General
Francis Wark acquitted of murdering teenager Hayley Dodd in Badgingarra in 1999, guilty of manslaughter
A convicted rapist who was accused of murdering a missing West Australian teenager more than 20 years ago has been found guilty of manslaughter, but acquitted of murder after a second trial.
Key points:
- Francis Wark always maintained his innocence
- Wark said he was 50 kilometres away when the teenager vanished
- The jury deliberated for 11-and-a-half hours
A Supreme Court jury took 11-and-a-half hours to acquit 65-year-old Francis John Wark of the murder of 17-year-old Hayley Dodd in July 1999.
Instead, the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Ms Dodd was last seen alive walking along a remote road near where he owned a property at Badgingarra, in WA’s Wheatbelt region.
The teenager has not been heard from since and…
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