Amy Lee SCHULKINS - TRAGICALLY LOCATED DECEASED
Amy Lee SCHULKINS - TRAGICALLY LOCATED DECEASED
By crime editor Paula Doneman
Human remains have been found in a submerged 4WD owned by Caboolture mother Amy Schulkins, who vanished on December 30, police sources have told ABC News.
Amy's wife Rebecca Schulkins and her family now face an anxious wait for a postmortem to formally identify the remains found in the white Nissan Patrol.
Her mother, Lee Schulkins, told the ABC she was glad it was the police who found the car and not her husband Allan, who had spent months searching for their daughter.
"We are so tired…we had just bought a boat to start searching boat ramps,'' she said.
Since Amy's disappearance, her parents have traversed thousands of kilometres conducting their own land and water searches, including inspecting the Caboolture River with sonar.
Rebecca Schulkins was shocked by the news of her wife's car being found.
She thanked the community for their ongoing love and support in helping search for Amy.
"We were hoping for a different outcome,'' she said.
Jason Gouge, a former Queensland police detective who volunteered his services to Amy's family, also confirmed remains had been found in Amy's car.
Water police and dive squad officers found the submerged vehicle using sonar radar in the Pumicestone Passage around 8:00am Friday, about 50 metres from the Spinnakers Boat Ramp at Sandstone Point, north of Brisbane.
Police sources said after failing to find Amy or her car from land searches, investigators widened their scope to include boat ramps surrounding the Caboolture area.
The vehicle was towed from the water and was taken to Burpengary police station for forensic examination.
Amy was last seen driving away in the 4WD from Caboolture on the night she disappeared.
The 36-year-old's disappearance generated significant community interest, with a dedicated Facebook page attracting more than 30,000 followers from around the world.
Several Facebook pages for Amy were established.
Last month, a billboard picturing Amy and her missing 4WD was erected along Morayfield Road to help jog the memories of local residents.
Amy Schulkins was reported missing to police by her wife after she did not return to their Caboolture home on December 30.
Police released CCTV footage of Amy in her white Nissan Patrol, registration 257VTN, driving along Lower King Street in Caboolture just before midnight.
The car was last sighted heading towards the Bruce Highway and Bribie Island interchange.