Michael Leslie DEVITT

   

 Michael Devitt cold case: What happened to the missing father of three? -  ABC News

Michael as a child and teenager

 

 

DEVITT, Michael Leslie

 

  

Name: Michael Leslie DEVITT
Last seen: Proserpine QLD March 2010
Year of Birth: 1961
Sex: Male
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Height: 178cm
Build: Proportionate
Complexion: Fair
Circumstances: Michael Devitt last contacted his family in January 2010 and was living in the Proserpine QLD area at the time. His last confirmed sighting was February 2010 at Proserpine. Michael worked in the trucking industry and frequently travelled interstate.
   

 

Missing person investigation:

Last Updated: 17/09/2010

QLD Police are seeking public assistance to help locate missing person Michael Leslie Devitt. Mr Devitt, aged 48, was reported missing by his family on August 26 and has had no contact with them since January 2010. Mr Devitt has previously worked as a truck driver and investigations by the Missing Persons Unit have confirmed Mr Devitt was living in Cannonvale in February 2010. He is described as being 175cm tall, of a proportionate build with brown hair and blue eyes. He also has a tattoo of an eagle on his upper right arm.

Anyone with information which could assist police with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day. Crime Stoppers is a charitable community volunteer organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police Service.


 

Whitsunday police review missing persons case

POLICE are reviewing the disappearance of a Cannonvale man who has been missing for five years.

Michael Leslie Devitt: Homicide police called in to investigate suspected murder of man missing five years

Posted 

The brother of a Brisbane man who disappeared in the Whitsundays five years ago has appealed for public help to find him.

Homicide police have been called in to investigate the disappearance and suspected murder of Michael Leslie Devitt, who was reported missing by his family on August 26, 2010.

He was involved in an incident at a hotel in Proserpine on or about January 27 that year.

Speaking at a media conference in Brisbane this morning, Garry Devitt said his family needed closure.

"At the time of [his] disappearance his eldest daughter was pregnant and it was a sharing time that he's missed out on, she's missed out on and it's been a strain for the whole family," he said.

Homicide Investigation Unit's Detective Inspector Damien Hansen said the exact nature of the incident at the hotel "is an integral part of our inquiries".

"We are appealing to the public for anyone with any knowledge of Michael Devitt's involvement in an incident in the vicinity of the Grand Central Hotel in Main Street, Proserpine or regarding his disappearance to please contact police or Crime Stoppers," he said.

Mr Devitt's last known sighting was in the area on or around January 27, 2010.

He was last confirmed to be living in Cannonvale in January 2010.

Detective Inspector Hansen said they would be "very keen" to speak again to a person who contacted Crime Stoppers and the National Missing Persons Unit in August 2011.

"Their information would be very helpful to our investigation," he said.

Mr Devitt is described as being about 175cm tall, proportionate build with brown hair and blue eyes.

His disappearance is considered out of character.

Did a kind-hearted truckie die for his ideals?

AIRLIE Beach father of three Michael Leslie Devitt’s ideals probably put him in an early grave more than five years ago.

By Sherele Moody Courier Mail

HE was a kind-hearted truck driver with a soft spot for the disfranchised.

Airlie Beach father of three Michael Leslie Devitt's ideals probably put him in an early grave more than five years ago.

The missing man's family is desperate to lay his body to rest and the Queensland Homicide Squad is determined to bring his killer to justice.

While the facts are simple, the details are vague.

In January 2010, Michael Devitt left his family and friends in Brisbane to give a trucking mate a hand with his business up north.

On Australia Day, he booked a room at Proserpine's Grand Central Hotel.

That evening the soon to be grandfather exchanged heated words with someone at the popular watering hole.

The fight did not get physical but other hotel guests and pub management were involved.

He arrived at work the next day - January 27 - as expected.

Hours later the 48-year-old and his belongings disappeared.

His bank accounts have not been touched since and his mobile phone remains unused.

Holding back tears, Garry Devitt  said sticking up for others could have cost his brother his life.

"He was one of those larger than life characters ... (he was) happy go lucky," Garry told journalists at Queensland Police headquarters in Brisbane on Monday.

"He sometimes stuck up for people in the wrong places and he tried to make everything just - this might have been his undoing this time.

"He's one of those characters who take offence - especially on Australia Day.

"Somebody might have said the wrong thing ... if somebody made an unjust comment about Aboriginals or women he would have been verbal."

While Michael believed in standing up for those who needed it most, Garry said his brother was not violent.

"He never had the body to back it (his comments) up," the softly-spoken man said.

"But he was a good runner."

Pleading for witnesses to come forward, Garry said his family was desperate for closure.

"It's just a bit too early in life to meet a sudden end like this," he said of his brother's murder.

"We're just pleading with anybody to come forward to give information or just renew the information they've given before to help the homicide squad.

"We'd just like to ... bring him home."

Mr Devitt said his brother never met the granddaughter his daughter was carrying at the time he vanished.

Detective Inspector Damian Hansen would not reveal specific details of the case.

"The significant event for us was on the evening of January 26, 2010, when Mr Devitt was booked in the Grand Central Hotel and an incident occurred at the hotel," the State Homicide Investigation Unit officer said.

"Michael's movements or evidence of life has ceased on the afternoon of January 27.

"He has had no contact with family or friends from that date."

Det Insp Hansen said a Crime Stoppers informant could hold a vital clue about Michael's killer.

"I'd ask these informants to again make contact with investigators through Crime Stoppers," he said.

"The best advice is to come forward, give us the information and let us deal with it."

The homicide unit is working with the Whitsunday CIB to investigate the murder. 

TIMELINE

JAN 26, 2010: Michael Leslie Devitt books a room at Proserpine's Grand Central Hotel. That evening he has an argument with an unknown person.

JAN 27, 2010: Michael Devitt leaves work and is never seen again.

AUGUST 2011: A number of people contact Crime Stoppers and the National Missing Persons Unit providing information about the disappearance.

JULY 13, 2015: Homicide squad and family plead for witnesses to come forward.

EARLIER: Police urge caller to come forward after suspected murder

THE Homicide Investigation Unit has engaged with the Whitsunday CIB to investigate the disappearance and suspected murder of Michael Leslie Devitt, reported missing by his family on August 26, 2010.

The investigation has identified Mr Devitt was last confirmed to be living in Cannonvale (near Airlie Beach in Central Queensland) in January 2010.

The last known sighting of Michael Devitt was in Proserpine on or around January 27, 2010.

"Our investigations have led us to confirm that Mr Devitt was involved in an incident at a hotel in Proserpine on or about January 27," Detective Inspector Damien Hansen of the Homicide Investigation Unit said.

"The exact nature of this incident is an integral part of our enquiries.

"We are appealing to the public for anyone with any knowledge of Michael Devitt's involvement in an incident in the vicinity of the Grand Central Hotel in Main Street, Proserpine or regarding his disappearance to please contact police or Crime Stoppers.

"We also know a person contacted Crime Stoppers and the National Missing Persons Unit in August 2011 and we would be very keen to speak again with that person as their information would be very helpful to our investigation."

Michael Leslie Devitt is described as being approximately 175cm tall, proportionate build with brown hair and blue eyes.

His disappearance is considered out of character.

If you can help phone Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000.

 

Michael Devitt cold case: What happened to the missing father of three?

By Rachel Riga - ABC

Posted Sep 1st 2018

Michael Devitt was a larrikin truck driver who would always show up on Christmas Day with a story to tell.

The 48-year-old father of three moved to the Whitsundays in north Queensland to help a friend with his trucking business when he disappeared in Cannonvale around Australia Day in 2010.

His older brother, Gary Devitt, said Michael loved his family and had taken the job to save some money for the impending birth of his grandchild.

"He knew the person up there and the work sounded good and consistent," he said.

"It was a change of scenery and he lived a nomadic lifestyle but his eldest daughter Jade was having a child so he was keen to go there, get some money together and come back."

Michael's family reported him missing when he missed the birth of his grandchild and failed to make contact with loved ones.

"He was a truck driver and he always maintained that so when the police started investigations they found his licence had expired. So little things like that make you realise something terrible has happened to him," Gary Devitt said.

"He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mackay Police District Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said it was most likely Mr Devitt met foul play.

"There is no evidence to suggest proof of life, there's been no bank transactions or any sightings [since January 2010]," Detective Inspector Smith said.

"It certainly looks as if he's deceased so we're treating it as a missing person suspected death and the actual circumstances are still open for interpretation."

Michael Devitt was last seen on the January 27, 2010 when a friend dropped him off at an address in Cannonvale in the Whitsunday region.

Police have been investigating reports an incident took place at the Grand Central Hotel in Proserpine the night before he vanished.

"At this point it's conflicting as to whether the incident actually occurred," Detective Inspector Smith said.

"When you look through all the previous investigations some witnesses say that it occurred but some of the follow up investigations have been unable to find any corroborative evidence."

Police have now referred the case to the Queensland Coroners Office in March 2015.

Mr Devitt said the family are desperate for answers and he wants an inquest into his younger brother's death.

"Michael was a typical young fella, he liked to surf at Rainbow Beach and he grew up into a handsome young man," he said

"He was the youngest so he was always Mum's boy.

"I know the Coroner's office is overworked, they have a lot on their plate but [an inquest] is needed just to give closure to his daughters and our family."

Mr Devitt said his family is hoping to find out what happened to Michael so a memorial service can be held to celebrate his life.

In a statement, the Coroners Court of Queensland said Mr Devitt's case is being investigated and the Central Coroner is in contact with his family.