Police close to solving Debra Campbell missing person case

Debra Campbell vanished without a trace from her Windsor home 39 years ago. Now police say they are finally closing in on her killer.

Police say they will never stop hunting the person responsible for Debra Campbell’s disappearance. Picture: Supplied

Police believe they are close to solving an almost 40-year missing person case after reopening the investigation last year.

Debra Campbell, then 21, disappeared from her High Street, Windsor, home on 25 February 1984 after a fight with her 26-year-old fiance.

The couple were both members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and her disappearance was initially only reported and investigated by them, after she failed to report for duty two days later on Monday 27 February.

Her mum, Jean, reported her missing to Victoria Police later that week when Debra could not be found.

A coronial inquest in 1998 declared that Debra was likely deceased, but the circumstances of her death could not be determined.

Detectives from the Missing Person Squad reviewed the case last year, which led them interstate to New South Wales two weeks ago.

Police believe Debra met with foul play on February 25 1984. Picture: Supplied

Missing Persons Squad investigators along with detectives from the New South Wales Police Cold Case Homicide Squad executed a search warrant at a residential address in Leanda Place, Cardiff South, in NSW, where a 65-year-old man was questioned on March 28.

Detective Inspector Dave Dunstan, from the Missing Persons Squad, said Debra likely met with foul play on 25 February 1984 and they would not give up finding and holding to account the person responsible.

“All unsolved missing persons cases in Victoria are subject to regular review and after re-examining Debra’s case, detectives were able to revisit a number of lines of inquiry.

“This led to a number of things, including the search warrant being executed in NSW.

“I want to assure people that no matter how much time has passed, we are committed to finding those responsible and holding them to account.”

He added: “Missing people are not forgotten by their families and they are certainly not forgotten by police.

“Forty years is an incredibly long time for any parent to wait for answers, however we do strongly believe those answers are still out there.

Both Debra and her fiance were in the Royal Australian Air Force. Picture: Supplied

“I have no doubt there are people with information that can help us solve Debra’s disappearance and I am urging those people to come forward.

“We believe we can solve this case – as we often say, we could only be one phone call away, it just needs to be the right call.”

Mum, Jean, said her daughter’s disappearance had an “immeasurable impact” on their family that they “continue to feel to this day.”

“The most awful part is not knowing where she is or what happened to her, and that the person responsible for taking my daughter away has not been held accountable.”

She added: “Debra was a beautiful vibrant girl who had her whole life ahead of her.

“It fills me with incredible sadness that she never got to do those things – I never got to see her get married or have children, or grow into the wonderful person I was sure she would become.

“She had the most beautiful smile and looking at these photos again reminds me of how terribly young she was when we lost her.”

Police want anyone with information, or people who saw her on the night of 25 February 1984, to come forward.

At the time she was last seen Debra was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a pink t-shirt with a Madness band motif on the front in black and a pair of blue Adidas runners.

She may also have been carrying a green handbag with a gold stripe on it.

Crime Stoppers can be contacted free and anonymously on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppersvic.com.au.