PHOTO
above
RIGHT:
Bonnie Hayward appeals for any information on her missing sister Rebecca
Hayward. She is supported by Rebecca's aunty Cherry Hayward and Rebecca's father
Eric Hayward. PICTURE: JEFF TAN for NT News
Missing since:Sunday,
January 1, 2017
Last seen:Alice
Springs NT
Jurisdiction:NT
Year of birth:1982
Gender:Female
Height:175cm
Build:Medium
Hair:Dark,
Brown
Complexion:Olive
Eyes:Brown
Distinguishing features: Side
teeth missing
Circumstances:
On 01 January 2017 Rebecca Hayward arrived in Alice Springs
NT from Perth to
stay with family.
At approximately 8pm that evening, Rebecca left her address in Gillen, Alice
Springs and hasn't been
seen or heard from since.
At approximately 8.30am on 02 January 2017, it is believed Rebecca was
sighted by a member of the public, approximately 15 kilometres north of
Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway.
There have been no confirmed sightings since. Concerns are held for her
welfare as Rebecca has no other known links to the Northern Territory.
If you have information that may assist police to locate Rebecca please call
Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Woman missing since January 1 - Alice Springs News
Police hold concerns for missing 35-year-old Rebecca Hayward.
Senior Sergeant Daniel Whitfield-Jones said she left her Gillen
residence on foot around 8pm on New Year’s Day. She has not been seen or
heard from since.
Ms Hayward is described as Indigenous, with long dark straight hair,
brown eyes, medium build and is about 173cm tall.
She was last seen wearing blue denim shorts rolled up to the knees, a
green T-shirt and thongs.
We ask anyone who sights Rebecca or who has any information to contact
police on 131 444, says Sgt Whitfield-Jones.
UPDATE January 7:
Ms Hayward was last seen on January 2, about 8:30am, walking on the
north Stuart Highway, about 10km north of Alice Springs, near the James
Orr Overpass, heading north.
Family of missing Alice Springs woman Rebecca Hayward make
public plea for information
JEFF TAN, NT News
The increasingly desperate family of missing Alice Springs woman
Rebecca Hayward have made a heartfelt plea for information on
her whereabouts.
Rebecca’s father Eric Hayward and sister Bonnie Hayward have
arrived in Alice Springs from Western Australia to help find the
loved mother, who has been missing for more than a week.
“I hope you get this message as your family back home are hoping
that you will return home soon,” Mr Hayward said.
“Your children need you and your family and friends are appealing to
the public if they have seen you or heard from you since that day.”
“I hope to be seeing you very soon, love from Dad.”
Bonnie said it was extremely out of character for her to go walking
off and not to contact the family.
“She hasn’t been to Alice Springs ever before,” Bonnie said.
“She doesn’t know the country or anyone here except for her family.”
Ms Hayward, 34, was last seen on January 2 walking on the Stuart Hwy
about 10km north of Alice Springs. Rebecca is described as
indigenous with long wavy black hair, brown eyes and medium build.
She was last seen wearing a green T-shirt, blue denim shorts
folded up at the bottom and a pair of dark coloured thongs.
11 hour window: Does it hold the answers to the disappearance of
missing mother?
NEARLY three weeks since mother-of-three Rebecca Hayward vanished in
Alice Springs, her mother believes the 11-hour window between her last
two sightings could shed light on her disappearance.
Rebecca was last seen walking along the Stuart Highway 16km north of Alice
Springs on January 2, after she left her aunt’s Gillen property at 9pm the
previous night.
Neither investigators nor the Hayward family know what happened to their
beloved daughter and sister that night.
Her mother, Lori Hayward said somebody must know where the 35-year-old went
during the 11-hour period.
However, the police investigation has stalled and Mrs Hayward has issued a
desperately plea for information.
“Somebody has had to have seen her between 9pm and 8am the next morning. If
Rebecca should be reading this paper, no matter where she is in her life she
can always call her parents. She can always call home,” she said.
Police launched an aerial and ground search with mounted unit, bikes and
NTES volunteers.
The search failed to reveal any trace of Rebecca.
Two witnesses who spoke to Rebecca on the side of the Stuart Highway have
been interviewed by police, one offered the 35-year-old a lift but she
declined, Mrs Hayward said.
“There’s been three sightings on that road at about the same time and two
people have actually stopped and spoken to her. In Alice Springs people that
know the area know it’s something you just don’t do.
“One of them actually offered her a lift. She said no, I don’t know whether
she was being cautious or anything, but she said no. She didn’t want a lift
so they gave her some water.”
Mrs Hayward said her daughter was a confident young woman — but her
confidence could be misplaced in a crowd of strangers.
“Rebecca is a very outgoing personality. She will come across as very
confident, she is well spoken, and she has a great sense of humour and can
be very determined.
“There the things about Rebecca, she’s a quite confident person really. Some
of that may make her vulnerable in a place where she doesn’t know people.”
Mrs Hayward said there was nothing to indicate Rebecca was troubled in the
days before her disappearance.
She was travelled from Perth to Alice Springs, accompanied by two aunties to
visit a third aunt who was working in the Red Centre.
“She instigated all of this. She was the one who wanted to go up, she wanted
to have a break. No problems what so ever, she has a cousin up there who she
is mates with. She just went for a walk on her own.”
An NT Police spokeswoman said investigators were still searching and had no
new leads in the case.
She said police do not believe Rebecca’s disappearance was suspicious.
Anyone with information about Rebecca’s disappearance should call Police on
131 444.
Family of missing woman Rebecca Hayward 'devastated' as NT search comes to
standstill
The family of missing West Australian woman Rebecca Hayward, who disappeared
during a visit to Alice Springs, say they are "desperate for information",
as police admit a month later they are no closer to finding her.
The 34-year-old mother flew from Perth to Alice Springs in the Northern
Territory to visit family on New Year's Day and was spotted three times
walking along the Stuart Highway several kilometres north of the town on
January 2.
Her family are still in shock.
"We are desperate for information. We need somebody to come forward, someone
that has seen something," her older brother, Eric Hayward, said.
It was her first visit to Alice Springs.
"She's a compulsive walker. She walks long distances and it's not
uncommon for her to be walking 10 or 15 kilometres," Mr Hayward said.
"But in an unknown area — she was only there for a day and a night — she may
have well have just wandered off."
Frustrated detectives said they were no closer to finding her.
"To date things have actually slowed down," Detective Senior Sergeant Allan
Milner said.
"We're hoping by talking to the public again it'll generate enough interest
that someone could or may come forward.
"We've had a number of sightings that have returned negative results
unfortunately."
Rebecca 'just needed a break', brother says
Mr Hayward said his sister needed some time away from her home in Perth when
she travelled to Alice Springs.
"I don't think it was a long-term thing, I think she just needed a break
from Western Australia," he said.
"Something's gone wrong and we just don't know what's happened to her."
NT Police said in one of the three sightings, Ms Hayward was spotted by two
doctors who were returning to Alice Springs.
It is understood they stopped and spoke to her, and provided her with a
bottle of water.
"They were concerned but there was no information at the time that she was
missing," Sergeant Milner said.
"They believed that she was alright, nothing out of the ordinary."
A mother of young children, Ms Hayward is part of a large Aboriginal family
in WA.
"She had a lot going for her and as a young person we are devastated not to
know what has happened to her," Mr Hayward said.
"Rebecca, we miss you, we love you."
Ms Hayward is Indigenous, with an olive complexion, long dark straight hair,
brown eyes, medium build and is about 173cm tall.
She was last seen wearing blue denim shorts rolled up to the knees, a green
T-shirt and thongs.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 131 444 or contact Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Family of Rebecca Hayward still searching for answers after
mother’s disappearance near Alice Springs
JUDITH AISTHORPE, NT News
Rebecca Hayward’s three children still ask where their mum is —
more than six months after she went missing.
Now, Rebecca’s sister drops them at school and tucks them into
bed at night.
Rebecca went missing near Alice Springs without a trace in January.
Police, after extensive searches of the area where she was last
seen, turned up nothing.
Monday marks the start of National Missing Persons Week.
Rebecca is the face of the Territory campaign. She is one of 24
people in the NT who are registered as long-term missing persons.
The people — which can be viewed at www.missingpersons.gov.au — have
gone missing right across the Territory and date as far back as the
early 1980s.
Rebecca’s family have been left in limbo, unable to move on and
unsure of what to say to the caring mother’s three children.
Rebecca’s mother, Lorraine Hayward, said the family recently
explained to the young children that their mum was missing somewhere
near Alice Springs.
“I can’t say she’s passed away, I can’t say anything,” Ms Hayward
said.
“In May we decided we had to tell the children with a book.
“We talk about the good things and show them photos; there’s just no
closure.”
The book is a collection of photographs and maps which explained
Rebecca went on holiday to Alice Springs and went missing on January
1.
The book explained to the children that police searched the area she
was last seen at on January 2 by air and on foot but could not find
her.
She was last seen at 8.30am walking north on the Stuart Highway,
about 10km north of Alice Springs, near the James Orr Overpass.
“The searches were extensive for Rebecca, it was huge,” Ms Hayward
said.
“The family there door knocked. My daughter and husband went to
Alice Springs and went to the Aboriginal communities.”
In the time that Rebecca has been missing, two of her children have
celebrated birthdays.
“Two of the kids birthdays have passed and no phone call. One of the
kids asks quite often if I’ve called the police to see if they’ve
found mum yet,” she said.
The children, who live in Perth where most of the Rebecca’s
family are based do not quite understand what has happened to their
mum.
“They play mum and the older one says we can’t play mum because
she’s missing,” Ms Hayward said.
Rebecca’s family is calling on anyone with information as to her
whereabouts to come forward and help reunite her with her children.
If you have sighted Ms Hayward or may know anything in relation to
any missing person contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on
1800 333 000
