In the early hours of March 23, 19-year-old Central Cost triathlete Audrey Griffin was walking home after a night out in Gosford when she was attacked by an unknown man.
The following afternoon, Griffin’s deceased body was found partially submerged in Erina Creek. This week, her alleged killer was identified and arrested.
After the month-long investigation, police arrested 53-year-old Adrian Noel Torrens on Monday, where he remains behind bars until his matter returns to Gosford Local Court on June 20.
On Tuesday, Brisbane Water police commander, Superintendent Darryl Jobson revealed that his team were uneasy about attributing Griffin’s death to an accident before new information spurred surprise murder charges.
“This is a matter which has not sat well with us from the start,” Superintendent Jobson said on Tuesday.
“We received significant information [last Friday] which transferred this investigation to a homicide investigation. For a 19-year old woman to meet her death in a creek was very unsettling for us, because we want the answers.”
According to The Daily Telegraph, police are set to make a number of allegations against Torrens, including that he’d instigated a physical altercation with Griffin on the night he murdered her, that Griffin scratched Torrens during the alleged incident, collecting some of his DNA under her fingernails and that Torrens struck the left side of Griffin’s face and knocked her unconscious, causing her to drown, or held her underwater.
A local resident living near Erina Creek where Griffin’s body was later discovered recalled hearing a high-pitched scream on the night of Griffin’s murder, later telling investigators she believed it was the sound of a fox.
Griffin’s mother, Kathleen Kirby, described her only daughter as “vibrant”, “smart”, “beautiful” and “very well loved”.
“She was amazing,” Kirby told the Herald. “Absolutely amazing.”
The distraught mother said that the last time she texted her daughter, she told her she loved her and that she was proud of her.
Weeks before her death, Griffin had flown to New Zealand to compete in the ANZCO Foods half Ironman competition, where she placed 23rd in her age group classification.
The University of Technology Sydney student had planned to join the Navy in early April. She’d recently obtained her motorcycle and jet ski licences.
She was an active member of the Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club and Terrigal Sharks Rugby League Club, where she a member of the club’s inaugural senior women’s team.
A GoFundMe fundraising page launched last month to help Griffin’s family with funeral costs (which was held on April 11) raised over $30,000.
“We are heartbroken by the unexpected loss of our beautiful Audrey,” the fundraiser said.
“Audrey touched everyone, not just in her community but all over the country. She was the light in many of our lives. There is no doubt she [brought] endless laughter and joy to everyone. She was the kindest soul to walk this earth and will always be in our hearts.”
According to the Australian Femicide Watch, Griffin is the 22nd women killed by violence so far in 2025.
On the platform’s social media, founder Sherele Moody wrote, “When we first heard of Audrey’s death, police reassured us she had not been killed.”
“Repeatedly. Then they put a call out to speak to a man caught on CCTV. And yesterday, they charged a male with murder. He was on bail for domestic violence. It’s not known if police said her death was not suspicious as a ruse to trap the accused, or if their initial investigations were inadequate.”
“What I do know is, many people from the local area are justifiably upset after realising for almost a month they had an accused killer in their midst. We need honesty from police when women are murdered – and this is even more vital when potential killers are not apprehended.”
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000.
If you need help and advice call 1800Respect on 1800 737 732, Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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