For three days the small Riverina township of Leeton held out hope that their popular high school teacher Stephanie Scott, missing since Easter Sunday, would return home to them safe and well.
Family, friends, members of local touch footy teams and Ms Scott's fellow school teachers sprang into action, and started scouring roads in the town and surrounding areas for any sign of the 26-year-old and her car, which was also missing.
But just as a fourth day of searching was due to start, the township of 6700 received was rocked by the news that the 26-year-old was presumed murdered and a local man had been taken in for questioning over her death.
"In the last few days everyone has just been talking about it in the town," Leeton mayor Paul Maytom said. "For her to mysteriously disappear like that, everyone was hoping she was going to be found, and found alive.
"We didn't know what could have happened, and obviously I was not considering it would end up like this."
As news filtered through the town her students along with friends and complete strangers began to gather at the gates of Leeton High School, empty because of the school holidays, but soon populated with flowers, handwritten notes and tied yellow balloons to the fence.
The school will open on Friday to offer counselling to the students trying to comprehend what has happened to their teacher.
"It certainly is a dark day for Leeton and Stephanie's family and friends," Mr Maytom said.
Cr Maytom said also knew her partner of five years, Aaron Leeson-Woolley, who worked at the nearby JBS Riverina Beef Plant.
"I know a lot of people who work with him [Mr Leeson-Woolley] and I know that he has been absolutely so worried sick over the last few days, and then to have this news this morning is just absolutely devastating," he said.
"We have a small community, most people know of each other, they know all the families in our shire, and you know, to have someone like Stephanie who's such a well-liked person, and just about to be married next weekend, and her fiance working here in Leeton ... it's just absolutely devastating to hear the news.
Ms Scott's family had launched a social media campaign to try to find their loved one, posting numerous photographs of her online.
On Wednesday night, as police would have been taking Mr Stanford in for questioning, Ms Scott's sister, Kim, posted a thank you message on Facebook.
"Overwhelmed. The amount of love and support we've received is a credit to you Stephanie," she wrote, beside a photograph of Ms Scott and Mr Leeson-Woolley.
"You are so loved. You're going to be so impressed when you get home. xxx"
Father Robert Murphy, from St Peter's Anglican Church, said Leeton was such a small community that it was impossible for anyone not to feel connected to what had happened.
"It's a very sad time for our town and for Stephanie's loved ones. We are all shocked.
"These things don't happen in Leeton."
