New search launched for woman who vanished 12 years ago

Police are scouring bushland west of Geelong in the hope of finding missing woman Lorrin Whitehead, who disappeared almost 12 years ago.

Whitehead, then aged in her early 40s, was last seen getting into the driver’s seat of a red 4WD in the centre of Bannockburn after going shopping shortly before 5pm on Friday, February 8, 2013.

Lorrin Whitehead disappeared in 2013. The image on the right is a digital depiction of what she may look like today.Credit: Victoria Police

Early on Tuesday, police announced a new search near Shelford, a town of fewer than 300 people about 42 kilometres west of Geelong in the Golden Plains Shire.

“This search is based on intelligence that Lorrin’s remains may potentially be located in this area,” police said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters near Shelford on Tuesday morning, Detective Sergeant Steven Murphy said police spoke with hundreds of people during their investigation and received more tips after a media appeal, which led them to Tuesday’s search zone.

“I can’t go into specifics of the information,” he said. “But, I’d like to make it clear that we’ve got a responsibility to Lorrin, her five children, her elderly parents, and the tight-knit community of Bannockburn to solve this investigation.”

Murphy asked anyone withholding information about Whitehead’s disappearance to consider “what it would be like to not know where your mother or daughter is”.

“For her children, her parents and her loved ones, how distressing it must be to not know where in the world your mother is,” he said.

Minutes before vanishing, Whitehead was captured on CCTV footage at a supermarket in Bannockburn buying a bottle of water, a card and a pen.

A second witness reported seeing a red 4WD parked on the nature strip of Whitehead’s house during the weekend of her disappearance, but she did not own such a car.

Murphy, from the Moorabool crime investigation unit, said Whitehead’s disappearance was “extremely out of character” and her bank accounts remained untouched.

Her work phone was also found at home, which raised further concerns.

“Over the past year, police have spoken to a number of people who knew Lorrin, in the hopes it might provide new avenues of enquiry, even over a decade on from her disappearance,” Murphy said in a statement.

“This is a small community and potentially someone who never felt ready to speak to police might now be in a position to come forward.”

Whitehead is described as 170 centimetres tall, with a medium build, brown eyes, and brown hair. She wore black pants and a light-coloured shirt with a collar when she was last seen.

The State Emergency Service will help with Tuesday’s search.

Murphy said the search zone was on private property, but stressed that the owner “has absolutely nothing to do with this investigation”.

Police and SES members search for missing Bannockburn woman Lorrin Whitehead near Shelford on Tuesday.Credit: Nine News

Anyone with information regarding Whitehead’s disappearance is urged contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

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