Michelle Bright was a 17-year-old girl who was found raped and murdered in New South Wales,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. She was last seen at 12:45 am on 27 February 1999 by a friend who dropped her off in Mayne Street, Gulgong following a friend's 15th birthday party that day. The Minister for Police,

Michael Daley Michael John Daley (born 1 November 1965) is an Australian politician who was the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of New South Wales from November 2018 to March 2019. He is currently a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assemb ...

, announced that the NSW Government offered a reward of $500,000 to solve the murder of Bright, the second-highest reward offered in NSW (the highest being the reward offered for the recovery of William Tyrrell). The police regarded Bright's death as a horrific crime. On 10 August 2020, the reward was raised to $1,000,000. The following day, 53-year-old Craig Henry Rumsby, a former neighbour of Bright's, was arrested for her murder, and also an assault with intent to rape against an 18-year-old committed in 1998. On 30 June 2023, Rumsby was found guilty of Bright's murder and the assault on the 18-year-old. On 7 August 2023, Justice Robert Allan Hulme sentenced Rumsby to 32 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 24 years: Rumsby will be eligible for parole in 2044, at the age of 77.

References

Deaths by person in Australia Incidents of violence against girls Murder in New South Wales Child murder in Australia 1999 murders in Australia February 1999 events in Australia {{crime-stub