Four people have faced court in Hobart today over the death of accountancy student Zhang Yu, also known as Tina, who disappeared during a night out in the city in the early hours of last Friday.
Two 21-year-old Hobart men - Stavros Papadopoulos and Daniel Joseph Williams - appeared separately in the Hobart Magistrates Court, charged with murder.
Charges of failing to report that a person has been killed were also laid against Papadopoulos’ girlfriend, Jazmin Iris Haygarth, 18, and John Edward Mollineaux, 43, who lives near the couple.
Ms Yu was last seen outside the Mercure Hotel in the city centre in the early hours of Friday after a night out on Thursday.
Her body was found in the Tyenna River, off a bush track in the Mt Field National Park area, about 90 minutes drive north-west of Hobart.
Ms Yu arrived in Tasmania from China last year and was studying accountancy at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, where students are in shock.
“It’s horrific and unimaginable that something like this could occur in Tasmania,” said Robert Meredith, Tasmania University Union president.
Papadopoulos, who had a black eye, and Williams were not required to enter a plea when they appeared before Magistrate Michael Hill, nor did they apply for bail, both being remanded in custody.
Papadopoulos answered “that’s me” when asked to verify his name, while Williams merely nodded when asked if he understood what was happening to him. They will reappear in the same court on July 24.
Mr Meredith said there had been no real history of violence or hostility towards Tasmania’s 3000 international students, unlike the experience of Indian students interstate.
Additional reporting: AAP