Major Crime detectives continue Adelaide Plains search for body of Michael Jeffrey Purse

A search for the body of a missing man has entered its second day as his killers help guide police to his remains – four years after he was last seen alive.

The search for the body of missing man Michael Jeffrey Purse has entered its second day after police came up empty-handed on day one.

About 25 major crime detectives, STAR Group officers and the State Emergency Service began searching around Balaklava about 10am on Tuesday after previous searches failed to locate Mr Purse’s body.

On Wednesday morning police began the day searching Argyl Rd off Traeger Rd.

In the afternoon, search crews on Rocks Rd moved down the road scanning the roadside for signs of the buried body of Mr Purse.

Detectives, STAR Group officers and SES workers search alongside dirt roads north of Adelaide for the body of Michael Purse. Picture: NCA / NewsWire Emma Brasier

Young couple Alice and Caleb McPharlin, both 27, were alarmed by the proximity of the search to their property.

“It’s definitely alarming,” school teacher Ms McPharlin said.

“Now we’ve got a young baby it’s more worrying.”

Mr McPharlin, a farmer, was alerted to the operation when he noticed search cars driving down the road.

“We didn’t know too much until we saw someone driving down and I started thinking if I’ve seen anything suspicious,” he said.

Despite the search, Mr McPharlin feels safe living in the area.

“Balaklava is a nice town and a close community.”

Police and SES are walking the side of the roads with metal detectors and spades, periodically stopping to uncover dirt.

Resident of Shepherd Corner Rd, Jay Vergara, was surprised the police search was being conducted in the area.

“I thought this place is peaceful,” Mr Vergara, 27, who works at a piggery, said.

“I’m surprised and I feel a bit scared.”

The Advertiser understands the search arises from David Graham Young and Edwin James Hinrichsen’s admissions, in February, that they killed Mr Purse.

The Advertiser also understands prosecutors accepted those manslaughter pleas – which carry lighter sentences than murder – on a conditional basis.

That condition was information would be provided to police that would assist in locating Mr Purse’s body.

However, police would not be drawn on where the information had come from, saying only that it was “credible”.

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Wakefield Council Mayor Rodney Reid said the town had experience a similar police incident before.

“About 20 years ago another body was found in the district,” he said.

“We are so close to Adelaide and we have a lot of people travelling the district so anything can happen.”

Mr Reid said he hopes the search can be wrapped up quickly.

“I hope they find him.”

Major Crime Detective Inspector Brett Featherby said the search would concentrate on an area along Traeger Rd at Balaklava for several days, searching 28km of road on foot.

After 11.15am Tuesday, police focused their search efforts on Shepherd Corner Rd just off Traeger Rd, while other units continued searching other spots.

Police are searching an area north of Adelaide in relation to the alleged murder of Michael Purse, who was last seen alive in 2019. Picture: SA Police

“We believe Michael has been buried in a shallow grave on a road verge … on a summer road or dry track that might not be accessible during winter,” Det Insp Featherby said.

“We have identified 10 specific roads that we will be searching on foot within the boundaries of that Balaklava and Mallala area.”

Police alleged Mr Purse was killed in Kilburn in 2019 and buried in the early hours of February 7th or 8th, 2019.

Young and Hinrichsen unexpectedly pleaded guilty to killing Mr Purse on what would have been the first day of their trial. A third man is yet to face trial and is denying involvement.

The search on Shepherd Corner Rd, Balaklava. Picture: NCA / NewsWire Emma Brasier

He remains in custody charged with murder and could go on trial before the end of the year, while Hinrichsen and Young remain in custody awaiting their sentencing submissions in April.

The pleas to manslaughter came on the fourth anniversary of the last time Mr Purse was seen alive.

The search area on which police are concentrating.

Police will also search a number of verges in the area using all-terrain vehicles, Det Insp Featherby said.

Police believe Mr Purse’s body was driven to the area in a green, 2000s-model Daewoo Lanos and have appealed for anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area in 2019, or who may have identified or seen clothing or unusually disturbed soil, to come forward.

Det Insp Featherby said police were particularly interested in activity around Balaklava to the north, to Balaklava Rd, Mallala to the south, the east of Traeger Rd and through the areas of Salter Springs, Alma and Hamley Bridge.

“There are difficulties given the nature of the terrain we’re going to be searching. There have been four years passed since Michael was buried at this location … we’ve had changes in vegetation, there have been environmental changes, there have been roadworks – and obviously the size of the area to search is considerable,” Det Insp Featherby said.

Police have identified a green 2000 Daewoo Lanos hatch, pictured, is believed to have been involved in the disposal of Michael Purse's body. Picture: SA Police

ATVs are being used in the search. Picture: NCA / NewsWire Emma Brasier

Detectives and SES workers searching Shepherd Corner Rd, Balaklava, for the body of Michael Purse. Picture: NCA / NewsWire Emma Brasier

The search was prompted by new information provided to police with regard to Mr Purse’s body, with police now “confident they were in the correct area”.

They would not be drawn on where the information came from but believed it was “credible”, saying they would reassess the search if nothing was found within the first four days.

“We will be here for four days, we wouldn’t undertake that effort if we didn’t believe that information was credible,” Det Insp Featherby said.

“We’re hoping to find Michael’s remains, but there may be discarded clothing that a farmer or property owner might previously have not considered relevant to the investigation … we’d really like those people to come forward and it may actually narrow down the search area for us.

“I know if it was one of my loved ones, it would be just horrific not knowing where my loved one was. Having the remains returned to the family never gives closure, but it does give some answers.”

Police on Watchba Rd, Owen, in the search for Michael Purse’s body. Picture: NCA / NewsWire Emma Brasier

Police have now conducted more than 10 searches for Mr Purse’s body.

Search teams will remain in the area for up to four days to trawl all of the sites identified and may stay longer if the investigation requires it.

“We believe that we will actually get through the search area we’ve identified in those days but should it take longer, we will reassess and we will come back,” Det Insp Featherby said.

Major Crime investigators on Shepherd Corner Rd, Balaklava. Picture: NCA / NewsWire Emma Brasier

Mr Purse was last seen at Adelaide Casino on February 6, 2019, and was reported missing on April 24 after a concerned friend was worried he had not heard from him.

Police allege Mr Purse was lured to a home in Kilburn in 2019 and killed.

In 2020, police searched a property on Coleman Rd at Pinkerton Plains but did not locate Mr Purse’s body.

At the time, Detective Superintendent Des Bray, head of the Major Crime Investigation Branch, said the search was to locate “a couple of items associated with his death”.

“We had about 32 people here today conducting a search, we know how Michael was killed and what was used to kill him,” Det-Supt Bray said.