Jayde Kendall was killed within two hours: court
Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall was dead within two hours of being picked up by her killer Brenden Jacob Bennetts, a trial has heard.
Mr Bennetts has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court for murder after the prosecution rejected his plea.
The jury has heard Jayde was last seen alive getting into Mr Bennett's distinctive red Toyota Corolla after school on Friday, August 14, 2015.
Jayde was meant to start her shift at McDonalds that evening but never showed up and was reported missing by her father that night.
The 16-year-old's body was found 13 days later covered in grass in a field on the outskirts of town.
Prosecutor Vicki Loury QC said in her opening address Jayde's body was so badly decomposed when she was found that a cause of death could not be determined.
Ms Loury said Mr Bennetts and Jayde were seen by various witnesses driving away from Gatton but only Mr Bennetts returned.
"She would be dead by 5pm," Ms Loury said.
The court heard Mr Bennetts appeared to get lost trying to get back into town and used Google Maps to find his way out of the backstreets.
The then 18-year-old also allegedly withdrew a total of $70 from Jayde's bank account from an ATM while shielding his face before driving to his girlfriend's house in Slacks Creek, south of Brisbane.
Mr Bennetts, now aged 21, has pleaded not guilty to murder.
AAP
Topics
Get the Morning Edition
Sign up for our daily wrap of the news you need to start your day.