Qld: Witness looks on as schoolgirl raped and murdered

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2000
Qld: Witness looks on as schoolgirl raped and murdered

A Brisbane court has heard a woman rang her friend to find out what she should do after
she watched a man rape a young schoolgirl across the road from her home.

Forty-nine-year-old LEONARD JOHN FRASER, of North Rockhampton in central Queensland,
has pleaded not guilty to murdering nine-year-old KEYRA STEINHARDT on April 22, 1998.

LYNETTE KIERNAN of North Rockhampton has testified in the Supreme Court that she saw
KEYRA attacked while walking through a tree-covered area on her way home from school.

Mrs KIERNAN says she saw a man following a few steps behind KEYRA, before catching
up to her and hitting her on the head.

She says she then saw the man rape KEYRA.

Mrs KIERNAN has testified that shortly after that she phoned a friend to ask her what
to do, but when she wasn't home she made an anonymous call to police.

Mrs KIERNAN says she had seen the girl walking home from school regularly, and the
day before the attack she'd seen the same man walking near her.

The trial, expected to last more than four weeks, is continuing.

AAP RTV smk/sc/et/jn

KEYWORD: FRASER (BRISBANE)

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