Just give yourself up: Mum’s plea over 2005 killing of Emma Jade Pawelski
A DECADE after her daughter Emma Pawelski was murdered and her body dumped in a forest, Sharon McKell just wants closure.
EMMA Pawelski loved strawberries. Her mother never knew it until early one morning.
“I heard her getting up and I found her in her nappy sitting in our strawberry patch in the garden eating all the strawberries,” Sharon McKell says.
“I thought the birds were eating all the strawberries so I’d put up nets.”
For the past decade, it is one of the memories Ms McKell has cherished as she lives through the pain of knowing her daughter’s killer remains at large.
Such is her desperation for closure, she is even prepared to forgive those who may have been involved in dumping Ms Pawelski’s body.
“It’s frustrating and also very emotional because it’s still there as far as not being able to move on,” Ms McKell says.
Thirty-year-old Emma Jade was last seen carrying a cat as she walked along Regency Rd, at Prospect, on November 26, 2005.
Her badly beaten and burnt body was found by a bushwalker on the side of a track 300m from a gate off Chalks Rd in Mt Crawford Forest, near Williamstown, eight days later.
Police have identified a suspect, known to Ms Pawelski, and have received credible information suggesting more than one person was involved.
The State Government in July 2013 announced a $200,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the case.
Ms McKell says the pain of not knowing what happened to her daughter has eaten away at her over the past 10 years.
“There’s someone else who knows something and that’s the person we’ve been trying to focus on with a reward but there might be loyalties there,” she told the Sunday Mail.
“I just don’t know how someone can morally hold back that information knowing there is a family grieving — and the way she died — and that they don’t have any conscience about it.
“I ask them to think about her and what she went through and to think about her family needing some answers and some closure to be able to put her to rest.
“I ask them to think about having a conscience and empathy and compassion for Emma and her family.
“I could forgive someone because, to me, it’s never too late. If you don’t forgive someone you’re just eating up inside.
“I’ve gone past anger because it won’t bring Emma back.”
She has not given up hope that police will make an arrest and hopes it will happen while Emma’s grandparents are still alive. She says her daughter was “no angel” and that she met “all the wrong people” because of drug issues.
“She was bright, happy and full of life until she was about 20. She loved acting, she wanted to travel and everybody just loved her,” Ms McKell says.
“She had this amazing smile and she was really caring and she had this great love for animals.”
Major Crime Investigation Branch Detective Senior Sergeant John Schneemilch says police want to speak to a person who twice contacted Crime Stoppers about the murder.
“We did get a couple of calls — on December 7, 2014, and then again on February 26, 2015,” he says.
“There was a call to Crime Stoppers made on both those dates that appear to be made by the same person. The general context of that information is accurate in relation to a number of different aspects.
“It would be good if the caller could make contact again with us and then if we could try to work out some way that an investigating officer, probably me, could talk to that caller.”
Det-Sgt Schneemilch says information received from several callers, after the announcement of the $200,000 reward, corroborated intelligence already gathered by police.
“We are still confident that a red Telstar is in some way associated with her disappearance and possible movement from Regency Rd up to Mt Crawford,” he says.
“We know that in the week leading up to her disappearance it was being used by her and her associates.”
Det-Sgt Schneemilch says arresting someone for the murder still “does not really fix what is a pretty terrible tragedy for the family”. “There were significant head injuries to Emma and it’s particularly callous to just go and dispose of her body in the forest and then someone set fire to her body,” he says.
“You can only surmise what that reason is — whether it’s to destroy evidence or to get rid of the body. Only the person that has done that would be able to answer that.”
Det-Sgt Schneemilch says it is vital that people with information come forward.
“Particularly with these investigations that remain unsolved it could be one small bit of information that could be the final piece that is enough to progress at a rapid rate,” he says. “While we are quite respectful of people remaining anonymous when they supply the information, it presents us with a difficulty of trying to assess the information sometimes.”
“Even if they were able to leave some sort of contact details they can still remain anonymous.”
Detective Inspector Greg Hutchins, also from the Major Crime Investigation Branch, says people’s relationships change over time.
“Their allegiances change, their circumstances change and that, in itself, may open doors for someone to contact the police,” he says, adding there is the potential to provide immunity to anyone not directly involved in the murder.
“There is always the possibility of immunity — not for the person who committed the crime — but if someone helps dispose of the body.
“Even though police cannot make any decisions in that regard — it’s always got to be the Director of Public Prosecutions — it’s something we can certainly recommend.”
Crime Stoppers chairwoman Sharon Hanlon says one report or piece of information can help solve major crimes and cold cases.
“The holiday season, generally, represents a time when family and friends reflect and give thanks,” she says.
“But, unfortunately for some, it’s a stark reminder of what they’ve lost or loved ones who should be with them and aren’t as in the case of Emma Pawelski and her family.”
TEN CASES TO CRACK
LAGUNA LOANS ROBBERY
Three men — two armed with guns and the other with a knife — threatened two staff members at Laguna Loans on South Rd, Mile End, about 4.45am on December 23, 2014.
One worker was forced to open the safe in a back room and was then bound with electrical tape. The second employee was threatened with a shotgun in the shop.
Two of the men stole jewellery and cash from the safe and the other damaged and stole property from the display cabinets. The estimated value of stolen property was $200,000.
The first man was described as 178cm tall, of medium build, grey sweat top with long sleeves, track pants and black gloves. He was armed with a silver handgun.
The second man was described as dark-skinned with dark eyes, 178-180cm tall, of stocky build and wearing long sleeves, track pants and black gloves. He was armed with a knife.
The third man was described as light-skinned, 170-175cm tall, of chubby build and wearing a dark grey jumper, dark jeans and white shoes. He was armed with a shotgun.
Reference number: 15-199
EMMA PAWELSKI MURDER
A bushwalker found the body of Emma Jade Pawelski, 30, in Mt Crawford Forest, 8km southeast of Williamstown, on December 4, 2005.
She was found on the side of a track about 300m from the locked gate off Chalks Rd.
Police believe her body was dumped there with the murder committed at another location.
Ms Pawelski was last seen eight days earlier walking on Regency Rd, Prospect, carrying a cat.
She was still wearing the same clothes when her body was found partly burnt and with severe head injuries.
Police have identified a suspect and have received credible information suggesting more than one person was involved in the disposal of the body.
A $200,000 reward is available for information leading to an arrest.
Reference number: MCIB CM06/19
KENNETH CAMPLIN MURDER
Kenneth Camplin, 44, was reported missing by his brother on December 30, 2013. His friends and family became concerned after they could not make contact with him.
They found his Paralowie house unsecured and his dog in the backyard near death from dehydration and starvation.
CCTV captured the last sighting of Mr Camplin at Paralowie McDonald’s, where he bought a meal at 12.25am on December 27, 2013. The receipt was found inside his Elder Court home.
Phone records from his mobile phone show he sent a text message to a friend at 1.26am — the last contact known to have been made by him.
Mr Camplin was very security conscious and had cameras installed on the outside of his home.
He always locked his doors when he left the property but the back door was found to be unlocked.
Mr Camplin loved his dog and would not have intentionally left it to suffer. His phone has not been used or his bank accounts accessed since he disappeared.
Mr Camplin was known to be a recreational drug user and a low-level supplier of drugs. Police suspect he has been murdered.
A $200,000 reward is available for information leading to an arrest.
Reference number: MCIB CM14/16
SAND DUNES SEXUAL ASSAULT
A woman, 66, was walking in the sand dunes at Goolwa South, where she violently attacked and sexually assaulted by an unknown man between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on January 2, 2015.
The man is caucasian, 180cm tall, of stocky build, with thick muscular thighs and a suntanned, olive complexion.
He had dark, deep-set eyes, bushy eyebrows with a small bare patch in his right eyebrow, messy brown collar-length hair, was unshaven and a had distinctive dark spreader earring in his left ear.
He was described as being extremely unkempt and with a distinctive body odour.
Reference number: 15-97
JB HI-FI ROBBERY
A man entered JB Hi-Fi at Westfield West Lakes and took a Fitbit watch, which he placed down the front of his trousers, about 12.05pm on October 2, 2015.
He attempted to leave the store without paying for the Fitbit but was confronted by staff.
The man produced a Stanley knife and waved it staff in a threatening manner and told them: “I don’t want to do this, I just want to feed myself, I don’t want trouble.”
Staff told the man put down the knife multiple times until he eventually dropped it. He then put down the Fitbit on a counter and ran out of the store.
The man is caucasian, aged in his late 30s, about 188cm tall, of slim build, with a sunken face and short ginger-coloured hair shaved in a number two cut.
He was wearing navy blue King Gee work wear, consisting of a long-sleeved shirt and long pants.
Reference number: 15-180
RSPCA STORE BURGLARIES
A man broke into four RSPCA thrift shops at Brighton, Blackwood, Prospect and Warradale twice between February and June 2015.
CCTV has captured him entering through either the front or rear doors by picking the lock, smashing his way in or managing to pop out and remove glass from the windows.
Once inside, the man headed straight to the safe where he managed to either break them open to steal cash or remove them. He appeared to know the layout of the stores.
The man is caucasian, aged in his mid 30s to early 40s, has a large build, a full beard, short brown hair with a receding hairline, a pointy nose and thick dark eyebrows.
He was wearing a bandanna or scarf — and sometimes a hat — to cover his face. As well, he wore black gloves and was carrying a grey backpack.
On three occasions the man wore black shoes with white shoelaces, while twice he wore workman’s boots.
Once he wore a high visibility jacket, while on three occasions he wore a big black jacket.
Reference number: 15-99
COMMONWEALTH BANK ATM THEFT
Police are seeking a man who stole money using a credit card left in a Commonwealth Bank ATM at Campbelltown.
The victim was depositing cash at the Lower North East Rd branch, about 1.55pm on December 12, 2014, when distracted by a phone call from their mobile.
The person walked away from the ATM, leaving the credit card in the machine.
The offender, who was next in line, seized the opportunity to withdraw $1000 cash from the victim’s account.
The man is caucasian, aged in his mid 40s, of medium build, with straight scraggly blond receding hair and clean shaven.
He was wearing a blue/green T-shirt with dark blue horizontal chequered pattern across the lower back torso, white/cream shorts with a black swirl marking on the right rear pocket, black socks, walking or builders shoes and black armed spectacles.
Reference number: 15-23
ATTEMPTED CARD FRAUD
Police are seeking two men who attempted to use a stolen bank card at Keswick after it was stolen from Kent Town.
An unknown number of people broke into a car parked at the Tap Inn, on Rundle St, between 6.30am and 8.30am on August 22, 2014.
A bag with cash and a bank card was stolen and, at 9.05am, two men tried to use the bank card to buy goods at Officeworks, on Anzac Hwy. The transactions valued at $600, $500 and $100 were all declined.
One man was aged in his early 30s, of medium to heavy build, clean shaven with tattoos on both forearms of a skull forming part of the tattoo on left forearm.
He was wearing a black baseball cap with a large yellow logo on front and green stripes on the peak, grey T-shirt with a large blue logo on chest, black trousers, white-rimmed sunglasses, multicoloured bracelets on his left wrist and a neck chain.
The other man was aged in his early thirties, of medium build and clean shaven. He was wearing a brown or black baseball cap with a small white logo on front just above the
peak on left hand side, a black jacket, plain black T-shirt and black trousers.
Reference number: 14-144
COVE TAVERN ROBBERY
A man armed with a double-barrel shotgun robbed the Cove Tavern on Ramrod Ave, Hallett Cove, at 10.04pm on August 18, 2014.
He demanded money from staff in the gaming room and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The man was about 192cm tall, of stocky build and with a slight pot belly. He was wearing a long-sleeved jumper with stripes down the arms and over the top a
red/orange Everlast T-shirt worn inside out, black tracksuit pants with stripes down the leg, gloves and with his head and face covered.
Reference number: 15-26
CREDIT CARD FRAUD
Police are seeking a man who used a stolen credit at several outlets across Adelaide and the northern suburbs.
The victim lost his wallet in the city on August 24, 2013 and, between 6.20pm and 9pm, his credit card was used mainly to buy alcohol totalling about $576.
The Paywave option was used in transactions at Jackpots and Club X on Hindley St, Thirsty Camel on Bank St, also in the CBD, BWS on Main North Rd at Gepps Cross, the Eureka Hotel BWS and KFC on Park Tce at Salisbury, and the Commercial Hotel BWS on Commercial Rd, Salisbury.
The man is caucasian, about 40, of medium build and with short brown
hair. He was wearing blue jeans, white sneakers, a blue and white horizontal striped T-shirt and a dark hooded jacket that was undone.
Reference number: 13-103