loved member of the Terrigal Sharks rugby league and local life saving clubs.
After completing her HSC in 2023, Ms Griffin juggled training and a part-time job at Crown Plaza Terrigal along with study commitments at University of Technology Sydney.
Audrey Griffin’s body was pulled from Erina Creek on the NSW Central Coast on March 24
Police arrested Adrian Noel Torrens, 53, in Surry Hills, Sydney, and charged him with Griffin’s murder. Pictured a man who was spotted in the area around the time that Griffin went missing
Ms Griffin’s family said the 19-year-old ‘brought endless laughter and joy to everyone’
Ms Griffin was also a former member for Gosford Water Polo’s ladies third division team.
‘Audrey touched everyone, not just in her community but all over the country. She was the light in many of our lives,’ a family statement on a GoFundMe read.
‘There is no doubt she brought endless laughter and joy to everyone.
‘She was the kindest soul to walk this earth and will always be in our hearts.’
