Ms Spiers’ father Don sat in the back of Stirling Gardens Magistrate’s Court this morning to watch his daughter’s alleged killer on a screen.
The court hearing was also witnessed by Ms Glennon’s father Denis and Ms Rimmer’s loved ones.
Mr Edwards showed little emotion when he appeared by videolink from Hakea Prison facing three charges of wilful murder.
The 49-year-old is also facing charges over two separate sex attacks on teenagers in 1988 and 1995.
The case was adjourned for 12 weeks after the new wilful murder charge relating to Ms Spiers was read to Mr Edwards.
The public gallery in the court was packed with people during Mr Edwards’ fourth court appearance before Magistrate Jan Whitbread.
The alleged murderer, who wore prison greens and glasses, spoke only to confirm he understood the charge.
Defence lawyer Genevieve Cleary said she would have been ready to commit the matter to trial in the Supreme Court if it were not for the new charge.
She said there was no point in splitting up the matters at this point.
Prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo told the court prosecutors were currently reviewing and categorising more than 1.5 million pages of material.
She said it was in the interests of justice to ensure the material could be filtered and searching in a meaningful way by all parties.
Ms Barbagallo said they were well progressed but would not be done before the end of June.
Police will allege Mr Edwards abducted Ms Spiers, whose body has never been found, as she waited for a taxi in Claremont on January 27, 1996.
Officers have not revealed what gave them the confidence to lay charges over the 18-year-old secretary’s death.
Mr Edwards is also charged with murdering 23-year-old childcare worker Jane Rimmer in June 1996 and 27-year-old lawyer Ciara Glennon in March 1997 after abducting them from Claremont.
Ms Rimmer’s body was found in Wellard in August 1996 and Ms Glennon’s body was found in Eglinton in April 1997.
Mr Edwards is allegedly the man behind the abduction and degrading rape of a 17-year-old girl who was walking through Rowe Park in Claremont in February 1995.
Police believe he also indecently assaulted an 18-year-old during a break-in at a Huntingdale home in February 1988.
The former Telstra worker was arrested at his Kewdale home in an early morning raid in December 2016.
Detectives are still searching for a white, 1992-model Toyota Camry station wagon that they believe could be linked to the disappearance of Ms Spiers.
The car was registered until 2008 and the vehicle identification number (VIN) was 6T172SV2109318479.
Mr Edwards will appear in court again in July.
This article originally appeared on PerthNow.
