‘We have to find Michelle Lewis’ murderer’

It’s the mystery that has haunted a retired detective for years. Now Ann Gumley wants a specialist cold case homicide squad to take up the search for answers, writes Kate Kyriacou.

A RETIRED detective who spent years trying to find out what happened to a young woman once thought to be the victim of a serial killer wants the homicide cold case team to take up her cause.

Michelle Coral Lewis disappeared in 1989 after leaving a friend’s house in Rockhampton to ride a short distance home. But she never arrived and both she and her bike were never seen again.

Michelle Coral Lewis.

Many investigators believed her to be the victim of serial killer Leonard John Fraser, a convicted rapist who confessed to killing Beverley Leggo, Sylvia Benedetti, Julie Turner and schoolgirl Keyra Steinhardt in the late 1990s.

Fraser was in prison serving time for rape when Michelle disappeared however some believe there were times when he was able to walk from correctional facilities with lower security.

The case has stuck with retired detective Ann Gumley, who investigated whether a man connected to Michelle’s foster mother was behind the 21-year-old’s disappearance.

“Even now, I often think of her and wonder whatever happened to her,” Ms Gumley said. “She had such a sad life – and for her to just disappear. We never found her bike. I’ve always said if we find her bike, we’ll find Michelle.”

Michelle was taken in by a local woman, Adeline “Dell” Salhus after her grandmother died. She lived in a home on Alexander St with Dell and Dell’s grandson Kenny, who became a close friend.

Murderer Leonard John Fraser.

Michelle had lived a tough life and a party Dell threw for her 21st was the first birthday celebration she’d had.

On the night of January 14, 1989, Michelle left home to visit a friend on nearby Stenlake Ave. They watched movies before Michelle left for home at 10pm.

The trip home should have only taken a few minutes but Michelle was never seen again. Her friend Kenny looked for her for a long time, trawling nightclubs, walking streets and turning up where police were searching.

Ms Gumley said she believed a man known to Dell had done something to Michelle.

“We took him back to the Yeppoon police station and spoke to him but by then he’d had plenty of time to think about it,” she said.

“Even driving home after speaking to him, I remember saying, ‘I bet he knows something’.

“It was a hard case because normally when you investigate a murder you have a victim, a body. We had nothing.”

Ms Gumley said she would like to see the Homicide Investigation Unit’s cold case team look into Michelle’s disappearance.

Former detective Ann Gumley. Picture: Mark Calleja

The team recently made the oldest cold case arrest in Australian history, with charges laid against Vincent O’Dempsey for the 1964 murder of Vincent Raymond Allen.

“I would love a result for Michelle, oh God yes,” Ms Gumley said.

“It would be lovely to tie someone to her or even just to locate her.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell, who heads the cold case team, said they had “carriage of the investigation”. “We would like to find some closure for Michelle’s family and her community,” she said.

“We would encourage anyone who has any information, no matter how small or insignificant, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

Originally published as ‘We have to find Michelle Lewis’ murderer’