Missing persons: Rosanna man Paul Wright, Boronia schoolgirl Bung Siriboon disappear
Paul Wright was a regular gym junkie, worked in security and was rarely seen without his best mate — rottweiler Georgia. That was until he went missing. He’s among a number of disappearances that shocked Melbourne.
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People disappear every day for countless reasons, and when a seasoned detective thinks they’ve heard it all a case will throw them a curve ball.
Relationship or financial troubles, or the hum drum of suburban life can drive people to abandon their homes and start afresh, Missing Person Squad Acting Inspector Tony Combridge said.
Sometimes a person wants to end their life.
But in a small number of cases people don’t choose to disappear, they’re made to disappear, and that’s where Acting Insp Combridge said his team comes in.
“When we’re involved it’s a fair indication we think there’s a homicide,” Acting Insp Combridge said.
“If you can think of a reason why someone would want to murder someone, you’ve thought of a reason why someone would want to make a person disappear.
“It’s essentially a homicide but they’ve been planned and prepared enough to hide the body somewhere we can’t find it.”
August 2-8 marks National Missing Persons Week 2020, and of the thousands of people who go missing each year, Acting Insp Combridge said 98 per cent were found within a week.
That said, his detectives have more than 600 files on their books where the person has been gone for more than three months — and that number’s growing, he said.
And while he said it’s difficult to disappear in today’s world, it wasn’t impossible.
“It’s very hard to move around the community without a trace,” Acting Insp Combridge said.
“We’ve all got this digital foot print that follows us … that digital footprint comprises what we call a proof of life.
“If people aren’t making those basic transactions in their life, then maybe it’s a good indication they’re not around to do that.”
The toll a person’s sudden absence took on their loved ones was massive and something he said each of his detectives was keenly aware of.
Each case could easily become consuming, and while it was satisfying to bring a cold case to a close, he said it was difficult because the news often wasn’t what the person’s family liked to hear.
“They all stand out because they’re all unresolved, they’ve all got a family behind them that are wondering what happened to them,” Acting Insp Combridge said.
“We all know what grief feels like, but this is a really different type of grief.
“I can tell you now that I would much rather say goodbye to someone knowing they were gone, than to say goodbye and not know where they’ve gone.”
If there’s one message Acting Insp Combridge said he’d like the public to take on board this National Missing Persons Week, it’s this; don’t wait a day to report someone missing.
A person didn’t have to be gone for 24 hours before they were considered a missing person, and he said he’d much rather start looking for someone sooner rather than later.
And any tip from the public, no matter how big or small, could often prove the key to crack a case wide open, he said.
“We feel very much that we’re the custodians of these matters … they’re everyone’s dad, mum, son, daughter,” Acting Insp Combridge said.
“They’re people that have got high paying jobs and are pillars of society, they are people down on their luck, or they’re people involved in criminal behaviour. Everyone can go missing.
“I don’t know how some of these families can go on, but if they can do that, then the least we can do as investigators is look for them.”
To report a tip phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
MELBOURNE COLD CASES
Paul WRIGHT
Age: 27
Suburb: Rosanna
Ethnicity: caucasian
Build: medium
Disappeared: September 2013
Paul Wright, who would now be aged 33, was last seen leaving his Rosanna home in his blue 1991 Nissan Pintara, registration EMI 944. He worked in security and was a regular at the gym. Mr Wright was known to use another name, Brien Hunter, and police believe he may be living somewhere under that name or using another alias. On the day he disappeared he left behind his dog Georgia, which those close to him said was very unusual because she would typically accompany him everywhere. Mr Wright leaves behind loving parents and a family who has never given up their hope of finding him.
Lorrin WHITEHEAD
Age: 42
Suburb: Bannockburn
Ethnicity: caucasian
Build: Medium
Disappeared: February 8, 2013
Lorrin Whitehead, now aged 49, was last seen at her local supermarket in Bannockburn about 5pm on Friday, February 8, 2013. She never turned up to work on Monday, prompting her family to call the police. Lorrin has not used her bank account since she disappeared and has not contacted family or friends. Ms Whitehead is a diabetic and there are grave concerns for her welfare because she requires Insulin. She has family in both Victoria and Queensland.
Max CASTOR
Age: 19
Suburb: Warrnambool
Ethnicity: caucasian
Disappeared: March 2005
Swedish backpacker Max Castor was on the trip of lifetime exploring Australia when he disappeared without a trace in March 2005. The last known sighting of him was in Warrnambool, where he sent packages filled with his personal belongings back to his family in Sweden. The packages contained books, gifts, photos and his return plane ticket. There have been several unconfirmed sightings of him over the years along the Great Ocean Rd, in Colac, Byron Bay and in Sydney’s north. He would now be 34.
Siriyakorn “Bung” SIRIBOON
Age: 13
Suburb: Boronia
Ethnicity: Asian
Build: thin
Disappeared: June 2, 2011
Siriyakorn “Bung” Siriboon, would have turned 23 this year. She was last seen by a neighbour leaving her family home in Elsie St, Boronia, to walk to school. She was dressed in her school uniform and was wearing a dark blue zip-front jacket and carrying a backpack. She never arrived at school and failed to return home. Her disappearance is out of character and police have grave concerns for her welfare.
Tej CHITNIS
Age: 22
Suburb: Burwood East
Ethnicity: Indian
Build: medium
Disappeared: April 27, 2016
Tej Chitnis, who turned 26 this year, was last seen leaving his Burwood East home about 10am in his silver 2005 VW Golf, registration TTF 517, on April 27, 2016. He usually drove his car to Blackburn Railway station where he would park it in a street nearby and catch the train to university. He failed to return home at 4pm as expected and his car has never been found. The last believed sighting of Mr Chitnis was as he drove on the Maroondah Highway in Healesville, near the intersection of Green St, about 11.34am the day he disappeared.
Veronica GREEN
Age: 38
Suburb: Ardeer
Ethnicity: caucasian
Disappeared: February 13, 1976
Veronica Green left behind two children, then aged 7 and 14, when she disappeared the day before Valentine’s Day more than 40 years ago. She was last seen driving her grey Morris Minor to the Albion railway station from her home in Ardeer. She caught a train to Melbourne for work but never returned. Mrs Green left all of her possessions at home and was reported missing by her husband two days later. She has not been seen or heard from since. Detectives recently excavated the backyard of the Ballarat Rd home Mrs Green lived in with her husband and daughters, and there have been multiple reported sightings of her over the years but none have been confirmed. Mrs Green would now be 83 years old and police have not ruled out foul play as a possible cause of her disappearance.
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