19-YEAR-OLD STUDENT FOUND DEAD ON HER BIRTHDAY — STEPFATHER ACCUSED OF A DISTURBING OBSESSION

What happened inside a university apartment in Preston has become the center of a chilling murder trial after a 19-year-old psychology student was found dead on what should have been her 20th birthday.

Carla Georgescu was discovered in her student accommodation at the University of Lancashire in February. Now, her stepfather, Nathan Owens, 34, is accused of killing her after prosecutors alleged he had developed a disturbing and deeply personal obsession with the young woman. Owens denies the charges.

At Preston Crown Court, prosecutors described Carla’s death as the alleged culmination of a fixation that had developed over months or even years. They claim Owens secretly collected photographs of Carla and manipulated innocent images of her into sexualized material.

Then, just hours before Carla was found dead, Owens allegedly made a secret overnight journey from the family home in Hartlepool to her university accommodation.

According to the prosecution, Owens told a story about needing to collect his wife’s purse from Carla’s apartment — but prosecutors say Carla’s mother had no knowledge that he was making the trip. He allegedly parked some distance from the accommodation and spent around 90 minutes inside before leaving while attempting to conceal his identity.

The prosecution also claims investigators uncovered digital and forensic evidence that linked Owens to the apartment. His DNA was allegedly found at the scene, while police say Carla’s phone and laptop were later removed and discarded during the journey back toward Hartlepool.

But one of the most important questions surrounding the case may be why Owens went there in the first place.

Jurors heard that Carla had recently developed an online romantic connection with a young man from Romania and was planning to meet him in person. Prosecutors suggested that jealousy may have been a motive, alleging Owens did not want Carla to become romantically involved with someone else.

The case has raised even more questions because Carla’s death was initially investigated as a possible suicide. However, a forensic examination reportedly uncovered injuries that led investigators to treat the death as a suspected homicide instead.

Carla’s university remembered her as a warm, bright and enthusiastic student who was working toward a career in clinical psychology. Now, the trial is examining the final hours of her life — and the evidence prosecutors say reveals what happened behind the door of her student accommodation.

Why did her stepfather make that secret late-night journey to her university? What happened during the 90 minutes he allegedly spent inside her apartment? And what evidence ultimately turned the investigation in a completely different direction?

Read the full story for the disturbing evidence presented in court, the alleged motive, and the unanswered questions surrounding Carla Georgescu’s final hours.

Source: The Sun