Why daughter suspects foul play after Bundaberg dad vanished
EIGHT years ago Bundaberg man Paul Stevenson went for a morning motorbike ride and never returned.
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EIGHT years ago Bundaberg man Paul Stevenson went for a morning motorbike ride and never returned.
His daughter, who has never given up the fight to find him, says she now feels foul play was involved.
Nikki Whelan described the road from where her dad presumably vanished, Mt Perry Gin Gin Rd, as a busy country road with a steady flow of traffic.
It was too unusual, Mrs Whelan said, that people in passing vehicles saw nothing and that to this day, not even the slightest clue has emerged.
"In today's day and age, how can someone just vanish?" she said.
"I think someone knows something."
Stumbling on a conversation on online discussion board Reddit, Mrs Whelan found many others shared the view she'd formed months before: that someone knows what happened to her beloved father.
"He had no cash on him, he had no money, he hasn't used his key card since the day before he went missing," she said.
"Reading the comments, everyone said it sounds like foul play."
Mrs Whelan, a parent herself, said as the years rolled on, the situation of Mr Stevenson's death became more bizarre.
The diesel mechanic told his family he would ride towards Paradise Dam in the early hours of March 11, 2012.
He would go on a scenic bike ride, then head home for a shower and make it to a meeting by 9am.
But when he didn't show up, his family called his mobile phone repeatedly with no answer.
The last digital trace of his phone, which remains missing, was in the same general area where his 1978 Honda CB750 motorbike and helmet were found down an embankment.
His sunglasses and wallet were not found despite a four-day search.
"We just need someone to call anonymously and give Crime Stoppers a clue to follow," Mrs Whelan said.
"I can't fathom in my head how someone can go missing from that road and no one sees anything."
For Mr Stevenson's family, grieving is something they still can't quite do.
"We're in limbo," Mrs Whelan said.
"I never properly grieved as such over it. I've not dealt with it like that.
"We can't grieve and we can't take the next step forward."
Mr Stevenson would have turned 48 in the year he went missing and was last seen about 4am on March 11, 2012, getting fuel at a Bundaberg service station before travelling to Paradise Dam.
He was wearing a black leather jacket, a black full-face helmet and possibly jeans.
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Originally published as Why daughter suspects foul play after Bundaberg dad vanished
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