Colleen Adams murder: Daughter’s relief as mother’s remains found after 45 years missing
SHE had to wait 45 years, but now the younger daughter of murder victim Colleen Adams has finally found her mother, whose remains were successfully retrieved from a one metre-deep grave this afternoon.
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SHE had to wait 45 years, but now the younger daughter of murder victim Colleen Adams has finally found her mother.
“We’ve seen there is hope. Even after 45 years. This proves that cold cases can be solved. Don’t ever give up,” said Kaye, who was 18 months old when her mother vanished in 1973, in a statement read by a police victim contact officer.
Police yesterday found the remains of Mrs Adams under a concrete slab at the Maitland home she once shared with her husband, Geoffrey Adams.
“I have finally found my mother. After 45 years of hoping, we have found her,” daughter Kaye said in the statement.
“I’m so grateful to South Australian Police and everyone who has worked to help find her.
“I am thankful that the truth has come out and I put my trust in the legal system now.
“I want (yesterday) to also be (a day) of inspiration to all those who live with cold cases, lost loved ones. Not knowing what happened.”
As police made the much-anticipated discovery, Adams appeared in Kadina Magistrates Court charged with the murder of his wife.
Adams, 70, made no application for bail through his lawyer Andrew English during a brief appearance via video link from Port Pirie police station.
Police prosecutor acting Sergeant Frank Jakacic told the court Adams had confessed to the crime.
“(Adams) did admit to the crime that he has been charged with,” Sgt Jakacic said.
“He further identified the site where police are currently in the process of excavating.”
Magistrate Ian White described the case as “unusual” because Adams’ court appearance was coinciding with an active police investigation.
Adams was remanded in custody to face Elizabeth Magistrates Court next month.
Police returned to the Adams’ former Bagnal Ave property this morning to continue recovery efforts for Mrs Adams’ remains.
Forensic experts finished removing Mrs Adams’ remains from a one metre-deep grave about 12.30pm. The slow process was made difficult by hard clay found in the soil. The hole will be filled Friday afternoon.
Major Crime Investigation Branch officer-in-charge Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the process to formally identify the remains would start next week.
He said the forensics team did a great job to extract the bones from the sticky clay.
“The forensics search and recovery was made more difficult because of the fine clay,” Det Supt Bray said.
“That (made) it a lot more difficult to recover (Colleen’s) complete remains.
“We will try our best to solve as many of these cases as we can.”
The mother of two was last seen on November 22, 1973, when her husband said he she walked out the front door of their Yorke Peninsula home moments after telling him their marriage was over.
He said the 24-year-old was carrying two suitcases containing her belongings, she got into a vehicle driven by another woman and it drove away.
Mrs Adams’ disappearance was not reported to police until 27 days later when her mother Vera Millbank lodged a missing person’s report.
Mrs Adams’ niece, Tina Millbank, 48, said it was a bittersweet day for her family and that she felt some justice.
She said her father, Garry Millbank, never believed his sister ran away and always had a feeling she was hidden on the property.
“He never got closure,” Ms Millbank told The Advertiser.
“My dad always believed that that’s where she was. (The family) knew she’d never leave her kids behind.”
Ms Millbank said her father, who died in 2009 aged 62, would be overjoyed by the discovery. “He’d be rapt, it’s happy tears and sad tears of course because my dad is not here to see it all,” she said.
“But I’m just very happy she’s been found.”
Mrs Adams’ sister, Heather Johncock, said she was “relieved’’ the remains had been found.
“It was relief they had actually found remains. It concludes everything,’’ she said.
“It is still a shock though. It has happened very quickly.’’
Ms Johncock said while she always hoped the mystery would one day be resolved, she was not confident. “I honestly didn’t know. You always hope that it would but because of all of the investigations before you just wonder will you ever get answers,’’ she said. “I thought (Geoffrey Adams) would pass on before we got answers, to be quite honest.
“I think in the end he knew one way or the other they were going to find her. It would have been a lot easier on everyone if he had done this decades ago.
“It probably would have been easier on himself, too, to be quite honest.’’
Ms Johncock said she now hoped the family could sit down and plan Mrs Adams’ funeral so they could “say goodbye to her properly”.
“It is a bit early, but I hope the whole family can sit down and work that out. It is something everyone needs to have a say in,’’ she said. “We want to give her a proper burial, she deserves that.’’
Ms Johncock also had a message to the families of other unsolved murder victims: “Never give up.’’
“Just keep on looking, never give up hope and looking for answers,’’ she said.
“Just keep on going over things in your mind and remember things to help the police, it also helps you cope and get through.
“Any little thing can help.’’
