Townsville Police launch murder investigation into missing Ayr teenager Linden Malayta
North Queensland police investigating the disappearance of teen Linden Malayta have launched a murder case and are offering a massive cash reward to help solve it.
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North Queensland police investigating the disappearance of teen Linden Malayta have upgraded the case to murder and are offering a massive cash reward to help solve it.
In a shock statement released on Monday, Townsville Police also confirmed that they now believed the Ayr teenager was killed around the time he vanished around April 2019.
The Indigenous boy was just 15 at the time of his disappearance, with the investigation now focusing on Townsville, not the Burdekin.
Police Minister Mark Ryan on Monday offered a $500,000 reward for information “leading to the identification and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspected murder”.
Detectives from the Townsville Child Protection Investigation Unit said they were hopeful the reward would “bring new information regarding the suspected murder of Linden Jeffery Malayta who has been missing from Ayr since 2019”.
Rumours about the fate of the boy have been circulating since police opened a missing person’s case into the teenager from a tragedy-struck family in February.
Child Protection Investigation Unit Officer in Charge David Miles said police had received information that Linden “may be the victim of foul play and as a result we have commenced a homicide investigation”.
He said the boy was in close contact with family “and then all of a sudden in April, 2019, he disappears off our radars”.
“Proof-of-life enquiries have shown that he is probably no longer alive.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Miles said the last sightings of Linden were in 2019, “possibly in Townsville”.
He said the Malayta family had been cooperating with police “to the extent that they can”.
“They have told us what they are able to tell us, they are appreciative of our efforts, however, they don’t have any information ... they are able to give us that provides any further light on what we are actually looking at.”
Det Snr Sgt Miles said their was nothing to suggest a dispute between the well-known Malayta family or any other family in the Burdekin was behind the disappearance.
“There is nothing that leads us to any suggestion that anything in Ayr is behind what has happened,” he said.
“We are confident he was in Townsville and we are confident that whatever transpired would have happened in Townsville.”
He asked for anyone with information to contact police.
“We are seeking any information the community may be able to provide, no matter how small or insignificant they may think it is,” he said.
“Someone knows something and we hope this reward will encourage them to come forward.”
Linden is described as Aboriginal, with brown eyes and dark brown hair.
He was last seen wearing the red baseball cap, which he frequently wore.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000 or via the Crime Stopper website.
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