An inquiry into unsolved disappearances has heard harrowing accounts from families grappling with the loss of loved ones and alleged police inaction. Among the first to testify was a man whose twin sister vanished in 1979, leading his parents to a life of profound grief.
Decades of Pain and Unanswered Questions
Kevin Docherty shared with the state parliamentary inquiry how his 15-year-old twin sister, Kay, disappeared from Warilla, south of Wollongong, in 1979. Last seen near a bus stop on Shellharbour Road, she was believed to have been hitchhiking with a friend. It wasn’t until 30 years later, in 2010, that detectives re-engaged with the family regarding Kay’s cold case. Mr. Docherty described this as the first contact from police in three decades, expressing his regret for the long silence from his family.
“At the time, I don’t know why, but I used to make excuses for the police,” Mr. Docherty stated in his opening submission. “We sat back, and we said nothing for too long. Now it’s time we were heard.” He recounted how the initial police report of Kay being a “runaway” felt wrong, knowing her fear of being alone in the dark.
The pain of Kay’s disappearance remains acute 47 years later. Mr. Docherty testified that he believes both his parents succumbed to “broken hearts.” He shared the devastating final moments with his mother, who died in his arms 12 years ago, a promise to continue searching for Kay weighing heavily on his heart.
Renewed Searches and Obstacles
Since 2020, Mr. Docherty, alongside retired police officer Jeff Dakers and a search dog organization, has actively scoured an area of scrubland on the border of Primbee and Windang, a location where the notorious serial killer Ivan Milat was reportedly sighted. They suspect Kay’s body may be buried there and have proposed controlled burns to access the site, prompted by a witness account of Milat chasing them in the area.
Mr. Dakers informed the inquiry that obtaining permission from Illawarra detectives to clear the land off Bakers Lane for a search has been met with resistance. “Police cannot have the excuse that we don’t have the resources; we’ve got many volunteers who would love to go and assist,” Mr. Dakers stated. “I’ve had all the excuses. It’s Crown land. All I’m doing is hitting brick walls all the way along with everything I’m doing.”
Broader Concerns and Alleged Links to Milat
Mr. Docherty’s testimony is one of many submissions before the inquiry, which is investigating unresolved missing persons cases and alleged historical connections to Ivan Milat. Between 1989 and 1992, Milat abducted, assaulted, and murdered five foreign backpackers and two Australian tourists, concealing their bodies in Belanglo State Forest. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996 and died in custody in October 2019.
MP Jeremy Buckingham, chairing the inquiry, noted that numerous reports of assaults and near-misses, later associated with Milat, have been received. The inquiry will also hear from Steven Clark, who believes Milat may have given him a lift while hitchhiking in the 1970s. The investigation is also examining other cold cases, including the 1970 disappearance of three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer from Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong, and broader concerns about missing women in the Newcastle and Sydney regions during that era.
The inquiry commenced following a site visit to Belanglo State Forest earlier in the week.
