Melissa Caddick found: How a foot helped solve missing persons case

Here’s how the discovery of a unique sneaker containing the bones of conwoman Melissa Caddick helped police crack one of the state’s most high-profile missing persons cases.

Three months after Melissa Caddick’s disappearance baffled the nation, it was the gruesome discovery of a unique sneaker containing her decomposed foot by a group of campers which helped police to piece together her final moments.

Here’s what we know so far:

The campers were walking along Bournda Beach, south of Tathra, when they made the gruesome discovery of a washed up Asics sneaker containing a decomposed foot on Sunday, February 21.

The Asics sneakers worn by Ms Caddick during a raid of her Dover Heights home provided a vital clue as to her disappearance. Picture: NSW Police

The sneaker containing her remains was found on Bournda Beach in the state’s south coast. Picture: Robert Hayson

The particular type and size of sneaker matched that worn by Caddick in footage taken by the corporate regulator ASIC when she was raided by federal police in her Dover Heights home the day before she vanished.

The sneakers are unique because they are not sold in Australia and can only be purchased overseas from Israel, according to police.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Willing described it as “ironic” that the same shoes worn by Caddick in the footage provided the missing clue to help solve what he described as one of the most “high profile” missing persons investigations.

“It’s ironic that the search warrant footage included footage of her feet and the shoe she was wearing. And as I said the shoe found down south of Tathra was the same type and size. So obviously we were hanging and waiting for the results,” he said.

NSW Police were alerted to the discovery of the shoe by the campers and the sneaker was sent to a specialist unit for DNA testing.

On Thursday, forensic testing confirmed the shoe matched with a DNA swab taken from Caddick’s toothbrush and her relatives. Her family was alerted to the news that same evening.

Despite the major breakthrough, Asst Comm Willing said the manner, time and cause of her death “remains a mystery” as CCTV failed to show her last moments. Police say they wouldn’t rule out foul play, but had been investigating it as a suicide.

The shoe matched the size and type

worn by Caddick during an AFP raid.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Willing said it was “ironic” the footage provided a crucial clue all along. Picture John Grainger

“Given the circumstances and the fact she left her personal belongings behind, we’ve always considered the possibility she may have taken her own life,” he said.

Just how long the decomposed remains had been in the water is not yet clear, however, earlier tidal mapping showed that a body that went in the water at Dover Heights could have floated as far as Bermagui.

“All we know is our modelling from Marine Area Command indicates an object that would have gone in at that time could possibly have drifted as far as Bermagui,” he said.

According to police, a search of Boundra Beach on Sunday failed to locate any other body parts belonging to Ms Caddick and no further searches of the area are planned.

The case will be referred to the NSW Coroner for further investigation.