Richard Roe inquest unable to determine cause of death of missing 40-year-old Top End dad embroiled in the ‘Underbelly of Darwin’

The largest ever reward for information in the Territory’s history has been recommended to solve an eight-year-long mystery that has plagued the ‘Underbelly of Darwin’.

Missing man Richard Roe with (inset) Wayne Purtell and Jeffrey Drennan.

A record-setting $500,000 reward may be on the table to solve a mystery that has plagued the “Underbelly of Darwin” since the disappearance of a footy-mad dad eight years ago.

Northern Territory coroner Stephen Geary has handed down his recommendations following a three-day coronial investigation into the suspected death of 40-year-old Richard Roe in 2016.

Mr Roe was last seen trying to flag down motorists for fuel on November 2, after his 2004 Holden Commodore station wagon broke down on the side of the Stuart Highway near Lake Bennett.

It took almost a month for a missing persons report to be filed, and no signs of Mr Roe were ever uncovered.

Mr Geary said there were two theories to explain Mr Roe’s disappearance— either he became disoriented in the bush and died of “misadventure”, or he met with “foul play” at the hands of his “drug industry” associates.

Following three days of evidence from 11 witnesses in May, Mr Geary was ultimately unable to determine what happened to Mr Roe.

Darwin 40-year-old father Richard Roe was last seen on November 2, 2016. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Geary said if “foul play” was involved, the only hope for answers was to increase the current $250,000 offer from NT Police for information.

His sole recommendation was to “substantially increased” the reward to at least $500,000.

This would be the largest offer for information in the Territory’s history — more than for Peter Falconio, Paddy Moriarty or Angie Fuller.

On Tuesday, an NT Police spokeswoman said the coroner’s recommendation was still being reviewed.

NT Missing Person Poster for Richard Roe.

Mr Geary said despite trying to get his ice addiction under control, Mr Roe’s life spiralled out of control in 2011 after the suicide of a close friend.

The inquest heard Mr Roe owed “significant amounts of money to people” and was acting as a debt collector with connections to then-dealers Kenneth Jeffrey Drennon, also known as “Asian Kenny”, Leonard Pearce and Wayne Purtell.

There was no suggestion any of those men were involved in Mr Roe’s death.

Jeffrey Kenneth Drennan outside the three-day coronial inquest into the disappearance of 40-year-old Darwin father Richard Roe. Picture: Zizi Averill

Witnesses told the inquest Mr Drennon had an “axe to grind” with Mr Roe as he was still waiting for his drug debt collector to settle his own bill, which may have grown to $80,000.

However Mr Drennon said he gave small amounts of drugs to Mr Roe for ‘odd jobs’, but maintained the 40-year-old was “not really” working for him and he did not trust him “when it came to money”.

Mr Drennon confirmed Mr Roe gave him his car as “collateral” for up to $800 in drugs and a cash loan of $450.

The inquest heard that in the weeks before his disappearance, Mr Roe collected cash and an $8000 camper trailer from Mr Pearce to settle a debt with Mr Drennon.

But instead of taking the camper trailer to Mr Drennon, Mr Roe sold it to Mr Purtell for drugs.

Witnesses said a “short Asian fella” and up to 10 people went to Mr Purtell’s place demanding the camper trailer.

Mr Purtell denied telling Mr Drennon to “control his debt collector”, but Mr Geary said it was “not fanciful to conclude” the two men discussed Mr Roe’s rogue actions.

A former rural area drug dealer Wayne Purtell outside the three-day coronial inquest into the disappearance of 40-year-old Darwin father Richard Roe. Picture: Zizi Averill

When Mr Drennon was interviewed by police in 2021, he was asked if he killed Mr Roe.

His response was: “I don’t think so”.

“Ultimately it is a curious but ambiguous response and the true meaning as Mr Drennon intended remains uncertain,” Mr Geary said.

The evening before his disappearance Mr Roe went to Mr Purtell’s house to buy drugs and appeared “agitated” and intoxicated before he left to spend the night driving around with his girlfriend and another woman before dropping them at a home.

Mr Roe was last seen struggling with his broken-down car near the Lake Bennett area, where it was rumoured he had up to 5L of “meth oil” stashed behind an ant hill.

Richard Roe abandoned car was found near Lake Bennett in 2016.

In his findings, Mr Geary could not rule out the “erratic, forgetful, disorganised and paranoid” man simply walked from his car and died in the bush.

He said there was insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions as to the involvement, if any, of either Mr Purtell or Mr Drennon in Mr Roe’s disappearance.

“I make no finding that either may be guilty of Mr Roe’s murder, if he was so murdered,” the coroner said.

Mr Geary acknowledged the findings would not provide “Mr Roe’s long-suffering family with the answers they seek”.

Theresa Roe outside Darwin Local Court on Tuesday May 21, following the start of the coronial inquest into her cousin Richard Roe's disappearance. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

In May, Mr Roe’s cousin Theresa Roe said it was “alarming” to hear how her cousin’s addiction led him to be embroiled in the “Underbelly of Darwin”.

“We won’t get closure till we find Richard, where his body is,” she said.