Amber Haigh murder co-accused Anne Geeves was set to face Young Local Court on May 17, however, did not appear due to illness.

Represented by solicitor Fiona Sams, the court was told Mrs Geeves was currently in a prison hospital due to an illness and would not be able to face the magistrate.

The 61-year-old had been due to appear before Magistrate Jillian Kiely via audiovisual link.

This was to be Mrs Geeves’ second court appearance after NSW Police arrested her and her former husband Robert Samuel Geeves, 61, at their Harden home on May 4.

Later that day the couple were charged with the alleged murder of former Kingsvale teenager Amber Haigh who disappeared 20 years ago.

Ms Haigh, 19, was living with the Geeves couple and was reported missing on June 19 2002.

She failed to return to her Kingsvale home where she and her six-month-old son had been living.

Previous interviews including the couple provided information to Police that the couple dropped Haigh off on Wednesday 5 June at Campbelltown Train Station, where she intended to travel by train to Mt Druitt to visit her sick father.

Later that day, money was withdrawn from her bank account at an ATM.

Despite extensive investigations by police over the years, including numerous public appeals and a reward for information, Amber had not been located. In 2011, a coronial inquest found Amber to be deceased, having died as a result of homicide or other misadventure in early June 2002.

In 2020, a formal review of the case was conducted under the Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide framework and a re-investigation commenced by detectives attached to a Strike Force. Last month, the NSW Police Force and the NSW Government announced the reward for information relating to Amber’s suspected murder had been increased to $1 million.

When Ms Geeves first appeared in Cowra Local Court earlier this month her solicitor said his client had medical concerns.

While he did not apply for bail at that time, he indicated an application would be forthcoming.

She is due to face court again on 5 July.

Mr Geeves who, in addition to the murder charge, has been charged with ‘aggravated sexual assault victim with serious intellectual disability’, was refused bail when he appeared before Magistrate Jillian Kiely in Cowra Local Court on May 5.

He is due to appear in Young Local Court on 5 July.