Keren Rowland, Irma Palasics, ACT’s unsolved homicides and missing persons
From lives taken too soon to loved community members gone without a trace, here are the cold cases that have shaken Canberra to its core.
Canberra Star
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There are currently six unsolved homicides and ten long-term missing persons case in the ACT.
These cases include stories of young lives taken far too soon, vulnerable people falling through the cracks and beloved community members gone without a trace.
Despite these cases going cold friends and family still hold hope for answers and closure.
ACT Policing continue to investigate these cases and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers ACT on 1800 333 000.
ACT’S UNSOLVED HOMICIDES
Frank Campbell
Frank Campbell was found dead by his flatmate in their Wilkins St, Mawson unit at 8am on May 2, 2005.
Police say he died from blunt force trauma after being hit in the head with a heavy object about 11 times.
CCTV footage from the night of his murder depicted Mr Campbell drinking at the Mawson Club with his flatmate.
He was seen leaving the club at 9:43pm and his flatmate last saw him alive at 11:30pm.
Police are looking for an array of items that were taken from the house at the time of Mr Campbell’s death.
These items include a long sleeved dark chequered shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a pair of work boots, a fry pan and a small sum of cash.
Mr Campbell has been described as a well known taxi driver in the Canberra community. No charges were ever laid.
Police are offering a $500,000 reward for any information that could solve the case.
Kathryn Grosvenor
The body of Kathryn Grosvenor was pulled out of Lake Burley Griffin at Yarralumla Bay on the morning of March 9 2002 after her body was spotted by a canoeist.
Her body had been weighed down by a concrete bollard which police say came from Anthony Rolfe Dr, Gungahlin.
The 23-year-old was last seen at her Nicholls home on March 3, 2002.
Police said there was an unconfirmed sighting of Ms Grosvenor on the night of March 3, 2002 at the George Harcourt Inn in Nicholls between 9.05 and 9.15pm.
A witness who came forward in 2002 alleged they saw a man stopped at the side of Anthony Rolfe Ave and saw the man place an item into his red car.
In 2012 another witness came to police and said they saw two men about to load a block of concrete kerbing from the roadside into the tray of a black ute.
This witness also alleged there was a second red sedan at the scene.
The witness said one man was caucasian, in his mid 20s about 180cm tall, with a mid-large athletic build, tanned skin and brown short hair.
He was allegedly wearing knee-length dark beige shorts and a light-coloured short-sleeved shirt.
The second man was described as caucasian, about 173cm tall with a slim build. The witness described him as “scruffy” with dark wavy hair and wearing dark ‘stubble’ shorts and a light-coloured short-sleeved T-shirt with no collar.
No charges were ever laid.
Irma Palasics
Irma Palasics was murdered in 1999 after she and her husband Gregor were bound and beaten by two men who forced their way into their McKellar home.
Mrs Palasics died at the scene but her husband survived.
The two unknown assailants ransacked the couple’s home and stole cash and jewellery.
Prior to the 1999 incident, the couple were victims of a burglary in 1997 and an aggravated burglary in 1998 while they were living in Red Hill.
Police believe there may be a link between the prior burglaries and the murder of Irma Palasics. No charges were ever laid.
A $500,000 reward for any information which would lead to the apprehension and conviction of Irma’s murderer has been offered by police.
Allen Redston
Six-year-old Allen Redston was found dead next to a creek bed in Curtin on September 28 1966.
His hands and feet had been bound and he was wrapped in carpet and a green and white dressing gown.
The dressing gown was later found to have been dumped by a local resident.
Police say he died from strangulation.
Allen went missing while he was waiting outside his friends house in Holman St Curtin, the day prior and had been reported missing.
In November 2003 investigators interviewed several people in Queensland in relation to the boy’s death.
The next month, a man was nominated as a suspect but investigators were unable to link him to the murder.
Since October 2004 police have launched an appeal to speak with two people investigators believe have information about his murder.
No charges were ever laid.
Keren Rowland
The body of 20-year-old Keren Rowland was found at the Air Disaster Memorial on May 13, 1971 three months after her disappearance.
Ms Rowland, who was five months pregnant, went missing on February 26, 1971, the night of the Royal Canberra Show.
She had travelled to Civic to pick up her sister to go to a party in Deakin.
Yet the plan changed and Ms Rowland’s sister got a lift from her fiance and Keren was supposed to follow the couple in her own car.
However, Ms Rowland never arrived at the party, and she was reported missing to police at midnight.
Her car, a white Mini Morris 850 Sedan was found on Parkes Way, Campbell, with no petrol in the tank.
Police have not determined Ms Rowland’s cause of death. No charges were ever laid.
Susan Winburn
Susan Winburn was found naked in her bathtub at her Gordon home by her sister on January 13, 2004.
Her sister was concerned for her welfare after Ms Winburn did not arrive at work that day.
Police say she died from strangulation
Ms Winburn’s purse had been taken yet there was no sign of forced entry into her home.
She was last seen alive at the Erindale Chemist located at the Erindale Shopping Centre in Wanniassa at 7.10pm on January 13 2004, and she had called her sister at 8.40pm that evening.
No charges were ever laid.
ACT’s missing persons
David Abuoi
David Abuoi was last seen on the morning of July 10, 2012 in Civic.
At the time of his disappearance, Mr Abuoi had moved to Canberra from Sydney.
Prior to his disappearance he had been visiting friends from Sydney who were visiting Canberra at the time.
He was known to stay at the Bega and Allawah flats in Canberra, but these buildings have since been demolished.
Police have received information he may also use the name Gabrielle and or Malak, and hold serious concerns for his welfare.
Kate Alexander
Kate Alexander was last seen on March 31, 1974 at her Yarralumla home.
She was described as being an “unassuming” person at risk of being taken advantage of.
In the years since her disappearance, several sightings of Kate in the Queanbeyan area have been reported to police, but no searches in the region have revealed any traces of her.
Wendy Joy Dalla
Wendy Dalla has not been seen since she left her Cook ACT home to walk to the local shops on September 25, 1975
Living only a short distance from the shops, she was expected to return shortly after leaving, yet she hasn’t been heard or seen since.
She was married and had three children.
Amelia Toa Hausia
Amelia Hausia was only 18 when she was last seen by her family at their Downer home on December 17, 1992.
She was last seen at the Woden Plaza Shopping Centre on December 22, 1992.
Since her disappearance police have received numerous reported sightings but no positive identifications have been made.
Amelia would now be 48 years old, and police have released age progressed images to reflect what she might look like.
Laura Haworth
Aged only 23 at the time of her disappearance in 2008, Laura Haworth was a loving mother of two children, aged only three and four.
Ms Haworth was last seen on January 5 2008 at a friends home in Queanbeyan.
She told her friend she was leaving for work and drove away in her red Mazda 121.
However she never made it to her work, and has not made contact with friends and family since which has been described as out of character for her.
Her car was found parked at the Kanangra Court car park in Reid ACT on January 19, however there was no trace of her.
Since her disappearance, all police inquiries into her whereabouts have come up empty, and police hold serious concerns for her safety and welfare.
Elizabeth Herfort
Elizabeth Herfort was only 18 when she went missing on June 13, 1980.
She was last seen at the Australian National University bar in Acton.
Police say between 9pm and 9.45pm on June 13, 1980 a person fitting her description was seen hitchhiking on the southbound carriageway leading to Commonwealth Ave in Canberra.
Police believe the person seen hitchhiking was given a lift from a driver along Commonwealth Ave to the intersection of Coronation Dr.
Megan Mulquiney
Year 12 student Megan Mulquiney was 17 when she went missing in 1984.
She started work at 8.30am on July 28, 1984 at Big W, Woden Shopping Centre and finished her shift at 12.05pm.
She was last seen at 12.15pm at the western entrance of Woden plaza.
Ms Mulquiney was expected to take a bus home from the plaza, but never returned
A 2009 inquest into her death determined it was likely the teen was murdered.
Odette Houghton
Odette Houghton was living in India for about a year and was last seen by her family in Thailand in April 1990.
Ms Houghton’s contact suddenly stopped in August 1991.
Police say Odette was in Bangalore in February 1991, before heading to Rishikesh, Uttar Pradesh in the summer, and then moved back Kudli Beach, Gokaran, Karnataka.
Police believe she moved to Manali in the Himachal Pradesh mountains.
Prior to going missing, police believe she was living in a commune 34 km north of Manikaran.
Robert Jacob
Robert Jacob was last seen on November 12 2015 at the Civic bus interchange and was reported missing on December 3, 2015.
His daughter grew concerned after not hearing from him over numerous weeks, which was out of character for Mr Jacob.
Prior to his disappearance he lived alone and did not own a phone.
He was known to frequent Civic and was facing medical issues related to his heart and lungs.
Jean Policarpio
Jean Vincent Diezmo Policarpio was last seen by his family at 9:30pm on September 26, 2017, in Bonner ACT.
Mr Policarpio could not drive, and left his phone, wallet and keys at home on the day he went missing.
Police do not know what he was wearing at the time of the disappearance or which direction he was travelling.
He was known to go to the Golden Moth walking Trail in Mulligan’s Flat and the Chicken Gourmet Shop at Bonner Shops.
Searches of bushland and local lakes following his disappearing did not lead to any information of his whereabouts.
His family and police hold grave concerns for his safety and welfare.
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