Family of missing Tweed man Patrick Liedke, 39, speak out three months after bizarre disappearance

Police are no closer to finding a man missing for three months after he seemingly vanished on the Queensland-NSW border. Family have now issued a heartfelt plea for more support.

Patrick Liedke, 39, who has been missing for three months. Picture: Supplied

Police are no closer to finding a Tweed man missing for three months after he seemingly vanished on the Queensland-NSW border as his devastated family have issued a heartfelt plea for more support.

Patrick Liedke, 39, was last seen walking along Piggabeen Rd at Piggabeen near the state border, west of Tweed Heads on Monday, April 22.

Last week, Mr Liedke’s sister Nicole issued a plea saying she would “never stop searching” for her beloved brother, who she said was “neurodivergent” and faced mental health battles.

On Wednesday, the family issued a fresh appeal and said police, missing persons units and the public needed to be doing more to support the families of missing persons, particularly those with mental health issues.

In response, the NSW Police Force has assured the public it dedicates “significant resources and effort” toward finding missing persons.

Missing man Patrick Liedke, 39. Picture: NSW Police Force

The appeal comes ahead of the Australian Federal Police’s National Missing Persons Week in August.

“This week marks three months since Patrick was last seen on 22 April west of Tweed Heads, New South Wales. He is now officially deemed as a long-term missing person,” the statement read.

“Patrick’s sister Nicole Liedke says more needs to be done to improve the system for searching for missing persons and to increase understanding across agencies, the healthcare sector and the public of neurodivergent individuals and those with mental health challenges.

“After Patrick’s car was located near the town of Cobaki, a multi-agency search was initiated on 26 April, which police later suspended on 1 May.

“With no fresh evidence to narrow the search area, the police informed Nicole they were unable to conduct a full-scale operation.”

Since searches to find Mr Liedke were called off, his sister and a band of volunteers have taken to bushland in an attempt to find him.

There is currently a 13-day search operation underway around Currumbin Valley, the statement reads.

Nicole Liedke says she will never stop searching for her missing brother Patrick. Picture: Supplied / Facebook.

On Wednesday morning, Ms Liedke appealed to local boaties and asked if they could assist in searching mangroves around Cobaki on the Qld-NSW border.

Ms Liedke wrote in her appeal more resources needed to be given to the families of missing persons.

“I am calling for police to be given immediate access to the online location records of missing people from technology companies. We urgently need legislation to speed up access to this critical information so we can improve the chances of locating the missing person early in the search. Making just this one change could greatly increase their chance of survival,” Nicole wrote.

When asked for the up-to-date status of the investigation, a NSW Police spokesperson said despite a multi-day, multi-agency search being suspended in May, “local police have continued to search for Patrick as part of regular taskings”.

“Every missing person deserves to be found and the NSW Police Force dedicates significant resources and effort to locate individuals who are reported missing,” the spokesperson said.

“Police diligently pursue all lines of inquiry and explore every available lead in their quest to reunite families and bring closure to communities.”

Mr Liedke’s family have set up a Facebook page Find Patrick Liedke.

Further south, Mullumbimby man Gage Wilson, 31, has been missing for more than two months after his abandoned car was found crashed into a tree on Koonyum Range Rd at Wilsons Creek on May 18.

His family have also issued desperate pleas to find him.

Anyone with information about Patrick Liedke’s whereabouts should phone Tweed-Byron Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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