Raymond Reddington on Trial for 1986 Murder of Wife, Sharon Fulton
Raymond Reddington, 79, is currently on trial in the WA Supreme Court for the 1986 murder of his then-wife, Sharon Fulton, whose remains have not been located.
Prosecution Allegations
Prosecutor Ben Stanwix outlined the allegations against Mr. Reddington, who was then known as Robert Fulton. He stated that Mr. Reddington failed to report his wife missing for several days following her last sighting on March 18, 1986. Mrs. Fulton, 39, missed multiple appointments that day, including picking up her sons from school and a childcare center. The prosecution suggests she was killed at the family's Duncraig home in Perth's north.
A key element of the prosecution's case is a $120,000 life insurance policy Mr. Reddington allegedly took out on Mrs. Fulton weeks before her disappearance.
Mr. Stanwix argued that Mr. Reddington had a motive, as Mrs. Fulton was considering divorce, and he "stood to lose just about everything."
Mr. Stanwix also detailed how Mr. Reddington's accounts of Mrs. Fulton's disappearance changed multiple times. Initially, he told police she had left for time to herself, possibly with a boyfriend. Later, he claimed to have taken her to various train stations (Mount Lawley, East Perth, Perth) to meet someone. Furthermore, Mr. Reddington changed the family's home phone number after she vanished and allegedly did not contact her friends as he claimed.
In 2021, the WA Coroner's Court received an anonymous letter from a "Michael Harrison" claiming to have gotten Mrs. Fulton pregnant and buried her body under a concrete driveway. The prosecution asserts this letter was a fabrication written by Mr. Reddington, citing DNA evidence found on the envelope. Mr. Reddington reportedly changed his name from Robert Fulton to Raymond Reddington, a name stated to be from a TV show, after the disappearance.
Defense Arguments
Defense lawyer Jonathan Davies stated that there is "no direct evidence of any crime," emphasizing the absence of a body, confession, weapon, or crime scene.
Mr. Davies suggested the investigation suffered from "tunnel vision" and was incomplete.
He indicated the defense would present information about other individuals who should have been investigated, including serial killers David and Catherine Birnie, and Terence Fisher, despite the prosecution asserting no evidence links them to Mrs. Fulton's disappearance.
The defense maintains that Mrs. Fulton intended to take a short break, and what occurred afterward remains unknown. The trial is scheduled for four weeks.