$500,000 reward for information on Sunshine Coast death of Meaghan Rose

Police have issued an urgent missing persons alert for the former partner of a woman believed murdered 25 years ago – the same day a $500,000 reward was offered for information leading to her killer.

Fiona Ratcliffe at a police press conference announcing a $500,000 reward into information around the circumstances of her older sister’s death on the Sunshine Coast in 1997. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

Interstate police have scaled back searches for a man who went missing just hours after Queensland officers visited him about the death of his former partner at the Sunshine Coast in 1997.

Keith Lees, 70, vanished on Monday after homicide detectives travelled to Victoria and spoke with him about the death of Meaghan Rose, 25, whose body was found at the base of Point Cartwright more than two decades ago.

Meaghan’s death was initially ruled a suicide, but police now believe she was murdered and this week announced a $500,000 reward for information which could lead to her killer.

In a statement on Thursday, Victoria Police said the search for Mr Lees had been scaled back.

“Portland detectives have scaled back their efforts in the search for missing man Keith Lees in Portland,” a spokeswoman said.

“Air Wing and SES units are no longer involved in the search. Local uniform police are continuing investigations.”

Keith Lees has not been seen since Monday.

Ms Rose, a disability support worker and Young Australian of the Year nominee, was found at the bottom of a 30m cliff near Mooloolaba, on the Sunshine Coast, near where she’d been living with then-partner Lees.

A life insurance policy was taken out for Ms Rose, with a 13-month waiting period required before it covered suicide. She died three days after the 13-month deadline.

“Detectives from Queensland Police Service spoke to a 70-year-old man on Sunday, June 25, in relation to an ongoing investigation into the 1997 homicide of Meaghan Louise Rose on the Sunshine Coast,” police said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The man’s vehicle was located abandoned at Portland on the afternoon of Monday, June 26, with Victoria Police commencing a search of the area.”

Fiona Ratcliffe said her sister met Mr Lees through her work in their hometown of Morwell, in regional Victoria.

She said they were together for about a year when they moved, along with Mr Lees’ son, to Queensland. Ms Ratcliffe said she spoke to her sister on the phone regularly.

Police said Ms Rose had told her family she planned to end things with Mr Lees and had pleaded with her sister to join her in Queensland.

“My car wasn’t reliable, (but) she said, ‘it’s all right, cars up here are cheap’,” she said.

Police are offering a $500,000 reward for information into the death of Meaghan Rose at Point Cartwright in 1997.

“And I said, Meaghan I need to drive up, I need to bring my stuff up. I said once I organise a car, I’ll be up. Meaghan was quite aware that I’d purchased a vehicle. Unfortunately, I made the first repayment three days after we buried her.”

Police determined Ms Rose had died by suicide, finding a wine cask and glass at the top of the cliff. Her car, a 1995 Suzuki Chino hatchback, registration 415 DNN, was parked nearby.

A year later, a Sunshine Coast coroner decided against holding an inquest based on a police report that concluded her death was not suspicious.

“Investigations have identified that on 21 May 1996 a life insurance policy was taken out of Meaghan by her de facto,” homicide cold case Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said.

“If Meaghan died by suicide within 13 months of the commencement of the policy, no benefit would be paid. As Meaghan’s death occurred just past the 13 months, over $200,000 was paid to her de facto.”

Court documents show by 2000, Mr Lees and his son were living as boarders with Melbourne man Barry Waters, who had recently separated from his wife.

Keith Lees’s silver Holden Captiva

Mr Waters disappeared about five months later. His headless corpse was found in bushland a year after he disappeared, and after Mr Lees had begun an affair with Mr Waters’ wife.

Mr Lees was convicted of Mr Waters’ murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“The pain never goes away,” Ms Ratcliffe said. “It’s been a long time, but we can see a green light. It’s hard to put it into words, but at the end of the day, it’s all worth it if it brings some sort of closure.”

Sergeant Kentwell said Ms Rose’s death was reviewed in 2022. “Police have received information to suggest that Meaghan’s death was … suspicious. We are here today as we do believe that with public assistance, irrespective of the passage of time, this crime can be solved, offenders can be brought to justice and we can provide some closure to Meaghan’s family and friends,” she said.

“Her parents always believed that Meaghan did not commit suicide and will never know what actually occurred on the night that she died,” she said. Police want to speak to anyone who knew Meaghan around the time of her death or who has information about the circumstances.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell. File picture: Liam Kidston

Search efforts for the missing man