Suspected bone fragment found in private search for Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon in SA’s Mid North

A private investigation into the decades-old disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon has uncovered what is believed to be a bone fragment belonging to a child.

Joanne Ratcliffe, 11, who disappeared from Adelaide Oval with Kirste Gordon in 1973.

A private investigation into the decades-old disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon has uncovered what is believed to be a bone fragment in the state’s Mid North.

The fragment was found during an excavation on a property near Yatina previously owned by Stanley Hart, a man who has been linked to the case but later ruled out by police.

The site was searched by SA Police in 2013 and 2014, but has since been dismissed by them as a focus of investigation.

Joanne Ratcliffe was 11 and Kirste Gordon just 4 when they vanished from Adelaide Oval during a SANFL match in 1973. It remains one of South Australia’s most haunting unsolved crimes.

Forensic archaeologists assisting the team said they believed the fragment may form part of a small human pelvis, and are urging it undergo DNA testing.

The disappearance of Kirste Gordon, 4, (pictured) and Joanne Ratcliffe is one of SA’s most enduring cold case mysteries.

A member of the private search team said the fragment stood out immediately, partly due to what appeared to be embedded glass.

“We had very specific information – what we were looking for, and where,” said Bryan Littlely, who is involved with the private investigative team.

The team says it is following up on a credible tip-off and will hand the bone over to police if tests confirm it is human.

The discovery has prompted caution from authorities, with the Police Commissioner warning private investigators to avoid raising false hope.