Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer: Police may never know how she died

AS POLICE work around the clock to solve the death of Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer, there is an awful possibility in the back of their minds.

What cops fear most about Tia’s murder

POLICE fear they may never know how Tia Palmer died as the search for her killer continues.

Almost 60 detectives are now working on the case virtually around-the-clock, with divers spending much of yesterday searching the stretch of river where the 12-year-old’s body was found six days ago.

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While Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ordered a review of the child safety system, detectives continue to sift through hundreds of potential leads.

However, crucial evidence from post mortem examinations may still be weeks or months away and may not ever reveal how the young girl died.

Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson said the investigation was progressing slowly.

“We are getting information and versions and sometimes those versions contradict each other, so we are having to run out those inquiries,” he said.

“The cause of death still has not been determined … we may never identify the cause of death.”

He said almost 50 statements had been taken from Tia’s Marsden State High fellow students, while a team of 20 detectives has been tasked with trawling through databases of known sex offenders.

So far, no suspects have been identified.

The last confirmed sighting of Tia alive was 8.10am on October 30 when her carer dropped her near school on Chambers Flat Rd.

Supt Hutchinson repeated earlier calls for any motorist on Chambers Flat Rd with a dash-camera between 7-10am that day to come forward to police.

Some footage obtained by police shows Tia in the area, but it was taken days before her disappearance.

More than 200 people have contacted Crime Stoppers with information.

Meanwhile, Ms Palaszczuk revealed she had written to the Family and Child Commission directing it to conduct a review of the child safety system.

“I would like to today reassure Queenslanders and Tiahleigh’s family and friends that we have police working 24 hours a day, seven days a week ... to bring the person or the people responsible to justice,” she told Parliament.

Ms Palaszczuk acknowledged that concerns had been raised about the length of time it took for a missing person alert to be issued following Tia’s disappearance, but said the focus needed to be on catching her killer.

Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer: Police may never know how she died