After evading justice for four decades, a killer was finally unmasked when investigators detected his saliva on the seal of a fabricated confession letter. Raymond Reddington, aged 79, was found guilty in the Western Australian Supreme Court of murdering Sharon Fulton at their family home in Perth on March 18, 1986.
Life Sentence with Parole Condition
Reddington, previously known as Robert Fulton, was sentenced on Monday to life imprisonment. He will be eligible for parole after 20 years, but only if he discloses the location of his wife's body, which remains missing to this day.
Breakthrough in a Cold Case
The case had grown cold until the coroner's office received a fake confession letter in 2021. Advanced DNA testing revealed that Reddington's saliva was present on the seal of that letter, providing the crucial evidence needed to revive the investigation. He was convicted in February after being charged with one count of wilful murder on October 25, 2023, and subsequently extradited from New South Wales to Western Australia.
During sentencing, Justice Joseph McGrath stated, 'The deceased should have been safe in your company. Instead, you killed the deceased in an act of violence. You have caused immense grief.' He noted that Sharon Fulton, a 39-year-old mother of four in 1986, had initiated divorce proceedings in the year preceding her death.
Motive and Circumstances
Justice McGrath elaborated on the motive, saying, 'Your marriage had challenges, and you were having affairs... the deceased was aware of your infidelity.' Reddington, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer, feared losing access to his children and facing significant financial repercussions if the couple separated. 'You had a motive to kill,' the judge concluded.
On the morning of March 18, Reddington informed his boss of a 'domestic issue' before leaving work at RAAF base Pearce and driving home. 'Shortly after you arrived at home, you killed the deceased,' Justice McGrath said. 'It is not known when you disposed of the deceased's body or how you did it. It has meant your children have not known what happened to their mother.'
Insurance Policies and Deception
In the months leading up to the murder, Reddington had taken out two life insurance policies, each worth $120,000, for both himself and his wife. Justice McGrath described this as 'a significant sum in 1986.' Three days after the killing, Reddington reported his wife missing to the police, offering conflicting stories such as dropping her off at a train station or claiming she was involved with another man.
Family's Anguish and Future Hopes
Outside the court, Heath Fulton, Reddington's youngest son who was only three years old in 1986, expressed that the sentence represented half the time his father had spent enjoying life after murdering his mother. He emphasized that finding Ms. Fulton's remains is the primary focus for him and his siblings. 'It's the ultimate, and it's the only thing we pretty much live for - to bring her home,' he said.
Health Issues and Claims of Innocence
The court heard that Reddington is unlikely to experience freedom again, as he is battling cancer and a range of other health problems, with a prognosis of as little as 18 months to live. Despite the conviction, Reddington continues to assert his innocence. His lawyer, Jonathan Davies, commented outside court, 'His conviction for the crime of wilful murder will continue to trouble the conscience of our community.'
