Bronwyn Joy WINFIELD
| Name: |
Bronwyn Joy WINFIELD
|
| Description: |
DOB 1962, thin build, fair complexion, green eyes,
168cms tall. |
| Circumstances: |
Bronwyn Winfield was last seen at her Lennox Head, NSW home on 27 May,
1993, by relatives. She has had no contact with her family since that date and there are
genuine concerns for her welfare. She may possibly have travelled to Queensland. It is also possible
she may have remained in the Nimbin area. There are grave concerns for her
safety and welfare. |
Disappearance and suspected murder of Bronwyn Winfield
Minister for Police Michael Daley today announced that a $100,000 reward
would be offered to help Police solve the disappearance and suspected murder
of Bronwyn Winfield.
Mr Daley said there are grave concerns for the welfare of the 31 year old,
who disappeared 16 years ago.
"Ms Winfield was last seen at her Lennox Head home at 60 Sandstone Crescent
on the 16th of May 1993," he said.
"Her estranged husband reported her missing to police on the 27 May 1993.
"She left behind two young children, aged five and ten at the time, making
the attack all the more heinous.
"Ms Winfield’s family, particularly her children, deserve to know what
happened - and her murderer deserves to be behind bars.
"I hope that the lure of a cash reward may encourage those with information,
who may have been reluctant to come forward at the time, to help Police
bring those responsible to justice.
"Police are interested in any information which will lead to the arrest and
conviction of those responsible for Ms Winfield’s death.
"It may not seem like much but if anybody has any piece of information,
however small, it could prove to be the vital link police need to find out
what happened," Mr Daley said.
Unsolved Homicide Team Investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Dennis Bray
said the Northern Region Unsolved Homicide team are dedicated to continuing
their investigations into matter. "This remains an active investigation and
police are hopeful the reward announced today will assist police in their
ongoing investigations," he said. "Police urge anyone who may have
information about the incident, no matter how small, to contact Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000. "In particular police are appealing to anyone with
details about Bronwyn's movements on the 15th and 16th of May 1993, to come
forward. "Detectives are also keen to speak with anyone who was a close
friend or associate or Bronwyn's," Mr Bray said.
Mr Daley said that any information given to Crime Stoppers will be treated
as strictly confidential and may be given at any time of the day or night.
Do you have information that can help police with this case?
Any information you have about this is worth giving to police, no matter
how small or insignificant it may seem.
You can provide information to police via any of the methods below:
Any information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Your help may give police the clue they need to close this case and
provide some comfort for the families of victims.
How to claim your reward
-
Contact Crime Stoppers or your local Police Station.
-
Identify yourself and indicate you have information about a crime
and that you wish to claim a reward.
-
You will then be put in contact with a police officer involved in
the investigation of that case.
Texas lab joins effort to solve our cold cases
LES KENNEDY - SMH
July 19, 2009
DNA experts in the United States are providing NSW Police with new
clues on some of the state's most baffling missing persons cases and
unidentified human remains.The cases include bones from at
least two people found in sand dunes on Sydney's Kurnell peninsula in
2007 and remains located near Ballina on the north coast.
Unsolved homicide squad police believe the north coast bones,
found at an undisclosed site, may be those of missing 31-year-old Lennox
Head mother-of-two Bronwyn Joy Winfield,
last seen at her home in 1993.
Scientists at Orchid Cellmark in Dallas, Texas, have spent the
past two months examining 31 exhibits of bone and tissue specimens, and
a further 15 saliva swabs taken from relatives of missing persons.
The samples were delivered to them by Detective Sergeant Damian
Loone, of The Rocks station, who has spent the past 12 years
investigating the disappearance and suspected murder of northern beaches
woman Lynette Dawson.
The only possible clue about the fate of the 34-year-old Bayview
mother, who went missing in January 1982, is a pale-pink cardigan found
near a hole that was dug for a swimming pool on her property.
Detective Sergeant Loone took the cardigan to the US to try to
match Mrs Dawson's DNA with a sample from one of her daughters.
The detective is expected to return to the US in the next month to
reclaim the exhibits and DNA results, which will be screened against
those from relatives of other missing persons.
Saliva swabs taken from Mrs Winfield's daughters will be compared
with DNA from bone fragments found on the north coast amid renewed
inquiries by police in the past three months.
Mrs Winfield, who a coronial inquest declared dead in 2002, was
reported missing by her estranged husband 11 days after she was last
seen at her home.
The US tests could also reveal the sex of at least two people from
three separate sets of bone fragments found in dunes in 2007 during land
clearing preparation for the construction of the Sydney desalination
plant at Kurnell.
Hopes Winfield case will be
solved
Dominic Feain And Aap |
12th March 2010 - The Northern Star
CHRYSTAL WINFIELD was just 10 years old when she saw her mother at
their Lennox Head home for the last time 16 years ago.
“I actually saw her on the night she went missing and that was the
last time I saw her,” she said.
“I went to bed and that was it.”
Ms Winfield made a heartfelt plea yesterday for information about her
mother from The Domain behind Parliament House in Sydney where NSW Police
Minister Michael Daley had just announced a $100,000 reward for information
leading to a conviction in the suspected murder case.
“Bronwyn Winfield was a lovely lady and a good mum,” Mr Daley told
reporters.
“She left behind two young children, aged five and 10 at the time,
making the attack all the more heinous.
“Mrs Winfield’s family, particularly her children, deserve to know
what happened – and her murderer deserves to be behind bars.
“I hope that the lure of a cash reward may encourage those with
information, who may have been reluctant to come forward at the time, to
help police bring those responsible to justice.
Bronwyn’s brother Andrew Read, uncle to Chrystal and her younger
sister Lauren, also appealed for information.
“It has been a terrible thing to live with day-to-day,” he told
The Northern Star.
“She was a young mother in the prime of her life and she deserves to
be laid to rest with dignity.
“This has been a long time coming and we can’t speak highly enough of
the Unsolved Homicide Squad and the Government for providing this reward.
“There’s a couple of people that we think might know something, so if
they can (find) it in their heart to come forward and speak to the police
... we hope that this could bring some closure to the matter finally.”
In one of the most baffling unsolved cases on the North Coast, Mrs
Winfield was reported missing by her estranged husband, who is believed to
still live in the area, 11 days after her disappearance on May 16, 1993.
The case remained a missing persons investigation until 1998 when
Ballina Police opened a new investigation which led to a Coronial Inquiry in
2002.
The Coroner concluded that that Mrs Winfield had died on or about the
day she was last seen and recommended that a ‘known person’ be charged with
her murder.
The Department of Public Prosecutions did not have enough evidence at
the time to lay charges.
Following the formation of the Unsolved Homicide Squad in 2004, and
it’s activation in 2008, police formed Strike Force Chemsbrook in 2009 to
re-investigate the case.
Detective Senior Sergeant George Radmore said at the time that
unexpected new witnesses had come forward after the re-opened investigation
was publicised in The Northern Star.
Strike Force detectives led by Snr Sgt Radmore scoured the Winfield’s
former home in Lennox Head for further forensic evidence and re-interviewed
neighbours shortly after.
Unsolved Homicide Squad Detective Chief Inspector Dennis Bray
confirmed that no one had been charged over the disappearance but said
police were determined to pursue the matter.
“The investigation is ongoing but today’s announcement by the Minister
comes at a time when we believe people do have information they could pass
on to police,” he told The Northern Star.
“We are keen to obtain evidence to prosecute the person or persons
responsible and bring closure for the family.
“Police urge anyone who may have information about the incident, no
matter how small, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or Ballina
detectives on 6681 8699.
“In particular police are appealing to anyone with details about
Bronwyn’s movements on the 15th and 16th of May 1993, to come forward.
“Detectives are also keen to speak with anyone who was a close friend
or associate of Bronwyn’s.”
All information given to Crime Stoppers is
treated as strictly confidential and may be given at any time of the day or
night.
Police offer $100k reward in missing woman case
Updated
March 11, 2010 11:37:00 - ABC
A $100,000 reward is being offered for information that
helps police solve the disappearance and suspected murder of Lennox Head woman
Bronwyn Winfield.
The Police Minister, Michael Daley announced details of the offer at a
press conference in Sydney a short time ago.
The then 31-year-old Ms Winfield was last seen at her Sandstone Crescent
home on the 16th of May, 1993.
Her estranged husband reported her missing 11 days later.
Ms Winfield left behind two children, aged five and 10 at the time.
Mr Daley says the family, and in particular the children deserve to know
what happened, and Ms Winfield's murderer should be behind bars.
"It's been a very difficult 16 years for them, they want closure, they
deserve to know what happened to Bronwyn, we're determined to assist them in
that endeavour," Mr Daley said.
"Someone in the community knows what happened to Bronwyn Winfield, we want
them to come forward," he said. "It doesn't matter what information you have,
whether you think it is unhelpful or irrelevant, it could just be that last
piece of information the police need to solve the jigsaw puzzle."
Ms Winfield's brother, Andrew Read says the family also suspects there are
people that have information about his sister's disappearance.
"If anyone has any information in relation to this matter, so that Bronwyn
could be laid to rest in a decent way, there are a couple of people that we
think that might know something," Mr Read said.
Chrystal Winfield was ten when she last saw her mother alive, and says her
family wants closure.
"Obviously it's been really hard for all our family and it's been a while
now, it's always something in the back of our minds," Ms Winfield said.
"We'd just really love if anyone out there has got any information to
bring forth you know we'd really appreciate that... we just want to know what's
happened," she said.
by Mel McMillan - Northern Star
3rd Aug 2010 9:13 AM
MORE than 300 people are reported to police as missing within the Richmond Local
Area Command each year.
“We get one a day, roughly,” investigation manager Detective Sergeant Matt Kehoe
said.
However, most of the people reported as missing are found safe and well within
one day, with about 50 per cent being runaways.
Others are mentally ill, visa over-stayers, people with dementia and travellers
who have not phoned home for a while.
But occasionally a person does go missing without a trace, Det Sgt Kehoe said.
Like Lismore Heights woman Lucy McDonald, who was last since in April 2002. Her
family now believes she has met with foul play.
There’s also Lennox Head woman Bronwyn Winfield, who disappeared 17 years ago. A
2002 coronial inquest into Mrs Winfield’s disappearance found that she had died
on or about May 16, 1993, and that a ‘known person’ should be charged with her
death.
Her husband, Jonathan Winfield, was named by police during the inquest as the
person they believed was most likely responsible.
Her body has never been found.
In March this year, a $100,000 reward was put up for information on her
disappearance.
Det Sgt Kehoe said investigating missing person cases was emotionally taxing
work.
“You are dealing with the families of the missing people,” he said. “It’s
emotional.”
The first 24 to 48 hours are crucial in a missing person investigation.
“Especially with crimes like abduction and murder,” he said.
“It’s important to get the evidence while it’s still fresh.”
This week is National Missing Persons Week and police are using it as an
opportunity to alert the public to people who are still missing.
Police are concerned about 13-year-old Nikita McMahon. She was reported missing
by her grandmother and was last seen in Zadoc Street, Lismore, on Wednesday,
July 14, at 3.30pm.
Sarah Cooper, 15 years old, was also reported as missing to police last month.
She was last seen on Thursday, July 15, about 8.30am at the Casino railway
station.
Also still missing are Alan Fox and Anneke Adriaansen, last seen in Byron Bay in
1979; and Stacy De Sielvie, who disappeared in 1994.
His last banking transaction took place in Lismore.
Photographs and information on people who have been reported as missing can be
found at: www.missingpersons.gov.au.
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Murdered or missing? Daughter still hopes for answers
IT'S been 26 years since Bronwyn was last seen at her Lennox Head home.
By Harrison.astbury
Northern Star
August 10, 2019 - 12:00AM
BRONWYN Winfield's striking blonde, curly locks and porcelain skin
would have been recognisable to many who lived in Lennox Head in the
1990s.
It has been 26 years since she was reported missing from her home at 60
Sandstone Crescent, and the kids she has left behind - then aged five
and ten - are all grown up.
The eldest daughter, Chrystal, is in her mid-30s now and married, but
the scar of losing her mum is still worn on her sleeve.
"I actually saw her on the night she went missing and that was the last
time I saw her," she said in 2010.
"I went to bed and that was it."
Bronwyn was last seen by her two daughters on the night of May 16, 1993,
yet was not reported missing by her estranged husband until May 27 - 11
days later.
Police suspect she was murdered, and there is a $100,000 reward offered
for those who help police solve the case.
In 2010, then-Police Minister Michael Daley said Bronwyn's family
deserve to know what happened.
"She left behind two young children, aged five and ten at the time,
making the attack all the more heinous," Police Minister Daley said.
"Ms Winfield's family, particularly her children, deserve to know what
happened - and her murderer deserves to be behind bars.
"I hope that the lure of a cash reward may encourage those with
information, who may have been reluctant to come forward at the time, to
help Police bring those responsible to justice.
"Police are interested in any information which will lead to the arrest
and conviction of those responsible for Ms Winfield's death."
A 2002 coronial inquest into Ms Winfield's death found she would have
died at about the same time as her disappearance.
Despite the inquest recommending that a 'known person' be charged with
Ms Winfield's death, then-NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas
Cowdery QC, found that there was insufficient evidence to lay charges.
The investigation is currently led by the Northern Region Unsolved
Homicide team.
Bronwyn was 31 at the time of her disappearance, and would be 57 now;
she is about 170cm tall with a slim build.
Anyone with
any information into Ms Winfield's disappearance and suspected murder,
and her activities in the days leading up to her disappearance, are
urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.