Fed: Bundaberg residents pray for murdered backpacker

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Fed: Bundaberg residents pray for murdered backpacker

BRISBANE, April 16 AAP - Hundreds of Bundaberg residents observed a minute's silenceat a prayer service last night for murdered British backpacker Caroline Stuttle.

The evening service at Bundaberg's Moncrieff Theatre was held as Ms Stuttle's travellingcompanion Sarah Holiday told journalists in England of a friend who was an inspirationto everyone she met.

Ms Holiday, who had known Ms Stuttle since primary school, told a news conference inYork her friend was "truly beautiful inside and out" and urged young people to continuebackpacking in Australia.

"Words can't begin to describe the pain of losing my best friend," she said.

"Caroline was such a special person. She was kind and loving and had such a positiveattitude to life.

"My thoughts are with Caroline's family and I hope that it can be some comfort to themto know that Caroline's last two months were spent feeling happy and loved.

"She was living her dream that she had worked so hard for."

Ms Stuttle's body was found last Wednesday night under the Burnett River Bridge inthe Queensland sugar city, 350km north of Brisbane.

A port-mortem examination revealed she had been assaulted and died from severe headand spinal injuries after falling nine metres from the bridge.

Ms Stuttle's body has been released by the coroner and is expected to be flown to Englandsoon for her funeral.

A Police Department spokesman said her family were not expected to fly to Australiato accompany the body home.

Police hunting Ms Stuttle's killer yesterday dressed a mannequin like the 19-year-oldto jog people's memories in the search for clues.

The mannequin, dressed in the same clothes as those worn by the teenager the nightshe died - was set up in Bundaberg's central business district and will be moved to thepost office today.

Ms Stuttle had walked to the post office to phone her boyfriend and was on the 10-minutewalk back to the Riverdale Caravan Park in the dark when she was attacked.

AAP jhm/pw/bwl

KEYWORD: BACKPACKER SECOND DAYLEAD