Kellie Carmichael death: Family plans for Geelong farewell following coronial probe

The family of Kellie Carmichael has revealed their pain at a lack of answers five months after her skeletal remains were found in NSW, amid plans for a “special goodbye” in Geelong.

Kellie Ann Carmichael disappeared from the NSW Blue Mountains in 2001. Her remains were finally located in Katoomba earlier this year.

The family of Kellie Carmichael has revealed their pain at a lack of answers over her death more than five months after her skeletal remains were found in the Blue Mountains, amid plans for a “special goodbye” in Geelong.

It comes as NSW detectives and a coroner finalise a new report into the likely cause of her death, after bones belonging to her were first located in Katoomba in April.

She had been missing for 23 years before the discovery.

Her brother, Danny Carmichael, said the family had planned to hold a memorial in Geelong before Christmas for his sister but had been left to wait for a result into the fresh coronial probe.

A NSW coroner is again reviewing evidence into Kellie Carmichael’s death.

It’s believed the family will be asked whether they would like another inquest to help answer nagging questions over her disappearance and subsequent investigations, after she was first reported missing in 2001.

“We are hoping to hear something in the next couple of weeks, sooner rather than later would be good,” he said.

“It has been hard, and to be honest since they found her we have been trying to process it all.”

It’s understood misadventure or suicide is being looked at as the most likely cause of Kellie’s death.

The latter possibility was initially investigated by police, partly because the 24-year-old had been diagnosed with schizophrenia three years before her disappearance.

The homicide squad took over the investigation in 2004.

Mr Carmichael said his family were led to believe “for a long time” the beloved former Sacred Heart student had been murdered.

“They even had a suspect,” he said.

“So we do have some questions and just want to know what happened with it all.”

Detectives from Sydney’s unsolved homicide squad have been working on newly compiled evidence for the NSW Coroners Court after discovering her remains in April.

Parents John and Margaret Carmichael at a press conference to announce a reward for information about their daughter’s whereabouts.

They were found on a cliff face in bushland by an abseiling police officer, who was conducting a search for an unrelated case.

More bones were later located on May 27.

A third search of the scrub was recently completed and it is hoped new findings into her death are imminent.

A NSW Coroners Court spokesman confirmed the probe was ongoing after being briefed with fresh evidence from detectives.

Mr Carmichael said he hoped post-mortem examinations could provide insight into his sister’s death, and give his family much-needed closure.

“We are hoping by the end of the year we could be back in Geelong and be able to say our goodbyes, but we’re not sure how likely that is now,” he said.

Kellie checked out of her hostel, in Katoomba, on April 29, 2001 – telling staff she would return later that day to collect her belongings.

She was never seen or heard from again, with her personal ID, wallet, phone, camera, toiletries and cards left unclaimed.

Her vanishing would become a torturous and baffling cold case.

A coronial inquest was launched in 2009, which concluded she was dead, but could not shed light on the circumstances.

A $200,000 reward for information was offered by the NSW government in 2011.

Her parents, John and Margaret, are yet to bury their daughter more than two decades after they reported her missing, although it is hoped their wait is almost over.

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Originally published as Kellie Carmichael death: Family plans for Geelong farewell following coronial probe