Strike Force Chiltern: Troy Jason Ruttley had history of burning cars, assault before murder of Johann Morgan in Tamworth in 2015

The Leader can reveal Troy Jason Ruttley’s criminal history after he was convicted of murder in the NSW Supreme Court in Tamworth, last week, despite Ms Morgan’s body never being found.

Ruttley, now 47, has been in custody since his arrest in December, 2015, by detectives from Strike Force Chiltern – the Oxley police operation set up to investigate Ms Morgan’s disappearance and murder. 

While he maintained his innocence, he admitted torching the Mitsubishi stationwagon the Crown said was used to dispose of Ms Morgan’s body, after he killed her in her Cole Rd home in August, 2015.

But this is not his first time behind bars. The jury wasn’t told Ruttley was in custody on the charge of murder or that his criminal history boasts a conviction for arson, or destroying property by fire, in 2013 in Tamworth, and contravening an AVO.

He was jailed for 18 months with a minimum of nine months in prison. He was only released in February, 2014 – when he was in an on-off relationship with Ms Morgan.

The Leader was granted access by the court to Ruttley’s rapsheet which spans back to 1989 and is littered with driving and alcohol-related offences. 

He was first jailed in 1995 for three months for driving while uninsured, unregistered, failing to appear in court, disqualified driving and fraudulent number plates.

Ruttley boasts multiple convictions for driving while unlicenced or disqualified, drink driving and driving unregistered cars.

He was also placed on a good behaviour bond for assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2006.

He’s had warrants out for his arrest and been jailed six times for offences spanning from Tamworth to Manilla, Gunnedah, Coonbarabran, Moree, Mungindi, Walgett and Bourke.

Despite being found guilty by the jury, Ruttley has not told police where Ms Morgan’s body was disposed of.

After the verdict, Ms Morgan’s sisters and daughter made an emotional plea for Ruttley to give up where the body of their mother and sister was so they could finally lay her to rest.

Oxley Detective Sergeant Jason Darcy said until that time, the case remains open.

“Strike Force Chiltern detectives are committed to finding Johann Morgan’s remains,” he told The Leader.

“We would urge anyone with information on where Ms Morgan’s remains are to please talk to police.” 

Ruttley will be sentenced in the NSW Supreme Court in Tamworth in November.

Ruttley was found guilty after less than two days of deliberations by the jury of six men and six women in Tamworth.

The jury accepted the Crown’s case that Ruttley had killed Ms Morgan and dragged her body out of her Cole Rd home on the night of August 9, 2015.

He then used a Mitsubishi stationwagon – registered in his mother’s name – to dispose of the body.

He burnt the car the following day at an old quarry off the Oxley Highway, about 17km outside of Tamworth.

Despite several aerial searches and ground sweeps of paddocks, creeks and land between Coledale and Somerton, police have found no trace of Ms Morgan’s body.