Heartbreaking final act before Layla Jeffery, 13, vanished from home and was found dead - as teen boy with 'some cognitive deficits' is charged with murder

By AIDAN WONDRACZ, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA and ELIZA MCPHEE, ASSISTANT EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 01:20, 12 July 2026 | Updated: 01:20, 12 July 2026 The aunt of a teenage girl found dead after a five-day search has revealed her niece intended to return home and kept the light on before she left and vanished. Layla Jeffery, 13, was last seen on McCracken Street in Donald - about 280km north-west of Melbourne - on July 4, and was reported missing the next day. Police found remains believed to be those of the missing girl on Thursday afternoon after a large-scale search. Victoria Police arrested a 16-year-old boy on Friday and charged him with one count of murder on Saturday afternoon. Layla's aunt Kaitlyn Cheyne said the young girl had been awake late on July 3, the night before she disappeared, sending TikTok videos to her, and then left the house at around 4am on July 4. 'After that, we don't have any confirmation of where she went or what has happened. We just know that she was here, and then she wasn't,' she told The Age. 'She had turned the light on before she left because she was planning to come back.' Her comment comes as the 16-year-old boy charged with murder appeared at Children's Court on Saturday evening. Layla Jeffery, 13, was last seen on McCracken Street in Donald - about 280km north-west of Melbourne - on July 4, and was reported missing the next day Layla's aunt Kaitlyn Cheyne said the young girl had been awake late on July 3, the night before she disappeared The court heard the boy has 'some cognitive deficits' and police allege Layla was murdered on the '4th of July'. The boy cannot be identified for legal reasons. He was remanded in custody and will appear in court again in November.  Detective Inspector Dunstan said on Friday the boy was known to police. 'We are quietly confident that those responsible are in custody now. We don't think there's anyone else who may be involved in this situation,' he said. 'It is a tragic outcome for the Donald community.' Ms Cheyne said Layla and the boy had met through mutual friends.  'It's a small town,' she said.  'Everyone sort of knows everyone, and all of the kids they know they all know each other. So he had friends who knew her friends.'  Police found remains believed to be those of the missing girl on Thursday afternoon after a large-scale search Ms Cheyne said Layla's mother was 'doing absolutely terribly'. '(Layla and her mum) just had a really good night together and they were happy and laughing, and it was just a really sweet night, and I'm really glad that that is her final memory with her,' she said. 'As hard as it is and as horrible as it is, we were somewhat prepared for this outcome. As much as we wanted her home, we were not naive. 'I'm also very, very glad that while we were searching we were not the ones to find her, because as much as we desperately wanted to, I'm just very, very glad we did not.' Ms Cheyne said Layla 'loved her friends' and that 'she loved shopping'.  'She took a lot of pride in her appearance. She had a lot of awareness of her own value and her own beauty, and she was absolutely gorgeous,' she said. '[I] loved how sassy she was. You could tease her to no end, and she would give it right back.  'No hesitation, and no apologies ever because she knew she was right, and she was always so sassy and confident. We just want justice, but we just have to wait and see.' A 53-year-old from Donald and a 55-year-old from Melbourne are also assisting police with inquiries. They have not been arrested.  Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.