The Nambour lawyer who helped nail Brett Cowan

TRUE CRIME: Peter Boyce had been away on holidays with his family in December, 2003 when he returned to a parent's worst nightmare.

KEY ROLE: Peter Boyce from Butler McDermott in Nambour, was the solicitor for the Morcombe family and is receiving an Order of Australia medal. Picture: Iain Curry

TRUE CRIME: Peter Boyce had been away on holidays with his family in December, 2003 when he returned to a parent's worst nightmare.

Local schoolboy Daniel Morcombe had been abducted.

Mr Boyce, OAM, knew he had to help.

The Butler McDermott Lawyers principal and long-time solicitor joined Bruce and Denise Morcombe, working pro-bono, to help drive their decade-long bid for justice for their son.

He helped Bruce and Denise found the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, in a bid to keep Daniel's name prominent and the investigation alive.

In 2009, when Bruce and Denise started pushing for a Coronial Inquest into Daniel's disappearance, Mr Boyce became more heavily involved.

Peter Boyce, the Morcombe's lawyer, helped end one of Aus's longest & most reported criminal cases. 8pm Mon @ABCTV.https://t.co/mtuXwZBArN

— Australian Story (@AustralianStory) 16 July 2015

When he learnt Bruce and Denise planned to self-represent, Mr Boyce took on the role as the family's lawyer.

Months were spent, for free, combing over the police brief.

A minor stroke suffered during the preparation wasn't enough to stop him.

Mr Boyce, the mild-mannered, polite, small-town lawyer wanted answers.

IMPORTANT ROLE: Bruce and Denise Morcombe along with Peter Boyce break for lunch in the inquest into Daniel Morcombe's disappearance. Picture: Jason Dougherty

While reviewing the police investigation, Mr Boyce and the Morcombes asked for 10 persons of interest to be called to the inquest, while the police hadn't requested any.

Eventually the Coroner agreed for seven persons of interest to be called for examination.

Brett Peter Cowan, P7, was one of those called.

During Cowan's interrogation his alibi collapsed, leaving a time period that coincided with Daniel's disappearance that Cowan could not explain.

A police strategy unfolding was rapidly advanced after those revelations, which had been described as a light bulb moment during the inquest.

Within days an elaborate police sting involving Queensland and WA police was underway.

The result was a confession from Cowan, who was arrested, charged and sentenced to life in prison for Daniel's abduction and murder.

Mr Boyce was the first person Bruce Morcombe phoned in August, 2011, when Cowan was arrested and charged.