Eric LYNCH
Eric LYNCH
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Missing presumed murdered.
Eric Lynch, then aged 44 years, of Willimott Street, Ethelton, was reported missing on 16 February 2004 by his housemate. Eric was last seen in the mid afternoon of 10 February 2004, after visiting an associate in Port Lincoln. He was last seen driving a white Holden Commodore sedan.
Eric’s bank accounts have not been accessed and he has not been in contact with any family or friends. Of particular note is that he has had no contact with his family which is highly unusual.
Police arrested two people charging them with his murder. The charges were later withdrawn.
If you have information that may assist police in the disappearance of Eric please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Case Date: February 10, 2004
Location: Port Lincoln
Eric Lynch
Missing presumed murdered
Eric Lynch, aged 44 years, of Willimott Street, Ethelton, was reported missing on 16 February 2004 by his housemate. Mr Lynch was last seen in the mid afternoon of 10 February 2004, after visiting an associate in Port Lincoln. He was last seen driving a white Holden Commodore sedan SA VUY-720. This vehicle was later located with a large amount of blood in it. In the early evening on the same day the vehicle left a house at Kapinnie and was known to be at Tumby Bay in company with a green Jeep Cherokee WA 1AY1032. A second vehicle of interest that may be connected with the investigation is a white 1989 Ford Station Wagon SA VAC-414.
Mr Lynch?’s bank accounts have not been accessed and he has not been in contact with any family or friends. Of particular note is that he has had no contact with his family which is highly unusual.
Police arrested two people charging them with his murder. The charges were later withdrawn.
Reference Number: MCIB CM04/43
Tuesday, 23 August 2005.
Major crime detectives say they are confident witnesses can help piece together the final clues in the case of missing Port Lincoln man Eric Lynch.
Mr Lynch was last seen in Port Lincoln in February 2004 and his blood-stained car was later found abandoned.
Detective Superintendent Peter Woight says police have three suspects in the disappearance and probable murder of Mr Lynch.
He says police want to hear from anyone who saw a white Ford station wagon in the Cummins area of Lower Eyre Peninsula.
He says a green Jeep Cherokee is also central to the investigation.
"We have in fact located that vehicle, it did have Western Australian number plates on when it was here in South Australia and we believe that Eric Lynch's white Commodore and that green Cherokee were together in Tumby Bay on the evening of Tuesday the 10th of February last year," he said.
Eric Lynch Murder Investigation
Police – Major Crime Detectives are continuing to investigate the disappearance
and suspected murder of Eric Lynch on 10 February, 2004.
This week BankSA Crime Stoppers in conjunction with Major Crime Investigation
Branch are distributing brochures to all rural land owners in the lower Eyre
Peninsula area.
Police have received information that the body of Eric Lynch has been buried.
The main focus of the brochure is to locate the burial site.
Through the BankSA Crime Stoppers brochure Police are asking land owners to
inspect their property and surrounding areas and report any possible burial
sites.
Again police are interested in hearing from anyone that saw Eric Lynch’s 1989
white Holden Commodore in company with a Green Jeep Cherokee with WA number
plates in the Tumby Bay area or Lower Eyre Peninsula on 10 February 2004.
Another vehicle of interest is a 1989 Ford Station Wagon, VAC-414.
Police request that anyone with information contact Bank SA Crime Stoppers on
1800 333 000.
Charge over missing man's murder
March 29, 2006
A SOUTH Australian man has been charged with the murder of drug dealer Eric
Lynch, whose body has never been found.
SA major crime investigators today charged a 37-year-old Whyalla man with
Lynch's murder.
Lynch, 45, from Port Lincoln, has been missing since February 2004.
He was last seen in Port Lincoln on February 10, shortly after appearing at a
court hearing.
His car was later found abandoned, with traces of his blood inside.
Police investigating Lynch's disappearance and probable murder last year
received information he had been buried.
But searches failed to find Lynch's body.
Lynch has a long history of convictions for cannabis-related offences.
In 1992 and 1999, he was convicted on possession charges and in 2001, he was
convicted for selling the drug.
Police said the charged man would face Whyalla Magistrates Court tomorrow.
SIGHTINGS of Eric Thomas Lynch’s white Holden Commodore sedan on Eyre Peninsula in 2004 may hold the key to the solving the suspected murder of the Adelaide man.
Mr Lynch has not been seen since February 10, 2004 after he
visited a property on Proper Bay Road at Port Lincoln.
He was reported missing by his Ethelton housemate six days later.
Enquiries across Eyre Peninsula and Adelaide since then have been unsuccessful and investigators are now reviewing the case and appealing for fresh information as part of Operation Persist.
“Mr Lynch’s immediate family, especially his two daughters want to know what happened to him,” Major Crime Investigation Branch Detective Senior Sergeant David Sheridan said.
“At that time he was particularly close with his eldest daughter, Emily, and he would speak to her on the phone every couple of days.
“The last time Emily spoke with her dad was on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 when he dropped her off at school.”
Dtv Snr Sgt Sheridan said police suspect Mr Lynch was involved in the drug scene in Port Lincoln supplying cannabis and that this may be linked to his murder.
“People may have been too scared to come forward in the past but their circumstances may have changed and now may be the time to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” he said.
He said police had a lot of details about Mr Lynch’s movements and disappearance but needed “that final clue”.
Mr Lynch was last seen driving a white Holden Commodore
sedan SA registration number VUY720.
The car was seen in the early evening of February 10 leaving a farm at Kapinnie and travelling with a green Jeep Cherokee four wheel drive to Tumby Bay, arriving on dusk.
When police recovered the Commodore, forensic examination
found it contained a large amount of blood matched to Mr
Lynch.
Police believe Mr Lynch’s body was initially hidden in bush land around Kapinnie but was later moved. They suspect a white Ford station wagon may have been used to transport his body to where he is now buried, believed to be not far from Kapinnie.
A $200,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the recovery of Mr Lynch’s remains and, or, the apprehension and, or, conviction of anyone responsible for the suspected murder.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at crimestopperssa.com.au/ Callers can remain anonymous.
Posted on 10/02/2020 Crimestoppers SA
It is now 16 years since Eric Lynch is presumed to have been murdered.
The 44-year old lived at Willimott Street, Ethelton, and was reported missing on 16 February 2004.
The man who last saw him was a loose associate who also operated on the periphery of the drug world.
He lent Mr Lynch $500 and saw him get into a white VN Holden Commodore VUY720 around 2pm that day and drive off. While the activity of Mr Lynch for the next few hours remains a mystery, at some stage later that day he drove to the property of another associate – a man who is suspected to have murdered him.
The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, rented a house on a farming property at Kapinnie, 60km north of Port Lincoln.
Although a specific motive for his murder remains to be determined, detectives believe it was most likely linked to his drug dealing activities. However, the fact Lynch may have had an eye for the then partner of the suspect may also have been a factor.
The Commodore was seen in the early evening of February 10 leaving the Kapinnie property and travelling with a green Jeep Cherokee four wheel drive WA registration 1AY1032 to Tumby Bay, arriving on dusk.
It is believed that Mr Lynch was shot and killed while sitting in the front seat of the Commodore. When the car was recovered from a man not connected to the murder a large amount of blood was found in the footwell behind the driver’s seat and on the interior of the driver’s side door.
Forensic testing has matched it to Mr Lynch’s DNA.
Police believe Mr Lynch’s body was initially hidden in bush land around Kapinnie but was later moved. At the time of the murder extensive road works were being conducted and workers reported an intense stench in the immediate area for a period, but it then mysteriously stopped.
They suspect a white 1989 Ford station wagon SA registration VAC-414 may have been used to transport his body to where he is now buried, believed to be not far from Kapinnie.
The white Ford Falcon station wagon was being used by the suspects’ then partner before the murder, and was recovered at a wrecking yard in Adelaide – with carpet from the rear of the station wagon missing.
Mr Lynch’s bank accounts have not been accessed and he has not been in contact with any family or friends. Of particular note is that he has had no contact with his family which is highly unusual.
Police arrested two people charging them with his murder in March 2005. The charges were later withdrawn.
A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer for information that leads to a conviction or the recovery of her remains.
If you have any information, call 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestopperssa.com.au