Woman's housemate and frequent visitor plead not guilty to her murder

Two men accused of murdering Donna Howe, a 57-year-old grandmother, have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to interfering with her corpse. Clinton Oliver, 45, and Braydon Franklin, 35, are on trial in Brisbane for the killing, which allegedly occurred on Mother's Day in 2022. Howe's burnt remains were discovered in a remote forest on the Sunshine Coast.

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The stealing or the perceived theft of minor property, arguably a trivial grievance, does it reason that there may have been a confrontation planned with some violence, perhaps, but intentional killing or grievance bodily harm?

The Supreme Court trial heard opening submissions from Crown Prosecutor Nathan Crane, who alleged that tensions and animosity existed between Howe and the two men who shared her Caboolture home. Crane suggested that Oliver and Franklin perceived Howe as taking their belongings, a perception he noted would not be proven as fact during the trial.

Oliver's defense lawyer, John Cook, urged the jury to consider whether the evidence proved intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm, questioning if perceived theft of minor property could justify such actions. The prosecution claims Howe was killed on May 8, 2022, shortly after returning from a Mother's Day dinner with her daughter, who later reported her missing.

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A lot of what this trial is about is the reconstruction of what happened. It's about taking pieces of the puzzle from everywhere in terms of that reconstruction.

The discovery of Howe's remains was made by a four-wheel driver, Bayley O'Day, on June 7, 2022, in the Glass House Mountains. O'Day testified to noticing the remains while directing his brother and experiencing a "bad feeling" before reporting the find to the police. The trial is expected to focus on reconstructing the events leading up to Howe's death, piecing together evidence from various sources.

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I kept a bit of distance between me and what was on the ground. I looked at it and freaked out a bit, and then back to the car.