Remains found..........
This page will have news about all the
human remains that have been located. I do my best to find out whether these
remains are identified. If you can help identify any of them please phone
Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or some of the articles have individual Police
station numbers listed.
Alternatively you can let me know
-
austmissingpersons@supernerd.com.au or phone 0438 900 861 and I can
pass the information along to Police.
*NOTE - As this page is now getting very large, and
sometimes a body may be found but not identified for several months I think I
need to organise it better so you (and I!) can more easily find people. So I
will be compiling a list at the top of this page that will be an index of the
remains that have been found and when they are identified I will move them to
another page
HERE.
****************************************************************************
Darra QLD June 30 2007
Eugowra NSW - Male, August
2009
Griffith NSW - Male, December
2009
Kurnell, NSW - 2 people, male
and female, December 2007
Lower Templestowe VIC -
Unknown gender, February 2010
Mooney Mooney NSW - Female,
2003
******************************************************************************
Body found - Lower Templestowe
|
|
| Tuesday, 23 February 2010 16:56 |
|
Victorian Police are investigating the discovery of a body in Lower Templestowe this morning.
The badly decomposed body was located in the garden of an address in High Street around 9.30am.
The gender of the deceased has not yet to be confirmed.
The remains have been taken to the Coroners Office for forensic testing.
The Homicide Squad have been notified.
No further details will be available until after forensic testing is completed. |
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.
Man’s body located – Eugowra
Monday, 10 Aug 2009 05:16am
NSW Police are conducting inquiries after the discovery
of a man’s body in the state’s west.
About 11am yesterday (Sunday 9 August), a male
bushwalker located the body of a man in the Nangar
National Park near Eugowra, east of Forbes.
The man contacted police from Canobolas Local Area
Command who attended and established a crime scene.
Inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the man’s
death continue; however, police are not currently
treating the death as suspicious.
Police are checking records of local missing people to
assist with determining the identity of the man.
A report will be prepared for the information of the
coroner.
Body located following murder investigation
Last updated 23/06/2009
Following investigations into the murders of Alexander
and Suzanne Davie on or about May 3, Gold Coast and Homicide Investigation
Unit officers, working in conjunction with the New South Wales Police, have
located what appears to be the remains of a third person.
The remains were located at Split Rock Dam at Upper
Manilla via Tamworth, New South Wales.
Investigations are continuing in an effort to identify
the remains and the cause of death.
Anyone with information which could assist police
with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police conduct inquiries following
discovery of human skull - Gooloogong
2009-06-11 05:51:19
NSW Detectives in the state's Central West are conducting inquiries following
the discovery of a human skull on a Gooloogong property.
The owner of a property on Kangarooby Road found the skull about 11.45am last
Friday (5 June).
As a result, detectives from Canobolas Local Area Command and the Forensic
Services Group at Bathurst attended the scene and conducted inquiries.
Initial inquiries suggest the skull was from a person of white/European
appearance and had been there for some time.
State Crime Command's Homicide Squad has been briefed about the discovery.
Local police conducted a line search of the property yesterday in a bid to
locate any evidence that might assist their inquiries.
Anyone who has information that might assist investigating officers is urged to
contact Orange Police Station via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police will today update the media on their investigation.
View Larger Map
Location of human remains, Westlake: Last updated 25/04/2009
QLD Police have located human remains on the edge of the Brisbane River at Westlake late this afternoon. A member of the public discovered the remains at low tide around 5.40pm. Scenes of Crime Officers have seized the remains, which will be subject to an examination. The remains are believed to be that of an adult. Investigations are continuing.
Skull found in Qld bush
Posted Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:38pm AEDT
Queensland police are searching bushland outside Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, after finding a fragment of what they believe is a human skull.
Officers say the piece of bone was found by a bushwalker in Glen Lomond Gully in January and is about 10 years old.
Forensics are testing the remains but the age or sex of the remains is yet to be determined.
Police say they have ruled out the possibility that the skull belonged to a pre-European settlement Indigenous person.
They are preparing a report for the coroner.
Location of human skull fragment in Toowoomba
Last updated 19/03/2009
QLD Police are investigating the location of a human skull fragment in rugged bushland at Glen Lamond Gully, near Toowoomba on January 13.
An extensive land search has been conducted of the area however no further human remains have been located.
Initial investigations suggest that the skull fragment may have been exposed to the elements for at least 10 years and further investigations regarding possible carbon dating are being conducted.
The skull fragment is being examined by scientists at the John Tonge Centre in Brisbane and no suspicious circumstances have been revealed in the examination so far.
Police have ruled out the possibility that the fragment comes from an ancient indigenous skull however investigations have not yet confirmed the age and sex of the individual.
Police are continuing their investigations and a report is being compiled for referral to the Coroner.
Border Ranges body may have drug link
2nd February 2009 - The Northern Star
POLICE have not ruled out the possibility that the body of a man found near Kyogle is one of two missing men linked to a $3 million Condong drug raid.
Police found the body in the Border Ranges National Park, near the NSW and Queensland border, about 2pm last Friday and then issued a call for public help to identify him.
It is understood investigations are under way as to whether the body is that of Barry Grant, 52, or Jethro Matheson, 30, who have been missing since last month.
Police said the men were connected to a Condong property where, on January 16, officers from the Tweed/Byron command uncovered 1549 cannabis plants in an elaborate hydroponic set-up with an estimated street value of $3 million.
They also found $65,000 worth of cannabis leaf.
It is not known what connection the men have to each other, or to the Eviron Road property, as police have been unable to provide any further details.
The men, Grant, from Murwillumbah, and Matheson, from Brisbane, have not been seen or heard from since before the January 16 raid.
Friends and family members of the pair have told police it is unusual for them not to make contact.
Meanwhile, a crime scene was established following the discovery of the body in the Border Ranges National Park, with officers from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad assisting Tweed Heads police.
Police would not say how long the body had been there, or who made the grisly discovery.
While police would not provide any further details on either investigation yesterday, Inspector Jim Kain would not rule out the possibility the two were connected.
“That would just be speculation at this stage, because no identification has been found (with the body),” Insp Kain said.
“We can’t say any more at this stage.”
Insp Kain could not say whether police believed Grant or Matheson had met with foul play, but he said detectives were following a specific line of inquiry into the case.
A NSW Police spokeswoman could not confirm any link between Matheson and Grant and the unidentified body yesterday because, she said, it might hamper police investigations.
However, she said police were likely to release further details on the discovery of the body and its identity today.
Body found in bushland -
NSW / Queensland border
Friday, 30 Jan 2009
06:24pm
NSW Police are appealing
for public assistance
following the discovery
of a man's body in
bushland near the NSW -
Queensland border.
About 2pm today (Friday
30 January 2009), police
located the body of an
unidentified male in the
Border Ranges National
Park near Kyogle.
A crime scene has been
established and
investigators from Tweed
Heads Police, assisted
by officers from the
State Crime Command's
Homicide Squad, are
examining the
circumstances
surrounding the man's
death.
Anyone with information
concerning the man's
identity or death is
asked to contact Tweed
Heads Police or Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333
000.
Human foot located - Evans
Head
Wednesday, 21 Jan 2009
03:27pm
A partially decomposed human foot has been located on the
State’s north coast yesterday.
About 6.15pm a man was walking along the coastline
south of Goanna Headland at Evans Head when he
entered a sea cave and discovered a partially
decomposed foot.
Police were notified and attended the scene. The
foot was taken for examination and verified to be
human. Police suspect the foot is possibly that of a
27-year-old motorcyclist who went missing shortly
after 12am on Saturday 10 January.
The missing man set off on a short motorbike ride
along Airforce Beach and when he hadn’t returned by
daylight, his family contacted police.
Officers from the Richmond Local Area Command
located the man’s damaged motorbike, submerged among
rocks leading to the beach.
Tyre marks suggest the motorcycle entered the rock
formation at high speed and crashed.
Police fear the man suffered serious injuries in the
crash, only to be washed out to sea by a king tide.
The missing man is described as white/European in
appearance, 178cm tall, with a medium build and very
short, sandy coloured hair.
He was last seen wearing a chequered black and grey
shirt, denim jeans and shoes.
Anyone with information about the matter is urged to
contact Evans Head Police on (02) 6682 4202 or Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police appeal for public
assistance to identify deceased woman – Lurnea
Wednesday, 07 Jan 2009
05:14am
Liverpool (NSW) detectives are appealing for public
assistance to identify a woman who is believed to
have died in Sydney’s south west this week.
About 10.15pm on Sunday (4 January) police and Fire
Brigade personnel attended a grass fire at a park in
Reilly Street, Lurnea.
Fire Brigade officers extinguished the blaze and
located a burnt body in grass more than two metres
high.
A crime scene was established and fire and police
investigators attended the scene.
The post mortem examination at Glebe has concluded;
however, the identity of the deceased has not yet
been established.
Liverpool Local Area Command detectives are
continuing their inquiries to establish the
circumstances surrounding the death, as well as the
identity.
The forensic pathologist has indicated to police
that the deceased is a female, aged in her mid to
late 20s, and of Asian origin.
Inquiries are in their early stages, but police are
investigating the possibility the death is not
suspicious.
Investigators have released images (above) of a
woman believed to be the deceased at Liverpool Train
Station and are appealing for public assistance to
identify her.
She is described as Asian in appearance, with black
hair and wearing a red and blue poncho over a white
top and black pants.
Anyone who can identify the woman is urged to
contact Liverpool Police on 9821 8444 or Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Human remains uncovered in storm-ravaged Brisbane
November 29th 2008 - ABC
QLD Police have found what appears to be human remains near the storm-ravaged suburb of The Gap in Brisbane's north-west.
Foresic officers are examining what appears to be a human skull.
It is believed the remains, which were discovered next to a popular mountain bike trail near Gap Creek Park, could have become uncovered by flash flooding during wild storms which recently hit Brisbane.
Police say the remains do not appear to be of someone who died recently.
Bones identified, Beerburrum State Forest:
QLD Police have identified the human remains located at Beerburrum State Forest on November 9 as belonging to a woman missing since 2000. Through scientific and dental analysis, police today identified the bones as belonging to Bokarina woman Gail Jones. Ms Jones, who was aged 48 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen around June 10. Her death is being considered as non-suspicious.
Bushland bones there for years: police
Posted Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:32pm AEDT - ABC
Police say human bones found in bushland last Sunday at Glenview, on the Sunshine Coast, appear to have been there for a number of years.
The bones of a 50 to 60-year-old man were found by a man walking his dog.
Superintendent Ben Hanbidge says old missing person files are being examined.
"We have SES [State Emergency Service] volunteers down there scouring the nearby vicinity to where the skeleton was located, just looking for any other pieces of evidence that might give us a clue as to the identification of this body," he said.
Bones located near Caloundra
Last updated 10/11/2008
QLD Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding human bones that were found yesterday afternoon near Caloundra.
The bones were located around 1.30pm near a walking track by a man who was walking through the bushland.
On information available at this stage, the bones do not appear to be linked to any ongoing missing person’s case.
Scientific officers will continue examining the area and updates will be issued as more information becomes available.
Body of missing man found on Crescent Head property
Thursday, 30 Oct 2008 08:13pm
The body of a man reported missing to police has been located this afternoon following a land and air search of a property on the State’s mid north coast.
The 56-year-old man was reported missing to police on Sunday by his landlord as he had not been heard from since earlier this month.
Shortly after 9.30am today an air and ground search was launched of the property, more than 600 acres in size, at Crescent Head.
The search involved police from the Mid North Coast Local Area Command, supported by PolAir and State Emergency Service volunteers.
At 1.45pm today a man’s body was located in rugged bushland. The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious and information will be included in a report for the Coroner.
While the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be the 56-year-old missing man. Oatley Bay body in the water at least a week
Josephine Tovey - SMH
November 3, 2008 - 7:01AM
- with Arjun Ramachandran
A BODY found wrapped in plastic, wire and an extension cord and floating in the Georges River by two young boys at the weekend could have been there more than a week, police said yesterday.
The two boys, aged nine and 14, made the gruesome discovery while canoeing in Oatley Bay on Saturday evening and immediately told their parents.
Police retrieved the body - which had still not been identified this morning - from the river later that night and yesterday revealed some details from the preliminary post-mortem examination.
"We went over and [it] smelt a little bit and it had an extension cord wrapped around it," one of the boys, Hayden Wright told reporters yesterday.
"Some water came out of it and some blood came out of it."
His friend, Matt Langham, said: "We went home and told our dads and they came over."
Detective Inspector Terry O'Neill, from the Hurstville police, said the body was a male of Asian appearance, 176cm tall and aged in his late 20s to early 30s.
"We're going through the missing persons records across the state to determine if this man has already been reported missing," he said.
The corpse was found wrapped in a "rug-like material" near Morshead Drive in Connells Point. The body was also clothed, but police would not describe the type of clothing for "operational reasons".
Police said a number of items were also taken away from the area where the body was found, but would not elaborate on what they were.
Police are treating the death as suspicious and have established Strike Force Renfree to investigate the case, together with the Homicide Squad and the Marine Area Command.
"Today detectives attached to Strike Force Renfree canvassed water users and residents in the Oatley Bay area," Inspector O"Neill said. "The canvass was aimed at finding anyone who might have witnessed any unusual activity or seen any vehicles or vessels not usually in the area … we're asking people to think back … if they remember anything suspicious in the area ."
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000.
Human remains thought to be those of suspected killer
2008-10-15 11:45:08
NSW Police believe human remains, found on the Central Coast last night, could be those of missing murder suspect, Stanley Francis Maguire.
Around 6pm, a man walking through bushland discovered the skeletal remains, east of the Pacific Highway, near Mount White.
Police from Brisbane Water Local Area Command were alerted and a crime scene established.
A forensic pathologist and investigators from Strike Force Alpita and the Homicide Squad were also notified as an overnight guard was placed at the site.
Investigators have returned to the scene today to search for evidence and retrieve the remains.
Police issued an arrest warrant for 59-year-old Maguire in relation to the shotgun murder of father-of-four, Stephen Holmes, at Woonona near Wollongong on November 24, last year.
Maguire's car was found abandoned near the F3 freeway near Mount White, several days after the killing.
He was also placed on the state's Most Wanted list.
A post-mortem examination will be carried out on the remains to confirm the dead man's identity.
Anyone with information about Stanley Maguire's last known movements is urged to contact Wollongong or Gosford Police; or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
Human remains undiscovered for up to 12 years
2008-08-21 05:32:22
NSW Police are seeking public assistance to identify a human skeleton, thought
to have remained undiscovered for up 12 years in Sydney's south west.
The remains were hidden from view in a small area of scrubland, 120m off the
Bellbird walking track leading to Casula Railway Station.
A passer-by made the discovery early last month.
Investigators from Liverpool Local Area Command, in consultation with the
Coroner and a pathologist, suspect the man was not a victim of foul play.
Police hope a number of items found at the scene will lead to the dead man's
identification.
He'd been in possession of a silver ring, bearing a unique marijuana leaf
emblem; and a metal flip-top lighter, also featuring a cannabis leaf design.
Police also located a "Tazo" disc, commonly found in snack food packets, which
dated back to 1996.
Officers believe the remains are that of a white/European male, who was aged
between 20 and 30 when he died. He was between 170 and 175 centimetres tall and
had a small build.
Investigators believe the dead man may have been a heavy cannabis user.
Inquiries are continuing and anyone with information about the matter is urged
to contact Liverpool Police on (02) 9821 8444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
'Tazo' disc the clue to human skeleton
Arjun Ramachandran - SMH
August 21, 2008 - 7:22AM
A chip-packet "Tazo" disc and a silver ring bearing a
marijuana leaf emblem could hold clues to the identity of human
skeletal remains found in Sydney's south-west last month, police
say.
The items were found beside bones in thick bush about 120
metres from the Bellbird walking track in Leacock Regional Park,
near Casula railway station, police said.
The bones, found by a member of the public on July 2, were
believed to have been undiscovered for up to 12 years, Senior
Constable Philip Daenell, from Liverpool police, said.
Police have checked dental records and missing persons
databases but have been unable to identify the man, Senior Constable
Daenell said.
Forensic analysis shows he was a white or European man aged
between 20 and 30. He was between 170 and 175 centimetres tall and
had a small build, Senior Constable Daenell said.
"We would think he was a habitual substance user given he had
a ring with a marijuana leaf and had a bit of foil in his pocket,
and there was a lighter also with a marijuana leaf logo," he said.
A "Tazo" disc, believed to be from a chip packet and found in
the man's possession, was from 1996, police said.
Police do not believe the man was a victim of foul play. They
found some rope attached to a tree where the bones were located.
The bones were not believed to be buried, and were found in a
park used by members of the public to walk to and from Casula
railway station.
"We suspect [the man] was someone with a bit of local
knowledge of the area," Senior Constable Daenell said.
"It's not really in the way of anything and you wouldn't go
there unless you had a reason to go there.
"There's a track that goes through the park that gives people
access to the station, but the bushland is [quite far] from the
track and is really dense scrub, so it's not surprising [that no one
discovered the bones by accident].
"However it is a bit ironic that hundreds of people walk past
it every day and no one had located the remains."
Anyone with information is asked to phone Liverpool police on
9821 8444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Help police identify unknown dead man
Release date: Tue
19 August 2008
Pakenham (Victoria) Police are appealing for
public assistance in identifying an unknown man.
On Thursday 14th
August at 9.15pm the man was hit by a train at Pakenham Railway
station and died as a result.
There are no suspicious circumstances
surrounding the man’s death.
At the scene there was no identification
and fingerprint checks have been conducted with no success.
The man’s identity remains a mystery.
He is described as between 20-30 years,
olive complexion, approximately 170 cm’s, short dark hair, un
shaven, wearing a blue windcheater with red stripes on the
sleeves with Valley Statesman RLFC printed on the front, a grey
Nike t-shirt with white trim, white runners and blue jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to
contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or
www.crimestoppers.com.au
|
Body found in St Albans
Release date: Sat 19 July 2008
Victorian Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the discovery of a
partially burnt body of a man in St Albans today.Police were called
to parkland at the intersection of Furlong and Persini roads after two local
boys discovered the body in a creek.
The boys went home and told their mothers about the body who went down
to the creek before calling police at 3.20pm.
Police are at the scene awaiting the arrival of the Homicide Squad.
Anyone who may have information surrounding the death is urged to
contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 33 000 or visit
www.crimestoppers.com.au
*Believed to be an Asian male in his 40's.
Help needed to identify mystery skeleton
Posted Thu
Jul 3, 2008 1:35pm AEST - ABC
Police have asked for public help after finding skeletal
remains in bushland at Casula in Sydney's west.
Police from Liverpool Local Area Command were told about the human remains
by someone who had been walking through Leacock Regional Park around 2:15pm
(AEST) yesterday.
Forensic investigators say the remains are believed to be that of a man
aged between 20 and 30, and have been at the location for more than two years.
The skeleton will continue to be examined in the hope of identifying the
man and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800
333 000.
Human remains found at Essendon
Release date: Sun 13 April 2008
Victorian Homicide detectives are
investigating the discovery on Saturday of human bones at Essendon.
Police said the owner of an unoccupied house
in McCarron Parade which was being renovated was removing a shed in the back
yard when the bones were found.
Police said that two of the bones found
yesterday had been identified by forensic specialists as human leg bones.
Police continued to dig up a section of yard
where the bones were found today.
The area being excavated measures about
4metres by 4 metres.
Further bone fragments were found today but
it thought that the fragments were unlikely to be human; however forensic
tests will be carried out to determine this.
A pathologist has been working with police
to help identify the remains.
Police believe the bones had been there for
over 30 years.
Police have spoken to a former owner of the
house who had owned the premises for that time, but the former owner was
unable to assist police with any information in relation to the matter.
Police have finished searching the location
where the bones were found.
This is the design that would have been printed
on the front of the t shirt, only in white or possibly silver?
The remains were found in 2003 but could have
been there for at least 12 months prior to that. Are you missing a young man
from approx. 2002 onwards? Do these clothes look familiar? He might have come
from any state, not just NSW.
He wore size 35/89cm jeans and we believe
he was wearing the shorts under the jeans - does that ring a bell? Plus an Ecko
Unlimited shirt. Note - this wasn't an official shirt, he may have bought it at
the markets?
New clues to help ID mystery skeleton
April 03, 2008 - The Daily Examiner
POLICE have not given up on their search to identify the bones of a
mystery man found in Iluka five years ago. Detectives from Grafton have
renewed their appeal for information by releasing photos of the clothing
found on the body.
"All local inquiries and those involving the Missing Person Unit to
date, have been exhausted and we hope this appeal will lead to new
information and possibly provide closure for the family and friends of a
missing person," Detective Senior Constable Grahame Burke said. When the
body was found the man was wearing a pair of Levis stonewash denim jeans
(size 35), blue Quiksilver shorts, and an 'Ecko Unlimited' brand shirt.
"It's a pretty identifiable shirt so I'm hoping it might jog a
person's memory," Detective Burke said.
Police do not suspect the mystery man was from this area, so they have
released the photos nationally in the hope that friends or relatives of a
missing person may recognise the clothing.
"There are one or two internet sites dedicated to missing persons and
I'm hoping they will also publish the photos," he said.
The bones were discovered by Landcare workers inside the Iluka
Rainforest Nature Reserve in August, 2003. Detective Burke said since then
the bones had been sent to the United States where forensic testing
determined the remains to be that of a male aged somewhere between 18 and 50
years. DNA samples have also been taken.
Detective Burke said if a family member of the missing man does
identify the clothing they can use the DNA sample to confirm a match.
"We've got to use every means at our disposal to give closure to a
family out there who is missing a loved one," he said.
Anyone with information that might assist investigating officers
should contact Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command on 02 6642 0222 or Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
***************************************************************
Grampians bones remain a mystery
Posted Fri
Feb 22, 2008 1:36pm AEDT - ABC
Police say human remains found by Bendigo students three
years ago in the Grampians, in south-west Victoria, might not be as old as first
thought.
Police had believed the remains might be those of missing Melbourne
photographer Rex Sutherland, who disappeared in the 1970s, or Ballarat
bushwalker Peter White, who disappeared in the 1980s.
But Senior Detective John Bongiorno says a sports shoe found with the body
was made in Australia in 1992.
He says no missing persons reported in the Grampians from that date are
unaccounted for and detectives are seeking more help from the public.
He says with no missing persons reported in the Grampians from that date,
detectives have little other information to go on.
"All we've got basically through the DNA or examination of the bones, is
that basically we are looking at a Caucasian male, probably around late 20s to
30s," he said.
22 February 2008 - 5:00AM The
Advertiser - Bendigo
COLD case police have released key photographs they hope will solve one of
regional Victoria's great mysteries of human bones found in the Grampians by
Bendigo schoolgirls.
New information on the human bones found in September, 2004, by a group
of Girton Grammar schoolgirls on a school hike indicates they are not as old
as first thought.
Stawell CIU's Senior-Detective John Bongiourno, who has led the
investigation since the discovery, said the major breakthrough had been
specialist information on the age of a pair of shoes discovered with the
bones.
Sen-Det. Bongiourno said consultation between the Cold Case Taskforce
and Adidas had established the shoes were manufactured in Australia in 1992,
which eliminated the possibility of the most likely missing person, Melbourne
photographer Rex Sutherland, who disappeared on Mt William in 1978.
"This answers some questions, but raises quite a few more," Sen-Det.
Bongiourno said.
"One of the biggest problems was that the remains weren't in very good
condition, so forensic scientists weren't confident about accurately
estimating how long they had been there."
Sen-Det. Bongiourno said the bones were distributed over several hundred
metres and possibly scattered by animals or by water flows in the rugged
terrain.
He said to further complicate the mystery there were no unsolved missing
person cases from the Grampians region from the period 1992 to 2004.
DNA testing of the brother of Ballarat bushwalker Peter White who
disappeared in the 1980s has already ruled out another possible identity.
Police are now hoping pictures of the shoes and watch found with the
body will help trigger memories of some knowledge of what they estimate to be
a male Caucasian probably aged in his 20s or 30s.
He said the latest discovery came after the 2006 fires, when changes to
vegetation and soil at the spot turned up another bone.
Unfortunately, repeated searches of the area have not yielded any teeth.
"The first thing we were hoping we would find were some teeth and go
straight to dental records and make an identification that way," he said.
But Sen-Det. Bongiourno said the absence of the jawbone and lower part
of the skull did not necessarily indicate anything suspicious, as the time the
bones had been exposed and the disturbance of animals could have contributed
to the condition.
Forensic scientists still have not been able to establish the cause of
death.
"Everything has to be canvassed," Sen-Det. Bongiourno said.
"It could have been a body dumped there, it could have been somebody who
had grown tired of life and decided to end it in a remote spot."
Girton Grammar schoolgirls made the grisly discovery while on a school
hike on Mt William in September, 2004, after taking a wrong turn near the
summit car park.
Editor's note - March 2008 - I
requested a copy of the photographs of the clothing worn by the Grampians
unidentified body, as mentioned in the article above. Victoria Police have
refused my request.
I am well aware that the families of the missing visit my
website every day, and check this page to see if they might possibly be able to
idenify their missing loved one.
When both Victoria and NSW Police missing persons unit
having recently been criticized by Coroners for failing to identify bodies and
inform families, the decision not to allow me to publish a photograph of
clothing that may be recognised by a family member is completely baffling to me.
You will note in the second article this statement -
Police are now hoping pictures of the shoes and watch found with the
body will help trigger memories of some knowledge of what they estimate to be
a male Caucasian probably aged in his 20s or 30s.
Exactly how will these photographs trigger memories if no
one is allowed to see them?!?!?!
***************************************************************
Appeal to identify body - Bateau Bay
2008-03-02 13:56:34
NSW Police from Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command are appealing for public
assistance to identify a man whose body was found in seas off Bateau Bay last
night.
A member of the public called police about 5.45pm after the body was spotted
near an exposed rock platform between Shelley Beach and Bateau Bay Beach.
A rescue helicopter was despatched to assist in the retrieval of the man's body.
Police believe the man may have been in the water for several days. The man is
believed to be of white / European appearance, possibly aged in his 30s or 40s,
and was wearing blue board shorts.
At this time there have been no reports of missing men who match the
description.
Anyone with information about the identity of the man is urged to contact The
Entrance police on 4333 2999 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Decomposed body found under bridge
Article from: AAP
February 21, 2008
04:54pm
THE badly decomposed
body of a man has been discovered under a bridge in Melbourne's southeast.
The body was found by a passerby beneath the Cheltenham Road EastLink
overpass in Dandenong about 7.45am (AEDT) today, police said.
Homicide detectives have not yet detailed the man's injuries, but say
they are not self-inflicted and are suspicious.
They have not identified the victim, but believe he is a middle aged
Caucasian.
The victim had long, greying hair.
He was wearing black tracksuit pants with white flashings on the
outside of the legs, a shirt and a slipper.
The body has been taken for an autopsy, likely to be completed late
this afternoon.
Jawbone at Kurnell desal site
Article from:
By Kara Lawrence
December 12, 2007
12:40pm
A JAWBONE believed to
be human has been discovered at the Kurnell desalination plant work site
this morning.
Construction workers noticed the bone, which had been dredged up from
the sand by recent storms at about 11am today.
Police have been contacted about the bones, which follows the
unearthing of several other human bones at the site last month.
Bones previously found include a human shin bone as well as foot bones
in a sock and a pelvis.
Those bones have been sent overseas for carbon testing to New Zealand
and to the US for DNA analysis, and are believed to be less than 50 years
old.
It is believed that the bones previously discovered belonged to two
people, one from a man and the other is suspected to be from a woman.
It is unknown if the jawbone discovered today came from either of
those two bodies.
More human remains discovered - Kurnell
2007-12-12 15:02:27 - NSW Police Media Unit
A human jawbone has been discovered at a Kurnell construction site today.
Police from Miranda Local Area Command were called to the site on St Josephs
Road after construction workers discovered the jawbone, believed to be human, at
11am.
A crime scene has been established and the exhibit taken away for forensic
examination.
On Tuesday 2 October 2007, a tibia bone was located in sand dunes by
construction workers.
A crime scene was established and a cadaver dog was used to search the immediate
area.
No further bones were located at that time.
On Monday 8 October 2007, several ribs and small bones were located by police in
an area about
300 metres from the original location.
A forensic pathologist and an anthropologist have examined the bones and
confirmed that they are human and unrelated.
Further analysis, including carbon dating and DNA testing, will be conducted to
determine the age
and origin of the bones.
Test results are not yet available.
Identity of Deceased Male
At about 7.00am on Saturday 3 November 2007 the body of a
male was discovered on the footpath of Glendenning Road, Tarcoola Beach WA.
It appears that the man had been jogging before collapsing
and dying. There were no items of identification found on or near the body and
as yet police have not been able to establish the identity of the deceased.
Deceased is described as male, approximately 60-65 years of
age, 173cm, slim-toned build, bald and wearing a blue/white running vest, black
jogging shorts and Asics shoes.
Below is a photo composite of the deceased and police are
requesting assistance from members from the public in identifying the deceased.
All information can be supplied to the Geraldton Police
Station on 9923 4555 or to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Skeleton exposed in excavations - Portsea
Release date: Sat 3 November 2007
The remains of what is believed to be a man of unknown age have been
discovered during excavations at a worksite earlier this afternoon.
Homicide detectives, forensic officers and pathologists are processing the
area this evening located on Point Nepean Road.
Upon initial investigations, police believe the bones, discovered
shortly before 5pm, are that of a man which do not appear to be indigenous and
may have been buried for 50 years or more.
If anyone has any information which may assist detectives in identifying
the remains they are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit
www.crimestoppers.com.au
Description released of unidentified deceased man,
Sandgate
Last updated 28/02/2007
QLD
Police investigating the death of a man whose body was located in Bramble Bay
off Sandgate this morning have released a description of him and the clothing he
was wearing.
About 6.30am today some people on a morning walk located the man’s body in
the water opposite First Avenue. The man has not yet been identified and
investigations into his death are continuing.
The deceased man is described as being of Asian appearance, aged in his
30s, 162cm tall and of slim build.
He was wearing a grey/blue Sands Point brand spray jacket which was made
in Bangladesh, a grey Next brand t-shirt and blue Nike training shorts with a
white stripe down the side.
Police are keen to speak to anyone who may know the identity of the man
and are urging them to contact Crime Stoppers or Sandgate Police Station.
Three water police vessels are currently conducting searches of the area
around Luggage Point in an effort to locate anything which may assist with the
investigation into the man’s death.
Anyone who may know the identity of the man or who has any
information which could assist in the investigation is asked to contact Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Sandgate Police on 3631 8044.
Human jawbone discovered - Hawks Nest
7 August 2007
Police from Lower Hunter Local Area Command have confirmed a human jawbone was
discovered in Northern NSW on Sunday (5 August).
About 11am, a woman was bushwalking with her husband and son along Jimmy’s Beach
at Hawks Nest, when her son located a bone on the rocks. The family searched the
surrounding area, however nothing else was found.
The family handed the bone to Hawks Nest Ambulance Station who notified police.
Forensic officers’ initial opinion is that the jawbone is very old from an adult
male, 18-25 years of age. The filling found in the tooth has been available in
Australia for over 80 years.
Inquires are continuing.
Bones found, Bundaberg:
QLD Police are currently investigating the discovery of what are believed to be
bones under the Elliot River Bridge on the Isis Highway, Bundaberg. They were
located at 11am this morning by a local resident. Police investigations are
continuing into this matter. Scientific examinations will be conducted tomorrow
to determine their nature and origin.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Crime Stoppers
on 1800 333 000.
Skeleton may be missing man, say police - The Australian
December 13, 2006
POLICE believe skeletal remains found in central Queensland on Monday may belong
to a man who went missing in the area more than a year ago.
Detectives are investigating whether the remains are those of 50-year-old
Geoffrey Blakey, who left Bundaberg to travel to Childers on November 28, 2005.
Detectives believe Mr Blakey may have hitchhiked from Childers on or about
November 30, and could have been dropped near the Elliott River Bridge on the
Isis Highway about 20km west of Bundaberg.
The skeletal remains have been sent to the John Tonge Centre for scientific
examination and positive identification.
Mr Blakey is described as caucasian, 170cm tall, of thin build, fair complexion
and with blue eyes.
He was carrying two large suitcases and a sports-style overnight bag.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen Mr Blakey or given him a lift
to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police appeal for assistance in identifying human torso Sunshine Coast
Last updated 27/08/2007
QLD Police are appealing for assistance in identifying a man whose torso washed
up onto a Sunshine Coast beach last week.
Around 9am on August 24 a badly decomposed human torso was located at Warana
beach by a member of the public. Sunshine Coast detectives and forensic officers
attended the scene and the remains were transported to Nambour Hospital for
further investigation.
A post mortem conducted today established some identifying features.
The torso belonged to a man, possibly Caucasian, aged approximately 45 years or
older, large build, approximately 178 to 186cms in height and evidence of double
bypass surgery for a heart condition.
Remnants of clothing found on the torso indicate that the man’s underwear was
size 122cms and his shorts or trousers were a ‘Cargo’ brand.
The post mortem indicated that the man may have been in the water for two months
or longer.
Sunshine Coast CIB is conducting investigations to identify the man.
Police are appealing for public assistance in identifying the man and request
anyone with information that could assist them with their inquiries to contact
Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Torso found on Sunshine Coast - ABC
Posted Sat Aug 25, 2007 10:29am AEST
Police say they will not be able to identify a human torso found yesterday at
Kawana Waters on the Sunshine Coast until a post mortem examination on Monday.
A spokeswoman says it is not known whether the death is suspicious or related to
the floods on the coast.
The torso was uncovered after rough seas eroded sand from the beach, and it may
have been buried for some time.
Police investigate discovery of man's body - Mid North Coast
30 August 2007
NSW Police are conducting inquiries following the discovery of a man’s body at
Nabiac, on the state’s mid north coast.
A local property owner was slashing grass on the western side of the Pacific
Highway, near the Gloucester/Krambach overpass, when they discovered the
decomposed body about 3.45pm yesterday (Wednesday 29 August).
Police from Manning/Great Lakes LAC were called to the scene and conducted
inquiries. Forensic Services Group officers also examined the area.
The body was taken to Newcastle Morgue for post mortem examination in an attempt
to identify the man and determine a cause of death.
The man’s been described as being about 50-years-old, with large to obese build
and short cropped grey hair and beard. He was wearing a dark blue bomber style
jacket, black T-shirt with red motif on the front, black tracksuit pants and
brown King Gee work boots.
Anyone who knows the man’s identity or has any other information that might
assist investigating officers is urged to contact Taree Police Station on (02)
6552 0399 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police will prepare a report for the information of the NSW Coroner.
Skeletal remains located, Darra: 30/06/2007
QLD Police are investigating the cause of death after human skeletal remains
were located on vacant land at Darra this afternoon. A member of the public
discovered the remains while walking on Acanthus Street about 3.30pm. The
identity of the person is unknown at this stage.
Anyone with information which could assist police with their investigations
should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police appeal for information - Skeletal remains, Darra
Last updated 04/07/2007
Police are appealing for assistance from the public in identifying a man whose
skeletal remains were found at Darra last week.
A member of the public found the remains in a vacant block of land on Acanthus
Street on June 30.
Following a post-mortem examination, it was found the deceased was aged between
30 and 55 years, about 175-185cm tall and of mixed race.
It is believed the man has been deceased for approximately six to 12 months.
The man was wearing medium-sized ‘Bad Boys’ brown-check, knee length shorts; a
‘Mango Surf’ material belt; black sunglasses; a large-sized ‘Tribute’ brown
t-shirt with blue pin-stripes; and white Nike running shoes with a red motif and
heel.
Anyone with information that may assist police should contact Crime Stoppers on
1800 333 000.
March 17, 2006 -
ISSUED AT 7:05PM
Human remains located near Brisbane Airport
A human skull was discovered in bushland this afternoon near the airport.
Private contractors made the discovery shortly before 4pm while searching for
fire ants off Banksia Drive. The area was declared a crime scene and will be
guarded overnight. Scenes of Crime officers will attend tomorrow morning. The
skull will then be taken to the JTC for forensic analysis.
March 17, 2006
A HUMAN skull has been found in bushland near the Brisbane airport.
Private contractors discovered the skull about 4pm (AEST) today
while searching for fire ants off Banksia Place, between the
national and international air terminals in Brisbane's north, police
said.
"The skull is believed to belong to a vagrant who disappeared in the
area 10 years ago," a police spokeswoman said.
"Forensic analysis will be done tomorrow to establish the skull's
identity," she said.
No other bones have been located at the scene.
The area has been declared a crime scene and will be guarded
overnight with police officers attending tomorrow morning, the
spokeswoman said.
Jewellery, boots only clue to skeleton
|
By Les Kennedy - SMH
September 22, 2003
|
|
For almost four months, police investigating cases of women who have
disappeared in suspicious circumstances have been calling Gosford police
station.
In each case, they want to know if the skeletal remains of a woman found
on June 1 in bush several kilometres north of the small Hawkesbury River
community of Mooney Mooney are those of their missing woman.
Distinctive jewellery found with the body has ruled out Brent MacKay's
wife, Kylie, 36, who went missing on July 25, 2002, after she failed to pick up
their two young sons from school.
Police have also spoken to Margaret Bromfield, whose daughter, Elizabeth,
27, vanished in 1984. Two men were charged with Elizabeth's murder, but were
subsequently acquitted. The pair were alleged to have disposed of her body in
bush at Mooney Mooney.
Other cases include those of Rose Rain Howell, 19, who disappeared on
April 11 while hitchhiking on the Pacific Highway near Coffs Harbour; Niamh
Maye, 18, who went missing on the outskirts of Tumut on March 30, 2002, while on
the way from Batlow to her sister's home in Sydney; Carmel Giannasca, 32, who
disappeared from Gladesville on January 14, 2002; and Maria Scott, 28, a
prostitute and heroin addict who disappeared from Port Kembla in March.All these woman have been ruled out, and now the small team of Gosford
detectives investigating the remains is looking at expanding its missing persons
inquiries interstate.
The case officer, Detective Sergeant Darren Deamer, said the search to
identify the remains was the flip side of a missing persons investigation:
having a body, but with no name to put to it.
Until that can be established, police cannot begin working on establishing
how the well-dressed woman came to be in such an isolated spot.
Sergeant Deamer said there was nothing to indicate how the woman died,
although the location suggests her body was hastily dumped. Fire trail access
roads half a kilometre either side of the Pacific Highway near where the body
was found are littered with burned-out cars and household rubbish.
Forensic tests have placed the woman's age between 30 and 55, and her body
may have been at the site for between three months and more than two years.
Police believe the woman is Caucasian, with light brown hair and a slight
build, and is between 160 and 170 centimetres tall.
They hope someone may recognise her clothes, especially the distinctive
jewellery she was wearing - a gold bracelet, a silver ring and a gold chain with
a single pearl -
- which alsosuggests robbery was not a motive for her killer or killers.
The high heels on her shin-high EasyStep boots also indicate she was not a
bush walker. The boots were made in 2001, and police have asked for a list of
distribution outlets. The woman was also wearing a light colored top and green
pants.
"We are conducting inquiries of missing women in NSW and interstate,"
Sergeant Deamer said. "We are also trying to identify her through dental records
and DNA."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gosford police on 4323 5599 or
Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
