Missing: Boronia’s Bung Siriboon, Tej Chitnis, Olinda chef Willi Koeppen among unsolved cases
From Boronia schoolgirl Bung Siriboon to former owner of the Cuckoo Wilhelm “Willi” Koeppen, there has been no shortage of high-profile disappearances in the east over the years. We take a look at some of the most baffling cases.
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Despite desperate pleas from families and extensive police investigations these are some of the most baffling missing person cases that remain unsolved in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
SIRIYAKORN ‘BUNG’ SIRIBOON
Next month will mark the nine-year anniversary of the disappearance of Boronia schoolgirl Bung Siriboon.
Bung, 13, left her home in Elsie St at 8.20am on June 2, 2011, headed for Boronia Heights College, a few minutes’ walk away.
She was seen by a neighbour a short time later in Elsie St, walking towards Albert Ave — and that was the last time she was ever seen.
Police have investigated more than 1200 pieces of information but have been unable to find out what happened to Bung. They have previously said they hold grave fears for her.
In 2013 police investigating Bung’s disappearance twice arrested a man who said he killed the girl in a road accident.
But the then 24-year-old was released without charge.
There have been ongoing media and public appeals and Old Joe’s Creek Reserve was searched in a bid to find any clues.
On the fifth anniversary of her disappearance, while police couldn’t confirm it was Bung, they said the teen was possibly seen in the front seat of a white station wagon on Napoleon Rd in Rowville between 8.45am and 9am the day she disappeared.
Her heartbroken parents Fred Pattison and wife Vanidda previously told Leader they still cling to the hope they will see their daughter again.
An area in their Boronia home paid tribute to their missing daughter, set up like a Buddhist temple with candles and incense.
In 2016, Boronia K-12 College created a special tribute to Bung, who would have been in Year 12 at the school that year.
The school put a plaque in front of a tree in tribute to Bung, with a light to “guide” her home.
Bung was featured as one of 10 missing person profiles in the Invisible Friends campaign launched by the Missing Persons Advocacy Network.
TEJ CHITNIS
Tej Chitnis was last seen on April 27 2016 at 10am leaving his Burwood East family home on Bonview Crescent.
Tej, who was 21 at the time, had told his father he was heading into the city and would return in time for his dad’s birthday dinner that night, however when he failed to appear his parents knew something was wrong.
It would later emerge Tej’s car — a silver VW Golf — drove through Healesville about 11.30am on April 27, with the last ping from his mobile phone also coming from Melbourne’s outer east, but there have been no further clues as to his whereabouts.
More than 11,000 have joined a Help Find Tej Chitnis Facebook page.
It was revealed last year Tej’s disappearance was being probed by an elite team of cyber experts in a fresh push for clues.
WARREN MEYER
Warren Meyer went bushwalking at 7.45am on March 23 2008, and according to the Victoria Police website, was to meet up with his wife and friends for lunch at the RACV club in Healesville but did not arrive.
Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader previously reported Mr Meyer was well prepared and an experienced bushwalker. But he has not been seen or heard from since.
Mr Meyer’s wife Zee said in 2016 she believed her husband was killed but her family remained desperate for answers.
Theories on his fate included that the Beaumaris man was accidentally killed by illegal deer shooters or was killed after discovering a marijuana crop.
In 2017 his family doubled its reward money to $200,000 as a last-ditch effort to find their husband and father.
But later that year the case was closed by Coroner John Olle who found that Mr Meyer died of “unknown causes” with “no further investigation” or inquest required.
But Mr Meyer’s family successfully applied to have his coronial findings reviewed because of new and compelling evidence.
Victoria Police told the family of Mr Meyer they were reviewing the case, which encompasses suspicious factors of illegal drug activity in the area, witness reports of continuous shooting from an automatic weapon, and an escaped psychiatric patient with homicidal tendencies confirmed as being in the area at the time.
WILHELM ‘WILLI’ KOEPPEN
The disappearance of the country’s first celebrity chef and co-owner of the Cuckoo, Wilhelm “Willi” Koeppen, has been a mystery for decades.
Mr Koeppen vanished 44 years ago, and despite an ongoing police investigation, there is no concrete answer for his family.
The German-born chef, who would be in his 90s if he was still alive, was last seen by friend Dr Bernard Butler sometime between 3am and 4am on February 29, 1976.
After an inquest into the chef’s disappearance in 2018, Coroner’s Court Judge Sara Hinchey concluded Mr Koeppen’s death, an unsolved and open homicide case, happened on or about the date he vanished, but the family was no closer to finding out what happened.
Rebecca Johnston-Ryan, the counsel assisting the Coroner, presented the summary of Mr Koeppen’s suspected death and said it was believed Mr Koeppen was murdered, on or near the date of his disappearance.
Ms Johnston-Ryan said on the night the chef disappeared he was drunk and abusing the restaurant’s staff, including his wife, Karin.
Ms Johnston-Ryan said in the days leading up to his disappearance the chef had been depressed and talked about going to Poole in Queensland with two women.
Outside court, Mr Koeppen’s daughter Sabina Wakefield said her father’s disappearance was like an “open wound”.
SALLY CHEONG
Sze Wan (Sally) Cheong went missing from her family home in Oakleigh South on the morning of April 2 2008. According to the Victoria Police website, despite taking her wallet, phone, car keys, iPod and a “security” blanket she sometimes carried, Sally has not accessed her bank accounts nor used her phone since her disappearance, and has left her car behind.
Police hoped an email sent by Ms Cheong shortly before her disappearance could bring investigators a step closer to cracking the case.
In the chilling message to a male friend Ms Cheong said she was scared he was going to shoot her and expressed fears for her life, weeks before she vanished.
But a fresh look at the case by the homicide squad’s cold case unit in 2013 cleared the suspect she feared was going to shoot her.
Sally’s disappearance was described as totally out of character and she has not made contact with her family or any friends from a close group she often socialises with.
Anyone with information is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Originally published as Missing: Boronia’s Bung Siriboon, Tej Chitnis, Olinda chef Willi Koeppen among unsolved cases