Miracles happen: $500,000 reward in Rockhampton suspected murder cold case
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
Michelle Lewis loved her maroon and white mountain bike and was rarely seen without it. In January 1989, she set out for home on that bike, and was never seen again.
Today, the Queensland Government offered a $500,000 reward for information about her disappearance.
Retired detective, Ann Gumley, who led the police investigation, said this case had stayed with her for more than three decades.
“There are not too many cases that have stayed with me over the years, but after 33 years, I still think of Michelle Lewis and what happened to her.
“She had such a sad life, and then to just disappear seems so unfair.
“Miracles happen, have happened with cold cases over the years. Someone will come up with some information that may lead to where they may be able to locate Michelle.”
At about 10:45 pm on Saturday January 14 1989, then 21-year-old Michelle left a friend’s house on Stenlake Avenue, North Rockhampton, to ride to her foster family residence on Alexandra Street about a kilometre away.
There’s been no sign of her since, and police believe she was murdered at the time of her disappearance.
Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said the Homicide Cold Case Investigation Unit began re-examining the case in 2021 and was confident the case could be solved.
“We do believe that with public assistance, irrespective of the passage of time, this crime can be solved, offenders can be brought to justice, and we can provide some closure for Michelle’s friends and the Rockhampton community.
“It’s never too late to come forward. Relationships and loyalties change. People who were scared once may no longer be. We would encourage those people to come forward.”
Sergeant Kentwell said police particularly want to hear from a man who phoned Rockhampton police station on February 18, 1989, claiming to have information about Michelle’s disappearance.
She said the man terminated the call while it was being transferred to detectives.
Police reviewed the case in 1999 as part of the investigation into the crimes of now deceased serial killer, Leonard John Fraser, convicted of murders in the Rockhampton area, but found nothing to link him to Michelle’s disappearance.
The reward of $500,000 is offered for information that leads to the conviction of the person, or persons, found to be responsible for Michelle’s suspected murder.
National Missing Persons Week continues until Saturday.
