Tammy Dyson cold case: Family ask for help as police offer $500,000 reward

A young mum caught up in Brisbane’s criminal underworld disappeared without a trace almost 30 years ago, leaving behind two sons who now say they ‘hurt every bloody day’ after a lifetime of unanswered questions.

Tammy Dyson was last seen at Currumbin on the Gold Coast in 1995.

A young mother caught up in Brisbane’s criminal underworld disappeared without a trace almost 30 years ago, leaving behind two young sons and a lifetime of questions.

But Queensland Police have today cracked open the case and offered a $500,000 reward to anyone who has information which leads to the conviction of her killer.

Tammy Dyson - a 23-year-old mum who worked in Fortitude Valley strip clubs - was last seen at Currumbin on July 20, 1995.

Homicide Cold Case Investigation Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said they had reviewed the investigation, and now believe Ms Dyson was murdered.

Missing woman Tammi Dyson, who was known as Pebbles, worked at a number of Fortitude Valley strip clubs.

“We do believe that with public assistance irrespective of the passage of time, this crime can be solved. Offenders can be brought to justice and we can provide some answers to Tammy’s family and friends,” she said.

Ms Dyson moved to Queensland in 1988 and worked in strip clubs in both Brisbane and Gold Coast, including Hot Lips and The Red Garter in Fortitude Valley.

At the time, both these clubs were known to be associated with underworld figures.

She worked in the industry for years, rubbing shoulders with known criminals in Brisbane despite moving between different states, and was using drugs.

She used the working name of “Pebbles”.

In 1989, Tammy lived between New South Wales and Victoria with her then partner, Natalis Lebler, where they had two children, Jyles and Rainey.

In 1995, Ms Dyson changed her name to Tamela Menzies and commenced a new relationship with a man - Ricky Devisser - and moved to Inala.

Queensland Police have offered a $500,000 reward for information into the 1995 murder of Tammy Dyson.

She dropped her two boys - aged one and three at the time - off to her mother’s home in Victoria, telling her she would come back to get them.

Ms Dyson checked into a drug rehabilitation centre in Currumbin in July, 1995 where she stayed as a patient for a few days.

But when she was released from the clinic, a woman who lied about being her sister Olivia picked her up.

Police do not know the identity of this woman.

The next day, Ms Dyson signed over custody of her children and all her possessions to her mother.

Ms Dyson then called her sister who told police she “didn’t sound like herself” and was talking about “people from the underworld”.

She’s never been heard from by her family or seen again since.

On September 8, 1995, Tammy was reported missing to Victoria Police by her mother.

Police received multiple calls in the months following who claimed to know information about Ms Dyson, but they’ve all been unconfirmed.

Detective Senior Seargent Tara Kentwell from the homicide Cold Case Investigation Team. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“To date no further contact has been received by Tammy and her remains have not been located. All proof of life inquiries have proven negative,” Detective Kentwell said.

Detective Kentwell appealed for any person who collected or knows who collected Tammy from a rehabilitation clinic at Currumbin on July 20, 1995 to come forward.

Ms Dyson’s two sons Jyles and Rainey Lebler gave an emotional appeal for “closure” especially for their now 74-year-old grandmother.

“We need your help to find out what happened to our mum. We were only little boys when our mum disappeared and we have wondered what happened to her for all our lives,” Jyles said.

“Our grandma who raised us has never given up in trying to find out what happened to our daughter.

“Mum has missed all of our important milestones in our lives that she should have been there before ... mum will never be at our weddings and she will never get to meet her grandchildren.

Rainey and Jyles Lebler at media conference in Brisbane about their mother’s disappearance. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“I was 3 and Rainey was 1 so we were both pretty young ... I just remember playing with her when I was little and just being loved.

“Someone obviously knows something, she hasn’t just walked off the face of the earth ... we have grown up with no mum our whole life. It’s not right”

“If you were the woman that picked mum up from the Currumbin clinic can you please come forward, if you knew mum back in 1995, please contact Crime Stoppers because even if you think your information doesn’t matter it could be the piece of the puzzle that helps us find out what’s actually happened.

“It hurts every bloody day. She wouldn’t just disappear and leave us both behind, she really loved both of us, would have done anything for us.”

Originally published as Tammy Dyson cold case: Family ask for help as police offer $500,000 reward