Victim’s mother issues heartfelt plea after ‘body in concrete’ trial

Andrew Walsh’s family listened for weeks to horrific details of his death prior to his body being encased in concrete.

Lachlan James Griffiths was last seen alive in Brisbane’s CBD in 2022.Credit: Nine

But after her son’s killers were sentenced to life in prison, the thoughts of Walsh’s distraught mother, Liz Ryan, soon turned to another missing man.

Police discovered Walsh’s body in March 2022, covered in oil and buried in a concrete-sealed pit at a warehouse in Coopers Plains in Brisbane’s south.

After following the fly swarm and stench inside the transport depot, officers drilled into the tomb thinking they had retrieved the remains of a different 35-year-old, Lachlan James Griffiths.

To their surprise, they instead found Walsh.

A Supreme Court jury on Wednesday found Joshua Searston, 27, and Dewald De Klerk, 30, guilty of the “vile and inhumane” murder on or about November 8, 2021.

Outside court, Ryan declared the trial “jarring and scarring” for all involved.

“The jury have had to sit through some of the most horrific evidence, and they did it graciously and came back with the result we needed,” she said.

However, her attention turned immediately to Griffiths’ family.

“Andrew was only found because they were looking for another young man,” she said.

“Lachlan Griffiths is still missing. His parents don’t have the closure that we were able to get.

Dewald De Klerk (left) and Joshua Searston have been sentenced for killing Andrew Walsh.Credit: Nine News

“So if anyone has information, please speak with the investigators.”

Griffiths was last seen alive in Brisbane’s CBD on January 16, 2022. His mother reported him missing 10 days later, on Australia Day.

Crown prosecutor Chris Cook told Searston and De Klerk’s trial they assaulted and stabbed Walsh believing he’d drugged and sexually abused someone.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said the pair shared a “chilling” phone conversation in which they laughed about the killing and showed contempt over their treatment of Walsh’s corpse.

Searston will serve 20 years without parole and De Klerk 22.

Walsh’s father, Patrick, said the verdicts provided a measure of comfort.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to her Honour and the jury for their time and dedication and careful consideration of the evidence,” he told reporters.

Andrew Walsh’s body was found encased in concrete.Credit: Nine News

“We also wish to thank Queensland police for their tireless and thorough investigation.

“Our deepest appreciation goes to the prosecution team.”

De Klerk initially pleaded guilty to interfering with a corpse, while Jessica Noy was convicted of being an accessory after the fact. She later testified as a prosecution witness.

The verdicts for Searston and De Klerk bring to a close a three-year legal saga involving multiple court cases around the two men murdered at the same warehouse just over nine weeks apart.

Detectives charged a total of six people over one or both murders, but there is still the unanswered question of what happened to Griffiths’ body.

His family appealed for public assistance late last year following the last of multiple legal proceedings.

Billy Lee Bornstein was sentenced in October after pleading guilty to Griffiths’ manslaughter.

At the time, Cook told Justice Frances Williams the 30-year-old decided to take part in “retaliation” after claims a person close to his friend, Filip Grbavac, had been abused by Griffiths.

“Instead of letting authorities deal with any allegations, Grbavac and Bornstein thought they would get involved themselves, that they could play God,” Cook said.

He said Bornstein told Griffiths to travel to the warehouse to be paid for a drug deal.

Griffiths’ last communication was a text message sent at 3.03am the next day: “Bro, I think I’m being set up.” Attached was a link to his phone’s location.

The body of Andrew Walsh was found at the commercial premises during a three-week excavation.Credit: Reece D’Alessandro, Nine News Twitter

Cook said police had obtained a photo of Griffiths’ body wrapped in plastic.

“What occurred was a brutal, and must have been prolonged, attack to kill Mr Griffiths,” Cook said.

He said Bornstein was not present when Griffiths was killed but had known Grbavac intended to cause serious harm.

Described as the “prime offender”, Grbavac died of critical head injuries after a confrontation with another prison inmate in February 2024.

Bornstein was sentenced to nine years’ jail.

Outside court, Griffiths’ mother, Bernie, issued a plea for help so his remains could be buried at their local church.

“We beg anyone who may know where he is to come forward and give us this small measure of peace,” she said.

The warehouse where Walsh and Griffiths were killed was connected to a transport business owned by David Lee Tan.

Just days before he was due to stand trial in October, the 42-year-old pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Griffiths and to being an accessory after the fact to the Walsh murder.

Justice Williams said Tan provided significant assistance in the cover-up after Walsh was killed, helping to place his body at the bottom of an oil drainage pit and weighing him down with a wooden pallet.

“Cleaning products and chemicals were used to try to melt the deceased’s body,” Williams said, causing Walsh’s family members to gasp.

“You knew Mr Griffiths was being assaulted and in pain. You were aware of this and did nothing,” Williams told Tan and Bornstein at the sentencing in November.

Tan was jailed for 15½ years.

Prisoners in Queensland can be denied parole if a victim’s body has not been located and the applicant is uncooperative.

Francescos Sebastian Giorgi, 43, pleaded guilty to deprivation of liberty and assaulting Griffiths.

He was sentenced to 2½ years’ imprisonment but was released on parole due to time served.

AAP