Quanne Diec's family say they are "shattered" after a jury found former nightclub bouncer Vinzent Tarantino not guilty of her murder, despite the fact he confessed to police.

Key points: Mr Tarantino walked in to Surry Hills police station and confessed to the murder

Mr Tarantino walked in to Surry Hills police station and confessed to the murder That happened 18 years after Quanne Diec was last seen in 1998

That happened 18 years after Quanne Diec was last seen in 1998 His lawyers argued he made a false confession because he feared for his safety

Mr Tarantino faced a Supreme Court trial over the 12-year-old's alleged murder after she was last seen walking from her home in Granville to a railway station in July 1998.

The trial heard 18 years later, Mr Tarantino walked into a Sydney police station and confessed to the murder.

He also gave a detailed interview.

But the 52-year-old pleaded not guilty and his defence team argued he made the false confession because he feared for his safety and thought bikies were after him.

It took the jury almost six days to return a verdict of not guilty.

Vinzent Tarantino is led from the NSW Supreme Court last month. ( AAP: Dan Himbrechts )

Hours after the verdict, Quanne's cousin Christine Woo said the family was still trying to process the decision.

"The past 21 years have deeply affected us," she told a press conference Granville Police Station.

"No one should have to go through the pain we have endured.

"The worst part is, Quanne's body has never been found, we haven't been able to lay her to rest or give her the dignity she deserves.

"Someone out there knows where she is and to that person, you have shattered our family."

Quanne's mother Ann Ngo and father Sam Diec stood quietly behind Ms Woo.

'Look into the story'

Outside court, Mr Tarantino said the media had an obligation to seek the truth.

"I haven't always seen that the last three years," he said.

"Maybe you should always look into the story a bit more."

Asked whether he felt vindicated, Mr Tarantino replied: "Not yet, but I will be."

He declined to elaborate.

Quanne's father told the court he left for work early on the morning she vanished and saw a white van driving slowly down their no-through road.

He said the driver stared at him strangely, and had high cheekbones and sunken eyes.

Mr Diec reported the matter to police but the court heard there was no record of his statement.

During the trial, Mr Tarantino agreed he was driving a white van in Granville the morning Quanne disappeared.

A picture of the van Mr Tarantino was driving was tendered as evidence. ( Supplied )

The court heard Mr Tarantino allegedly told a girlfriend he had done something "really bad" during a "botched ransom" and the girl was not meant to die.

Jurors were told an ex-girlfriend, Laila Failey, will claim to have been present in a van allegedly used to dispose of the student's body.

But Mr Tarantino's barrister Belinda Rigg, SC, told the court Ms Failey had "jumped to conclusions" about what she saw.

Ms Rigg said the witness spoke to police shortly after the two broke up and was motivated by spite and a desire to "get back at" Mr Tarantino.

The police officer who first heard Mr Tarantino's confession, Constable Joshua Barnes, was on duty at Surry Hills police station in November 2016 when Mr Tarantino walked in to make the declaration.

Constable Barnes recalled Mr Tarantino said he needed to speak to someone and hand himself in for a homicide, adding it had been "building up" and was "all too much".