Shock development: Police believe Linden Malayta was shot dead

A teenage boy who disappeared two years before he officially became a missing person was likely gunned down, police believe, in a shocking development based on new evidence.

Police believe Ayr teenager Linden Malayta was shot dead in 2019. Picture: Supplied

A teenage boy who disappeared two years before he officially became a missing person was likely gunned down, police believe.

The shocking development in the mystery disappearance of 14-year-old Linden Malayta can be revealed today by the Courier-Mail after police received new evidence.

Police also revealed they believe the Ayr teen predicted his own death telling a friend he feared for his life.

Authorities will now set up multiple crime scenes in North Queensland as police pledge to not give up on the boy.

“He made comments (to that friend) in relation to individuals who were going to kill him, and that he had come to say goodbye to that person,” Townsville Child Protection and Investigation Unit officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said.

Linden Malayta.

Pictures: Supplied

Linden told her “they won’t let me stop”, and shared how he thought these people were going to kill him.

She encouraged him to tell the police, but he said “no one could help” him.

“Someone out there knows what happened to Linden, it’s about those people coming forward now to bring some closure,” Detective Miles said.

Linden was last seen in Ayr in March, 2019, but it wasn’t until police checked in with his family in June, 2021 that they told officers they hadn’t heard from the teenager in years.

Police began investigating his disappearance, and in March this year announced they now believed Linden had been murdered and announced a $500,000 reward for information.

The new timeline of Linden’s final days alive suggest he travelled from Ayr to Townsville with two or three people on or around March 18, 2019.

Soon after, police believe he was shot dead by those people during an altercation.

“The information we have been provided is that there was a firearm that was incidental to his death,” Detective Miles said.

“We are unsure whether that death was the result of intentional or accidental use of that weapon.”

Detective Senior Sergeant David Miles. Picture: Evan Morgan

Detective Miles said police would now move to set up crime scenes at multiple locations across the region, including the houses of some associates.

“We’ve got some other information that is going to allow us to undertake some examinations of some historical crime scenes associated with that altercation, that we know of … we’ll be doing that in the near future.”

The Malayta family, a well-known family from Ayr, have been struck by tragedies in the last few years, with two other family members dying in tragic circumstances.

Linden’s cousin Robert Malayta, 18, drowned in the Ross River in February last year when he jumped into the water to try and escape police after fleeing from a crashed stolen car.

Selwyn Malayta, Linden’s uncle, drowned in Plantation Creek in Ayr after wandering into the water late at night in September.

There were initially suggestions Linden had left Ayr to start a new life and cut off contact with his family, with some inquiries leading police to South Australia. This was never confirmed.

More than four years had passed since Linden was last seen but Detective Miles called on anyone who has information to come forward.

“(The length of time) certainly has probably impacted the memories of individuals who interacted with Linden, certainly with that passage of time small snippets of information may well have been forgotten that could be crucial to establish his movements.

“We remain positive that more information will come to hand and no matter what, we won’t stop doing what we are doing until we are able to bring this matter to a resolution.

“Someone knows something.”

Linden was last seen wearing his favourite red baseball cap and had a distinctive walk due to clubfoot. If you know anything, report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000, or contact PoliceLink.