A man has admitted to murdering David Charles Thornton, seven years after the victim’s dismembered body was discovered in a chest freezer buried in his backyard. This grim case reached Brisbane Supreme Court, where Bobby Andrew Weaver entered his guilty plea during what was originally meant to be a pre-trial hearing.
The Crown prosecutor requested that Justice Rebecca Wilson arraign the 36-year-old on a single count of murder. Weaver confirmed his plea for the crime committed between January 24 and March 10, 2019, in Goodna, a suburb west of Brisbane. When asked for further comment, Weaver chose to remain silent.
Thornton, a retired maths and science teacher, was last spotted near his home on February 22, 2019. His family reported him missing on March 12 of the same year. Following this, police initiated a search of his property, beginning the excavation in late March 2019. On April 1, authorities uncovered the freezer containing human remains identified as Thornton’s.
Weaver was apprehended in New South Wales on April 2, 2019, at a rest stop along the Pacific Highway, and was subsequently extradited to Queensland the following day. He was scheduled to begin his Supreme Court trial on July 27, 2023.
Today, Justice Wilson ordered that Weaver remain in custody and scheduled a review for April 8 to set a date for his sentencing. Weaver’s barrister indicated she would request a subpoena for his medical records to support the sentencing process.