Family pleads for wanted man to turn himself in over unsolved death

The child of a man wanted for questioning over the suspected murder of Meaghan Louise Rose has begged for the 70-year-old to turn himself in.

Rose, a 25-year-old from Victoria, was found dead at the bottom of Point Cartwright Cliffs at Mooloolaba, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, in 1997, with police initially ruling her death a suicide.

Meaghan Louise Rose’s body was found at the bottom of the cliffs in 1997.

But earlier this year, police revealed they were treating her death as suspicious, and detectives were searching for her de facto at the time, Keith Lees, 70, who knew Rose at the time of her death.

Police found Lees’ car abandoned at Portland, with Victorian police commencing a search and rescue operation.

Lees gave a false name later that day, June 25, when police questioned him in Port Fairy.

He was later seen at a Waurn Ponds shopping centre, and then leaving a Shepparton train station on June 27.

Queensland detectives have an arrest warrant for Keith Lees, in relation to the 1997 death of Rose.Credit: Nine News

Amid a desperate search for Lees, his child, Wren Dawnsong, pleaded for their father to turn himself in.

“It’s been more than 20 years, Meaghan’s family deserve justice,” Dawnsong said.

“He’s not doing himself any favours by running and hiding, so it’s time, he’s got to man up and turn himself in.

“It really is all about Meaghan’s family and my heart breaks for them daily and justice needs to be done.”

Dawnsong believed Lees had gone interstate, perhaps crossing the border near Shepparton, and could be in NSW, the ACT or South Australia.

“He probably would have gone bush somewhere, he knows how to survive out there,” they said.

Dawnsong said Lees was dangerous, and for anyone to who saw him to contact police.

“The last 30 years really have just been a nightmare of his making.”

Wren Dawnsong.Credit: QPS

Dawnsong said if Lees had “any shred of decency” for Rose’s honour, he would turn himself in to police.

Rose’s older sister, Christine Richards, also issued a plea to the public to report any sightings of Lees.

“I’m asking the public of Australia, every state and territory, to please keep their eye open and try to find this man,” she said.

“If there is anyone out there that is helping or harbouring Keith Lees, please think about who you are dealing with.”

In June, police made a $500,000 appeal regarding Rose’s case, which centred on the knowledge that a life insurance policy was taken out on her in 1996.

Police said at the time, given Rose’s death was after the 12-month period, more than $200,000 was paid to Lees.

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