Rewards still on offer for vital case clues in state’s cold cases

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in rewards remain on offer for information that may help solve some of Tasmania’s most baffling cold cases.

Italian tourist Victoria Cafasso was stabbed and bludgeoned to death in broad daylight on Beaumaris Beach in 1995.

ALMOST $900,000 in rewards remain on offer for eight of Tasmania’s most baffling missing persons and murder cases.

A dog catcher murdered outside a pub, a teenager who never returned home and a German backpacker who was last seen riding a bike are just some of the cold cases Tasmania Police are trying to crack.

Assistant Commissioner Richard Cowling yesterday said rewards were introduced on a case-by-case basis as an investigative tool to encourage people with information to come forward.

While the money is only on offer to those who provide information which leads to the conviction of an offender, regular public appeals often remind others of potentially vital clues.

“We never close the file because there just might be something come through,” Mr Cowling said.

“For us it’s about finding the offender, but more importantly, it’s about providing closure to the families.

“Sometimes it’s that little piece of information that comes in, that someone thinks is irrelevant, that actually joins the dots.”

EIGHT OF THE STATE’S MOST BAFFLING UNSOLVED CASES

Cold cases in Tasmania are managed by the Serious and Organised Crime Division, as well as a detective inspector in the relevant geographical district.

Mr Cowling said the initial investigating officer on a case often carried it right through their career, “always keeping an eye on it and keeping up with what’s going on”.

Last month, information provided to Crime Stoppers contributed to three arrests over the alleged murder of Launceston teenager Billy Ray Waters.

Crime Stoppers Tasmania CEO Mariae Leckie said the service generally received a “spike in calls” whenever an unsolved missing person or murder case returned to the spotlight.

“Even if some time has gone past, it serves as a memory prompter and we do have people coming forward with fresh information,” she said.

“We certainly found that in the recent Billy Ray murder investigation, it was Crime Stoppers calls that cracked the case.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Rewards still on offer for vital case clues in state’s cold cases