Three weeks since the coronial inquiry of the 1987 deaths of Jacinta Rose Smith and Mona Lisa Smith began, the court has heard that several aspects of the case were mishandled. 

Cousins Jacinta Rose, 16, and Mona Lisa, 15, were found dead beside a car crash site on the Mitchell Highway 35 years ago. 

The coronial inquiry is investigating the handling and result of the case, where the 40 year old driver Alexander Ian Grant - who was found alive inside the car - was acquitted, despite evidence suggesting he had been driving under the influence when the car crashed, and sexually interfered with Jacinta’s body. 

In front of an all-white jury, the non-Indigenous man was allowed to walk free, with charges of manslaughter of the two Indigenous girls being dropped before his hearing in 1988 even began. 

Mr Grant died in 2018 having never been charged.

On 27 November 2023, supporters gathered in Bourke to attend a march for justice, showing their support for the family on the first day of the inquest.

This week, the inquiry has examined the impact of racism within the case, which led to detectives believing that it was in fact Mona who was driving when the car crashed - despite having never driven a manual vehicle - and that the two families involved weren’t informed of the girls’ death by police. 

According to The National Indigenous Times, Jacinta’s mother Fiona Smith said in her statement to the inquiry that no one cared about the death of the two girls throughout the original investigation and trial.

“I felt like (the jury) weren’t even looking at us as humans, but as blacks,” her statement read. 

Further discrepancies from the investigation have also come to light, including the storage of the vehicle at a local cotton gin, despite police never having used that as a location to store evidence, and the lack of charges for interference with Jacinta’s corpse.

Detective Inspector Quigg - who has reviewed the police investigation - told the magistrate that the original charges weren’t fitting for the evidence.

“I believe manslaughter would have been more appropriate,” Detective Inspector Quigg reportedly said. 

The hearings will conclude next week, with the coroner expected to deliver her findings in 2024.