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The family of a school cleaner accused of murdering Leeton teacher Stephanie Scott has been holed up in a local motel as they help police investigate the killing.
Fairfax Media understands Vincent Stanford, 24, has not been co-operating with police, but his mother, Anika, and older brother, Luke, have spent countless hours helping detectives in any way they can.
They remained in hiding in a motel in the Leeton area yesterday.
They declined to speak to Fairfax Media.
Leeton mayor Paul Maytom said he had no concerns about reprisal attacks on the family despite chatter online indicating some residents in the town were vowing revenge.
“I’ve heard more people who are concerned about what’s happened with the rest of the family and wondering whether they are being looked after,” he said.
“People do have concerns for how they are placed now because they are also going through the trauma.
“I would hope there are people helping them though this.”
The death of the popular drama and English teacher continued to be mourned yesterday in church services and sporting events across the country.
In her hometown of Canowindra, hot air balloonists held a sunrise memorial and sent yellow balloons into the cool dawn sky.
Church services in Leeton were dedicated to the 26-year-old and yellow armbands were worn by players in the NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and Melbourne Storm.
Forensic investigators also returned to Leeton High School yesterday, the place where Ms Scott was last seen on Easter Sunday making last-minute preparations for her wedding to Aaron Leeson-Woolley.
It’s not yet known where or how Ms Scott was killed or when her body was dumped five metres off a bush track in the Cocoparra National Park.
Stanford, a cleaner at Leeton High School, was arrested on Wednesday at his family’s home on Maiden Avenue in Leeton and charged with murdering Ms Scott on Easter Sunday.
Stanford’s mother and brother had previously helped police locate her charred remains on Friday, 70 kilometres from Leeton in a national park where the Stanford family had regular camping trips.
They fled their family home after Stanford’s arrest and it remains a crime scene.
Stanford, who was born in Tasmania, moved to Leeton last year with his mother and brother after living in the Netherlands for 10 years.
He was described by neighbours as a quiet man who kept to himself.
He had no criminal record, according to the Albury company that employed him to clean the school.