Extensive search fails to locate any sign of missing Yarrabah boy Markiah Major
Divers and a human remains detection dog have scoured remote bushland for the remains of a missing teen Markiah Major while police address speculation the Yarrabah boy met with foul play.
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Divers and a human remains detection dog have scoured remote bushland for the remains of a missing teen Markiah Major while police address speculation the Yarrabah boy met with foul play.
Seventeen-year-old Yarrabah boy Markiah Major went missing on August 15, but police were not alerted to his disappearance until September 2.
Police have since connected the missing teen to a remote area near Yarrabah after finding a dumped Volkswagen Polo at the end of Back Beach Rd on the evening of August 19.
The vehicle, stolen from Yungaburra on August 17, is understood to contain personal effects belonging to the missing boy.
On November 21 and 22, specialist police units including the dive squad, dog squad, Cairns Water Police and State Emergency Service volunteers conducted a third search of bushland at the end of Back Beach Rd.
But no trace of Markiah was found.
Police video documenting the search revealed specialist teams crawling through muddy creeks known to be inhabited by saltwater crocodiles and bushland described by authorities as being impenetrable.
Detective Acting Inspector Jason Chetham said police had ruled out foul play and a “window of survivability had been exhausted”.
“We’ve been very frank with the family and I think they’re accepting of that,” he said.
“If he was able to contact his friends and family then he would have done, and that has been one of the red flags from the get go … that’s the really concerning aspect to us.”
Act Insp Chetham said the boy’s bank accounts have not been touched since his disappearance and it was “possible” the boy’s body could be lying in bushland around Yarrabah.
Police put an end to speculation that Markiah had broken into a property belonging to “the wrong people” at Trinity Beach and his death was motivated by revenge.
“There have been a few versions of that story,” he said.
“And we found nothing to substantiate anything of that nature.
“And I’ll go further and say there’s been nothing that we’ve located in this investigation … that will suggest that there’s any foul play involved in Markiah’s disappearance.”
Act Insp Chetham declined to reveal what the investigation had turned up in terms of the missing boy’s mental health and would not speculate about what could have happened to the Yarrabah teen after he dumped the stolen car.
“Obviously there’s a number of explanations that could explain why somebody would not come out of there but we’re keeping all options open,” he said.
“(The search) has concluded at this point in time and search and rescue mission co-ordinator will give us a report and we’ll assess whether we need to get back in there.”
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Originally published as Extensive search fails to locate any sign of missing Yarrabah boy Markiah Major
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