QLD Police double reward to solve 46-year-old cold case murder of schoolgirl Marilyn Wallman

IT’S the chilling cold case murder police are desperate to solve. So much so, they’ve upped the reward significantly.

IT’S been 46 years since 14-year-old Marilyn Wallman disappeared on her way to school but police are still desperate to find out what happened to her and who killed the schoolgirl.

In an unprecedented move to help them finally crack the case, they are now increasing their reward from $250,000 to $500,000.

It is the first time in Queensland history a reward has been increased by that much, and it will be offered for a temporary period of 12 months.

The case is one of Queensland’s oldest unsolved murders.

Just before 7.45am on March 21, 1972, Marilyn left her family home headed for the Rural Youth Hall where she was to catch the bus to school.

Marilyn Wallman went missing in 1972 until a bone fragment was found in 1974 and a cold case review was launched in 2015.

Ten minutes later, Marilyn’s two younger brothers left home on the same 800m journey.

While riding along Wallman Road, the two brothers found Marilyn’s bicycle and her school bag open and books spread across the road.

Police and members of the community conducted an extensive search over the following days, but Marilyn was never found until, in 1974, a bone fragment was discovered near McGregor Creek at Mount Martin.

After several advancements in DNA technology in 2001, the Central Coroner found the fragment did belong to Marilyn.

The case became subject of a full homicide cold case review in 2015.

Parents John and Daphne at Marilyn’s funeral. Picture: Luke Marsden.

A clipping from a story on the search for Marilyn in 1972.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said the government had to take an “extraordinary step” to get answers.

“Justice doesn’t have a use-by date, it’s not extinguished by the passage of time,” he told the media in a press conference today. “We want to give a voice to those who don’t have a voice.

“We want to get to the end of this story, we want to provide justice, not only for Marilyn but for her family.

“Her family want to know what happened and who was responsible.”

Detective Inspector Damien Hansen said the reward would only apply to information that led to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons responsible for the murder of Marilyn.

“Appropriate indemnity from prosecution could be recommended for any accomplice, not being the person who actually committed the crime, who first gives such information,” he said.

A file photo from the painstaking search to find Marilyn in 1972.

Originally published as QLD Police double reward to solve 46-year-old cold case murder of schoolgirl Marilyn Wallman