Lucille Butterworth: New witness emerges who could hold answers to cold case

A new witness has emerged who could hold answers into Tasmania’s most documented cold case investigation — the disappearance of Tasmanian model Lucille Butterworth.

John Butterworth. Photograph: EDDIE SAFARIK

A NEW witness has emerged who could hold answers into Tasmania’s most documented cold case investigation.

John Butterworth, the brother of Tasmanian model Lucille Butterworth, who disappeared from a Claremont bus stop in 1969 at age 20, said the family had been given new hope of finding his sister’s remains after he was informed about a witness coming forward to police.

Lucille Butterworth. Picture: SUPPLIED

During an inquest into Lucille’s death, a coroner found that seven years after her disappearance, key suspect in the case Geoffrey Charles Hunt allegedly confessed to murdering Lucille while he was being questioned about the murder and rape of 24-year-old Susan Knight — a crime for which Hunt served 22 years in prison.

An abandoned riverside car park on the way to New Norfolk was dug up by police in 2015, but the two-week excavation found nothing.

Mr Butterworth, who now lives in Queensland, said Deputy Commissioner Scott Tilyard confirmed to him during a recent trip to Hobart that Tasmania Police had received a new witness statement which was being investigated.

He said he had gained information about the witness statement through making other inquiries.

Mr Butterworth said it gave him reason to believe his late sister’s body was discarded near the dig site.

“Apparently a man now in his sixties overheard a conversation between Geoffrey Hunt and [another man], where it’s said Hunt placed Lucille about 200 metres near where police dug four years ago,” he said.

A year after the 2015 police excavation, a coroner found Hunt had strangled Lucille, but there was not enough evidence for Hunt to be charged. Hunt had denied any involvement.

Mr Butterworth said he was disappointed his brother Jim, who passed away in April, wasn’t able to find answers into Lucille’s death.

”A sad part of this latest witness information is that Jim isn’t here to hear about it,” Mr Butterworth said.

“I’d like to think, given this new information that’s come to light, that Tasmania Police will pursue the case further.

“We need to find Lucille, we can’t give up, we want to lay her to rest. We want closure.”

Mr Butterworth said the latest witness statement may provide the “haystack the family has been looking for before attempting to find the needle in it”.

Originally published as Lucille Butterworth: New witness emerges who could hold answers to cold case