Missing woman Colleen South’s family alarmed by similarity to a nearby missing persons case

Colleen South of Renown Park went missing a month ago and her family is unnerved by the eerie similarity of the grandmother’s disappearance to a nearby case a decade ago.

The families of two women who went missing in the same regional Victorian town 12 years apart are concerned about the eerie similarities between the two cases.

Colleen South, 58, of Renown Park has not been seen for nearly a month. Her family is ramping up efforts to find her by raising funds to hire a private investigator.

It has emerged that another woman’s disappearance more than a decade ago has similar circumstances to Ms South’s case, sparking concern from both families.

Melbourne-based actress Farah Mak, the niece of Ms South, said her family was recently contacted by the family of missing Ballarat woman Karen Anne Gilligan.

Both women went missing in the same regional Victorian town 12 years apart.

Ms Gilligan disappeared after attending a medical appointment in Ballarat on March 25, 2010, and her car, a red Holden Barina, was found four days later at Wycheproof in Victoria.

The case holds many similar elements to that of Ms South, who was last seen at Liquorland St Agnes on July 2 before driving to regional Victoria.

Missing woman Colleen South, right, with her daughter, Veronica. Picture: Supplied

A witness said they spotted Ms South in the town of Ninyeunook between 3pm and 3.30pm on Sunday, July 3. A farmer from Wycheproof, about 30km southwest, then noticed her car abandoned under a parked tree about 4pm on the same day.

After seeing the car still parked under the tree two days later, the farmer investigated and found Ms South’s belongings nearby.

He then called police.

The car had crashed into a ditch and sustained damage, with airbags deployed.

Her family found Ms South’s notebook with a message reading: “help me please”.

Ms Gilligan and Ms South’s vehicles were found approximately 2km away from each other.

“It’s eerily similar, the circumstances are mind-blowingly similar,” Ms Mak told The Advertiser.

“It’s just this whole potential … has someone lured the women out there?”

Colleen South’s abandoned 2006 Hyundai Gets sedan Picture: supplied

Ms South remains unseen, and has not used her phone account or bank account.

Sadly, Ms Gilligan’s skull was found by a fox hunter in a nearby town Charlton two years after she was last seen.

Dani Green, Ms Gilligan’s daughter-in-law, said she and her family including her partner Wayne went to assist in searching for Ms South in the Wycheproof area last week.

“There’s so many similarities in both cases. If Karen was still alive today, she’d be a year younger than Colleen, she had brown hair, green eyes,” Ms Green said.

She said Ms Gilligan’s car seat was also pushed right back, as was Ms South’s, further than what they would need to operate their vehicles.

Ms Gilligan left behind four children, Gavin. 35, Wayne, 32, Kerrie, 31, and Tanya, 30, as well as 17 grandchildren.

Her family thinks someone was involved in Ms Gilligan’s disappearance, as does Ms South’s.

“We think foul play met her (Ms Gilligan); we think someone took her,” Ms Green said.

“It’s just a bit weird with all the similarities that the same things happening in the same town 12 years on,” Ms Green said.

“It’s unheard of really, unless someone is doing it to them.”

She said her family still visits her mother-in-law’s grave every two weeks and takes flowers.

“It brought out a lot of feelings when the Colleen case came out, because it was just like it was their mum all over again,” she said.

“We’ve all got kids now, she (Ms Gilligan) has 17 grandchildren and we just try to remember her now.”

Farah Mak, whose aunty, Colleen South, has been missing since July 1. Picture: Supplied

Karen Anne Gilligan disappeared in Wycheproof, Victoria, in 2010. Picture: supplied

SA authorities had charge of Ms South’s missing person case until Victoria Police took carriage of it two weeks ago.

A further widespread search of Wycheproof and surrounds has been conducted since Victorian authorities took over, but nothing of significance was located.

A Victoria Police spokesman said: “The physical search has been scaled back but police will continue to investigate any information that relates to the whereabouts of Colleen”.

Ms South’s phone was found in a Port Noarlunga playground last Thursday and handed in to police.

Her daughter Veronica South said the find had brought a glimmer of hope to her mother’s family.

“At first we were pretty excited,” Ms South said.

She described the news of the phone as a “reflief” but had not received any updates from police since last week.

“It’s a bit frustrating,” she said.

“We were hoping they might have a lead for the search and that they might find something on Mum’s phone.

“Now we’re back to square one basically. It’s been a bit disappointing.”

Ms South said her mother had been known to visit Port Noarlunga beach to “clear her mind”.

“We’re thinking she may have thrown her phone out the car while she was driving and that’s why it ended up at the playground.”

She said it was possible that her mother had removed the SIM card from the phone but hoped she had put it in another phone.

Niece Ms Mak said she hoped a private investigator would work with police and assist in ruling out whether foul play was involved in her aunty’s disappearance.

“We want whoever we hire to work with the police, we want to remain united with the police,” Ms Mak said.

Ms Green with family members of Ms Gilligan attended Wycheproof from Ballarat on Thursday to help with search efforts and offered Ms South’s family their caravan to stay in.

“My partner’s family knows what its like, the unknown is the biggest eater,” she said.

“Wayne used to always say, ‘is she hurt somewhere? Has someone got her?’ It’s the unknown that’s the hardest part.”

A GoFundMe appeal for Ms South’s family has so far has raised $1000, and Ms Mak hoped to hire a private investigator as soon as possible.

The fundraiser’s description states that all funds raised will be used to hire the private investigator and assist in costs, while Ms South’s family continue to search on foot in Wycheproof.

“We as a family are so appreciative for any help, thank you,” it says.