Timothy Pullen’s parents speak of grief and hope 10 years after son’s death

It has been 10 years since Mackay man Timothy Pullen was callously killed, police believing his body was kept in a nightclub cold room before it was dumped. But his family has never given up hope that his body will be found.

The grieving parents of Timothy Pullen have spoken about their remarkable hope that they will live long enough to bury their only son 10 years after he was callously killed.

Leanne and Gary Pullen say they will “never give up on the hope” of finding the body of their eldest child, who was abducted from a North Mackay unit on April 16, 2012.

“Our family struggles with the not knowing, it just gnaws at you,” Leanne says.

“I think 10 years – who would ever have imagined 10 years on and we still haven’t respectfully farewelled him?”

Mackay man Timothy Pullen was killed in 2012.

Police believe Tim was killed over a drug debt and his body was stored in a nightclub cold room, then driven 300km north to a property near Collinsville where he was dumped.

Six people were jailed over his death, but the 34-year-old’s remains have never been found.

The cruel question mark has been crushing for the Pullens, who publicly advocated for the No Body No Parole laws that were introduced in 2017 to keep killers behind bars until they reveal the location of their missing victims.

Leanne Pullen with her eldest and only son Tim.

After realising the proposed bill only applied to people sentenced for murder, Leanne and Gary met with then Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath who changed the bill to include anybody sentenced in relation to homicide.

Despite their efforts, the Pullens discovered days before the legislation passed that one of Tim’s killers – Benjamin Oakley – would be granted parole.

“It won’t matter if I live to 100 years, our whole family will never understand – and I don’t even think the public will understand – why the parole board granted parole in July when he wasn’t even eligible for parole until November,” Leanne says.

Gary and Leanne Pullen addressing the media outside Brisbane Magistrates Court in 2018. Picture: Josh Woning

While the law has not led the Pullens to Tim’s body, Leanne says she is comforted to still receive calls from detectives telling her it has helped other families find the remains of their loved ones.

With all but one offender – Zane Tray Lincoln – now out of jail the Pullens are also plagued with worry about the possibility of bumping into Tim’s killers on the street.

“Once they fulfil their sentence, I know nothing about them whatsoever or where they are,” she said.

“They could move in next door and I would have no idea about it.”

All but one of Timothy Pullen’s killers have been released from prison.

Despite everything they have been through, the Pullens still believe that one day they will get the answers their family is so desperate for.

“We live with the sadness of losing him but we do live with the hope of finding him,” Leanne says.

“I do think our chances of finding him are slim but I will never give up on that hope.”

Timothy Pullen’s family will gather on Saturday – the 10th anniversary of his death – to remember him.

On Saturday they will gather for the 10th time since Tim’s death, eat melting moments – his favourite food – and share stories with their grandchildren who never got the chance to meet “Uncle Tim”.

“I can still hear his voice and see him,” Leanne says.

“We do keep him alive in our memories because we do all talk of him. Even our grandkids who never met him know who Uncle Tim is and they talk about him as if they know him.”

If you have any information about the location of Timothy Pullen’s body, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.