Paul Rushworth: Missing man found to be deceased by coroner
Paul Rushworth left his Redfern home in 2013 to go for a walk and hasn’t been seen since. A coroner has handed down his finding on what happened to the then 46-year-old.
The Blue Mountains News
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Paul Rushworth was 46 years old when he left his home in Redfern to go for a “walk around the block” at about 6.50am on September 13, 2013.
He has not been seen since, and now Coroner Derek Lee has ruled that Mr Rushworth most likely died shortly after his disappearance.
Paul had been experiencing depression, and had called Lifeline two days before he went missing expressing ‘suicidal ideations’.
Shortly after he went for his walk, his partner Peter Harris began looking for him at local doctors’ clinics as he had asked Mr Harris to buy him pills the day before.
Paul later called Mr Harris, but was unwilling to tell him where he was. He later told Mr Harris he would go to Lapstone “to clear my head”.
He did not call Mr Harris again that day, and was not at the Redfern home when Mr Harris returned home at 4pm.
He was declared a missing person at 7.40pm.
Police launched an extensive investigation as to Paul’s whereabouts, including making inquiries with Nepean and Blue Mountains Hospitals, reviewing CCTV footage of train stations, and tracking the call Paul had made to Mr Harris to Circular Quay.
Despite this, no trace of Paul has ever been found.
Magistrate Lee heard there had been several reported sightings of Paul since his disappearance around the city’s CBD, but determined none of the sightings could be confirmed.
He also heard Paul had not made any contact with Centrelink or Medicare, had no record of leaving the country, and had not accessed his bank accounts since September 13, 2013.
Magistrate Lee determined that Paul was now deceased.
“Despite extensive and comprehensive physical, documentary and electronic searches, no evidence has been uncovered as to either Paul’s whereabouts or him being alive after September 13, 2013,” he said in his coronial finding.
“When consideration is given to the matters … the conclusion that must, sadly, be reached is that, on the balance of probabilities, Paul is now deceased.”
Magistrate Lee was unable to determine the date, manner, or location of Paul’s death.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au