Mark GOLDSMITH

Missing since: 
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Last seen: 
Camden
Responsible jurisdiction: 
NSW
Year of birth: 
1958
 
Gender: 
Male
Height: 
181cm
Build: 
Medium
Hair: 
Black
Eyes: 
Brown
Complexion: 
Dark

 

Circumstances:

Mark Goldsmith, aged 51, was last seen by his family leaving his home in Smart Avenue, Camden, NSW about midday on Sunday 27 December 2009. Mark had told his family he was going up the NSW Coast to visit a friend for a few days, however, he has not made contact since. His white 2002 Nissan Maxima was found in Petersham a month after he went missing. Mark had made large withdrawals of cash from his account prior to his disappearance. Police hold concerns for the welfare of Mark.

If you have any information that would assist Police, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

 

Appeal to locate missing man – Camden

Tuesday, 02 Feb 2010 11:33am

NSW Police are appealing for public assistance to help find a man who has been missing from the Camden area for over a month.

On Friday 15 January, 51-year-old Mark Goldsmith was reported missing to Camden Police by his family after their son had not been seen or heard from since the end of December.

Mr Goldsmith was last seen by his family leaving his home in Smart Avenue, Camden about midday on Sunday 27 December 2009.

Police have been told Mark informed his family that he was going to travel up the coast to see a friend and was last seen leaving his home in a white-coloured 2002 model Nissan Maxima with New South Wales registration DOT-345.

Mr Goldsmith has not been heard from him since this time and there are concerns for his welfare as his disappearance is described as being out of character.

Mark Goldsmith is described as being of a dark complexion, approximately 181cm tall, medium build with short black/grey hair and brown eyes.

Police are urging anyone with information about Mr Goldsmith’s whereabouts to contact Camden Police Station on (02) 4655 0599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Camden’s Mark Goldsmith’s car found at Petersham

09 Feb 10 @ 09:11am

 

THE car belonging to a Camden man missing since last year has been found in Sydney’s inner-west.

Mark Goldsmith’s white 2002 Nissan Maxima was found in Petersham on Friday and has been taken for forensic examination, Det-Insp Paul Albury, of Camden police, said.

The 51-year-old’s family last saw him leaving his Smart St home on December 27. He was reported missing on January 15.

Mr Goldsmith had told his family he intended to travel up the coast to see a friend. He has not been heard from since, and there are concerns for his welfare, with his disappearance described as “out of character”.

“We’re seeking any information regarding Mr Goldsmith; extensive investigations are underway,” Det-Insp Paul Albury said.

Mr Goldsmith has a dark complexion, is approximately 181cm tall with a medium build, short black/grey hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information should contact Camden Police on 4655 0599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

'He's still out there': missing son a mystery for parents

Date

Nick Ralston - SMH

Son's disappearance a mystery

IN THE WEEK before he disappeared Mark Goldsmith began acting in a strange manner.

He stopped answering his mobile phone, rarely ate and booked himself three nights at a motel in Gladesville - a suburb where he had no family, friends or apparent ties.

The day before he vanished he went to an ATM at a West Ryde service station in the late afternoon and made repeated withdrawals of $200.

A few hours later he took more money out, this time at Burwood at 1.35am.

Later that day, on January 5, 2010, he told his family he was going up the coast to visit some friends and has not been seen since.

He did not give any names of these friends and his car was found, abandoned in Sydney's inner-west a month later.

Mark's family reported him missing to police on January 20 however extra resources have allowed detectives to now put greater emphasis on his disappearance and last month established Strike force Bannington.

His father, Colin Goldsmith, has not given up hope that his son is still alive and possibly hiding. He said Mark had never been a "wanted" man in all of his life.

"I sincerely believe he is, I think he's still out there," Mr Goldsmith said. "He might even think if he did contact us, the first thing I wanted to do was run and get him, which I would. Maybe he's not contacting us purely for our own benefit."

The Herald understands Mark Goldsmith, 52, was due to appear in court in February 2010 on a minor fraud matter and was not likely facing a jail sentence.

Police said vital to their investigation is anyone who can shed light on why or what he was doing at the motel in Gladesville between December 28 and 31, 2009.

He returned to his parent's Camden home, where he had previously been living, before taking off on January 5.

"He was not answering his phone for at least two weeks prior to him going missing, his phone was found at home here," Mr Goldsmith said. "The next thing, the car he was using ... was found within walking distance of two people that he knew very well ... They are strange things to me."

The car, a white 2002 Nissan Maxima, was found in West Street at Petersham exactly a month to the day he disappeared. Police believe it had been parked there for at least two weeks before it was reported to them.

Mark had friends living in the area but the car was also parked near the entrance to Lewisham train station.

If he caught a train police said they have no idea where he might have headed.

His father, who is panicked every time he reads or hears a news report about a body being found, has embarked on his own investigation which included calling everyone who knew Mark in the hope of shedding some light on where he is.

"The best thing that could happen to us is my boy turns up."

 

The pain left by those gone missing

 

THIS week is Missing Persons Week, the one week of the year when the focus is on those who have disappeared from sight.

 

The one week of the year when old cases are brought to our attention again in the vain hope of jogging a long-forgotten memory and getting that crucial break in a case.

Last year I interviewed Mark Goldsmith's parents Colin and Dorothy Goldsmith.

The Camden couple have not seen their son since December 27, 2009.

Despite early leads with the discovery of his car and personal items including his keys and his wallet, they have heard nothing.

Wondering where their son might be is the constant pain they live in.

Did he choose to leave them without saying goodbye, or was he forced to?

Has he wanted to get in touch, or has he moved on with his life and eliminated them from his memory?

Or has the worst happened?

Their pain and uncertainty was not far below the surface as they spoke about their son.

They talked of their confusion over the changes to their son's personality and behaviour in the lead up to his disappearance, and their hope that he is still out there somewhere.

About one person is reported missing every 15 minutes in Australia — about 35,000 people a year.

And while 99.5 per cent of these people are eventually located, up to 85 per cent within a week, there is a small percentage who are never seen again.

Their ageing pictures are often shown online and on television.

Some of those pictures are so old it is hard to believe that if they are alive they resemble their former selves at all.

For others, the mystery surrounding their disappearance is so twisted, so tangled it may never be unravelled.

Like Mark Goldsmith, almost all of these people have family and friends who constantly wonder and hope.

But their families will keep on waiting for news as the trail gets colder and colder — until Missing Persons Week comes around again.

Police are hoping Missing Persons Week will help find lost Camden man

Police are hoping National Missing Persons Week will help produce fresh information on the disappearance of Mark Goldsmith.

Police are hoping National Missing Persons Week will help produce fresh information on the disappearance of Mark Goldsmith.

The now 55-year-old (pictured) who was reported missing by his family on January 5, 2010, has still not been found. He was last seen by his family when he left his Smart St home on December 27, 2009.

Police believe Mr Goldsmith had been in Gladesville, Drummoyne, West Ryde and Burwood between December 27, 2009, and January 5, 2010, but had not been seen since.

Mr Goldsmith is caucasian and is 181cm tall. He is of medium build with short, black/grey hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information should contact Camden police on 4632 4499.

Detective Inspector Jayne Doherty, of Camden police, urged residents to notify police immediately if they believed someone was missing.

“Do not wait 24 hours before reporting someone if location is unknown and if there are fears for the person’s safety,” she said.

“Another important thing is do not assume a person has been reported missing.”

An average of 227 missing person reports are made each week nationwide. There are about 1600 long-term missing persons in Australia.