Unique green Torana a focus in police Robyn Hickie, Amanda Robinson cold case investigation
A ‘specific’ green mid-70s Holden Torana has now become the focus of the investigation into the abduction and suspected murder of two teenage girls 40 years ago.
Newcastle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Newcastle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Police say Strike Force Arapaima, set up in June to investigate the cold case disappearances of three Hunter teenagers, are methodically combing through a significant volume of material in hope it will lead them to a clue.
In a major breakthrough for detectives, a “specific” green mid-70s Holden Torana has now become the focus of the investigation into the abduction and suspected murders of Robyn Hickie, 18, and Amanda Robinson, 14, in 1979 as well as other incidents along the Pacific Hwy near Newcastle.
“It was 40 years ago, but investigators believe there may be people who lived in the Lake Macquarie area, who may still live in the area or moved elsewhere interstate, that have some knowledge or piece of information that could be integral to the ongoing investigation regarding the disappearance of those two young ladies,” Sergeant chief inspector Greg Thomas from Belmont Police said.
“Given the car is from the mid-70s, whether it is still on the road we don’t know, but it is a very specific car.
“If it was still on the road I think it would catch someone’s eye.
“There could be someone who could have knowledge of that vehicle or that vehicle fitting that description that may not have come forward back then.”
Police admit they’ve had a number of lines of enquiries but the green Torana is key.
“Of the information that is coming in to this investigation, some of it is historical, some of it is contemporary, but the car has become a focus, not the sole focus, but a focus of investigators,” Mr Thomas said.
“It was certainly in the Lake Macquarie area around the time of the disappearance.
“The vehicle may have travelled interstate between Lake Macquarie and Queensland, around the 1979 era.
“Anyone with recollection of that car from the late 70s mark could be invaluable to investigators.”
Once believed to have been the victims of backpacker killer Ivan Milat — The Daily Telegraph revealed the suspected murder of the two teenagers in 1979 has now been linked to a businessman living on the Gold Coast.
A former Hunter Valley man, now aged 58, is under investigation into their disappearance and was eventually granted bail in Queensland, despite police protests, after being charged with rape and other sex offences.
During a bail hearing in Southport Magistrates court late last month, it was revealed NSW police have been investigating the local businessman since June as part of a cold case murder stemming from 1979.
Strike Force Arapaima is also investigating the cold case disappearance of fellow teenager Gordana Kotevski, who disappeared in 1994, 15 years after the two other teens.
Gordana appeared to have been abducted in very similar circumstances, as well from the Swansea and Belmont areas.
Mr Thomas said families of all three girls are being kept informed of the progress being made by the strike force, as they deal with the agony of not knowing.
“I think it lingers to date and that’s why the investigators, as they do treat every inquiry, to the highest and this is why this appeal has gone out some 40 years later in the hope to gain that extra piece of information,” he said.
“It gives them the confidence that police are continuing to investigate these disappearances.”