investigation were Matthew Webster, Guy Wilson and NC1. In interviews on 5 November, NC1 admitted to having sex with Leigh, but said it was consensual. Wilson initially denied any wrongdoing, though in a later interview he admitted to pushing Leigh, pouring beer over her, spitting on her and throwing an empty beer bottle at her. Webster admitted to pouring beer on Leigh, but denied sexually assaulting or killing her. He originally told police he went to a pub after the party, but in an interview eight days later changed his story to state that he had gone for a walk. Webster also stated that two 14-year-old girls had approached him and NC1 at the party, asking for some "hash", and that the two of them had obtained a small bag of resin and exchanged it with the girls for $20. Blood samples were taken from two suspects; The Newcastle Herald reported this as probably the first use of DNA tests in a Hunter Valley murder investigation. Clothing samples were also taken from several suspects. In her book Who Killed Leigh Leigh?, Kerry Carrington, a criminologist and prominent researcher of the murder, described the investigation as being "fuelled by mutual suspicion and by rumour and counter-rumour". People who attended the party complained of living in fear of being the next rumoured killer; Matthew Webster, Jason Robertson and two other boys appeared on the front page of The Newcastle Herald on 8 November with such complaints. For a time the most popular rumour was that Leigh had been murdered by her stepfather, and that he had been having sex with her for months. In November 1990 Detective Chaffey told journalist Mark Riley that police had heard this rumour so many times that they considered Shearman to be a suspect. Riley's article stated that the community of Stockton harboured suspicions about Shearman right until Webster was charged with murder. On 16 November Webster pleaded guilty to assaulting Leigh and to supplying cannabis resin to a minor. He was released on bail, with his sentencing scheduled for 21 February 1990. On 19 January Wilson pleaded guilty to assaulting Leigh; he was released on bail pending sentencing. On 28 January, upon being taunted by four boys regarding the murder, Webster assaulted one of them. On 31 January, Brad Shearman approached Guy Wilson in public, and punched him in the head three times after Wilson allegedly