Far North Queensland’s most puzzling missing persons cases
These are the faces and last known locations of Far North Queensland’s most baffling missing persons cases. Search the map.
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These are the faces and last known locations of Far North Queensland’s most baffling missing persons cases.
Thousands of people go missing each year. While some families are relieved to be reunited with their loved ones, others are still searching for answers decades later.
Markiah Major: August 15, 2023
Markiah Major, 17, has not been seen since August 15 this year and his family and friends hold grave fears for his safety.
The Yarrabah teen was reported missing on September 2 and has not accessed his bank account or contact family or friends since August.
Cairns police Acting Detective Inspector Jason Chetham said police had launched a major investigation into his disappearance, which he described as unusual.
“We’ve gone right through a list of associations but he has a broad group of friends so it’s an ongoing effort but no one at this point in time has been able to come forward and pinpoint what his movements were, what his intentions were at that point in time,” Inspector Chetham said.
He added the lack of contact was a serious concern for police.
“His mum tells us that she would certainly expect contact well before now,” he said.
“While certainly Markiah has gone out for a few days at a time in the past, nothing like this.
“So it is very unusual he has not had contact with his mum or any of his friends.”
Markiah’s mother, Kamaree Major, said she had barely slept since her son went missing.
“He is a lovely boy. He is very sweet, kind and quiet. I am very worried about what might have happened to him,” she said.
Police are treating the disappearance as a missing persons case but could not rule out foul play.
Markiah is a First Nations teen, around 150cm tall, slim build with shoulder length black, curly hair.
Daniel Te-Wake: April 6, 2020
Daniel William Tewake, 41, was last seen at his Draper St accommodation house in Cairns North on April 6, before leaving in his white 1989 model Toyota Corolla and heading south.
Police said he stopped at several businesses along the Bruce Highway that morning and his car was loaded with camping and fishing equipment. He has since vanished.
The car was found abandoned by Transport and Main Roads workers just north of Fishery Falls on April 8, but it was not until Mr Tewake was reported missing by the management of his accommodation house on April 11 that concerns over his whereabouts were raised.
Mr Te-Wake was a passionate outdoorsman but his daughter said while her dad loved camping and fishing he also suffered from fibromyalgia, a chronic pain and fatigue syndrome.
“Which means that if my father is in the cold his body doesn’t allow him to be able to move or walk at times,” she said.
A large-scale land and air search was conducted to no avail and he remains missing as of September 2023.
Jayden Penno-Tompsett: December 31, 2017
Jayden Penno-Tomsett, 22 of Newcastle, disappeared in the Charters Towers area during a road trip to Cairns with friend Lucas Tattersall in December 2017 to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
He was last seen walking into a fenced paddock on the outskirts of Charters Towers on December 31 after an inquest into Mr Penno-Tomsett’s disappearance heard he had a “sudden and acute decompression in his mental health”.
Tattersall told the inquest the trip had been going well until the pair got into a fight over missing drugs before Mr Penno-Tompsett walked off towards bushland, telling him to “stay the f*** away from me” and give him time to calm down.
He told the court he searched for some time before being told by other friends already in Cairns to continue driving.
He was not reported missing until January 3 when a large-scale search began, but no trace was ever found.
The coroner ruled out foul play in Mr Penno-Tompsett’s disapearance and found he likely died due to “exposure to the elements” in remote bushland. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Mr Tattersall.
This map shows the last known sightings of some of the Far North’s missing persons.
Reece Kearney: December 21, 2017
Reece Kearney went missing just before Christmas 2017, when he was 26.
Mr Kearney, who was reported to have a medical condition, was last seen on Highland Drive in Julatten in mid-December that year after attending a funeral of a close friend.
Police said Mr Kearney was in a distressed and agitated state before his disappearance.
On February 8 the following year, his motorcycle was found at the Telstra tower on the Newcastle Range, about 20km east of Georgetown — but Mr Kearney was not found.
He has been described as caucasian in appearance, about 180cm tall, of a slim build with short brown hair.
Allison Bernard: February 10, 2013
On the 10 year anniversary of Allison Bernard’s disappearance, Detective Superintendent Sonia Smith read a statement from the family during the announcement of a $500,000 reward.
“We the Bernard family are still devastated by Allison’s disappearance. Her absence continues to impact our lives and community, particularly her children,” she read.
“We acknowledge the announcement of the reward by the Police Minister and we encourage anyone who has information that may assist investigations to come forward.
“Family members deserve the respect of having the questions surrounding her disappearance answered.”
Ms Bernard was last seen on February 10, 2013, at the Exchange Hotel in Coen, before leaving with Archer River Quarry caretaker Thomas Byrnes.
Mr Byrnes has repeatedly and vehemently denied he had anything to do with Ms Bernard’s disappearance, and no one has ever been charged.
In 2022, he provided the inquest his account that he and Ms Bernard had a consensual sexual interaction at the remote camp quarry he was caretaking.
He told the inquest that while he was out of the room, she walked out into the night wearing nothing but a towel.
A detective senior constable told the inquest in 2022 he always suspected Ms Bernard was murdered, but no charges have ever been laid.
Martin Frodsham: July 1, 2012
Martin Frodsham was last seen in the Cairns and Cooktown Areas in July 2012. He has not been seen since.
Then 44 years old, Mr Frodsham travelled to Brisbane from Perth and headed north to find work in the Gladstone area.
He is described as having a medium build, 169cm tall with brown hair and green eyes.
Kathleen O’Shea, December 29 2005
Katie O’Shea, a mother-of-five, vanished without a trace from Atherton in 2005 while visiting family and friends at Millaa Millaa.
The mother-of-five became the subject of an inquest in 2014, with Coroner Jane Bentley ruling she had likely been murdered by “unknown person or persons” and her body hidden.
She had travelled to the Tablelands from Melbourne for the birth of her first child at Ravenshoe and was dropped off at an Atherton pub to play pool before being seen leaving with two unknown men.
Police have long investigated whether convicted killer and rapist Francis John Wark could be involved, but Wark has always denied having anything to do with the disappearance of Ms O’Shea.
The 62-year-old was living at Millaa Millaa at the time, but has now been jailed for 18 years in Western Australia after being found guilty of killing teenager Hayley Dodd last seen in July 1999 while walking along a road in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt.
Alexandra Gowing, May 29, 2004
Alexandra Gowing was born in 1954 and would now be 66, but would have been 50 when she vanished in Cairns in 2004.
At the time she was wearing a faded one piece dress in green colour with a floral pattern. She also had a scar above the left eye and a tattoo of a diver carrying a fig leaf on the left side of her shoulder or back.
Tony Clinch, November 15, 1997
Tony Clinch was last seen at Cairns Airport on 15 November, 1997. He left Australia on JAL Flight 768 and arrived at Roissy Airport, France at 4.55pm on November 16, 1997.
He was to travel to England to visit his ageing parents but never arrived.
He has not been seen or heard from since.
Clinch is a Veterans Affairs pensioner.
Described as standing 178cm tall with a slim build, he had mousy brown/grey hair at the time of his disappearance with blue/green eyes, a fair complexion and a large greying goatee beard.
Michael Lorenz-Schrader, August 21, 1996
Michael Lorenz-Schrader was last seen some time between August or September in 1996 at Gordonvale Queensland by his father. Michael was commonly known as ‘Adrian’ by close friends and family.
He was believed to be travelling to the Northern Territory via western Queensland and has not been seen since.
He was aged 33.
Anthony Strong, November 9, 1995
Anthony Strong was seen in 1995 at Sarina bus terminal by his brother. Mr Strong’s plans were to travel to Thursday Island.
He was seen at the Post Office on Thursday Island on November 13, 1995.
He has not been seen or heard from since this date.
He is described as being 160cm tall, with a medium build, fair complexion, hazel and brown hair that was balding.
He was born in 1927 and would now be aged 94.
Frederick Bamboo, June 1, 1995
Fredrick Bamboo, a resident of Mossman in north Queensland, was last seen on Palm Island when he attended a funeral in June 1995.
Since then he has not been in contact with associates or any family members.
He has not been located despite extensive inquiries.
Frederick is described as 165cm tall, of thin build, with black hair, brown eyes, and dark complexion.
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