A New Zealander who evaded police for 24 years after the gruesome death of his girlfriend has pleaded guilty to murdering her.
Auckland woman Nella Celeste Poli, 19, was found by a neighbour and her mother after she failed to turn up for work at a Sydney hotel in May, 1987.
Grant David Mitchell was her boyfriend at the time. He went missing soon after her death.
But he handed himself into Queensland police in January last year and was extradited to New South Wales where he was charged with murder.
Yesterday Mitchell, now 62, admitted murdering Miss Poli.
He will be sentenced in May.
Miss Poli, a barmaid, grew up in Avondale but moved to Sydney several years before her death.She was found dead in her bed with a 20cm burn mark around her neck, leading police to believe she had been strangled with a piece of rope or cord.
After Mitchell's arrest the Herald revealed that Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett later lived in the Sydney bedroom where the murder took place.
Blanchett moved into the house and into Miss Poli's bedroom soon after the killing. She found out about the murder while watching Australia's Most Wanted.
She told Vogue magazine that she had to stay in the house as she could not afford to move elsewhere.
At the time of Ms Poli's death it was reported that a photo of her with the head ripped off was found near her body.
A task force was set up to investigate Miss Poli's murder, and New South Wales police issued a warrant for the arrest of Mitchell - described as her de facto husband.
The Weekend Herald understands Miss Poli broke up with him and told him to leave their house shortly before she was killed.
Police believe Mitchell created a false identity to help him evade authorities.
Miss Poli's sister, Silk Sullivan, was only six when the murder happened.
"I don't remember specific details, but I remember the special cover up work they had to do with her because we had an open casket at the funeral. I just remember looking at her face for the last time," she said after news broke of Mitchell's arrest.
"I loved her very much. She was an amazing person, such a generous, loving person."
Ms Sullivan said it was frustrating knowing who had killed her sister but being unable to find him.
She remembered spending time with Mitchell as a child.
"He was around, but I never thought anything was off or wrong with him."
She said that over the years, relatives had tried to find Mitchell themselves but without success.
- By Anna Leask of the New Zealand Herald
