Fears grow for Wayne Morseu as police probe suspicious disappearance
Police have revealed clothing and other items found in garbage bins are being forensically tested as the search intensifies for a missing man.
Police have released new information into the suspicious disappearance of a Mackay man including that specialist officers are forensically testing clothing found in a garbage bin.
Wayne Pedro Morseu vanished just over one month ago, as investigations ramp up with both police and loved ones holding grave concerns for his welfare.
Last week two crime scenes were declared including a unit at Griffin St, believed to be the 71-year-old’s home and where he was last seen.
Regional Crime Coordinator Detective Superintendent Darrin Shadlow confirmed a number of clothing items as well as other items related to rubbish were found in bins around the address.
“Our forensic examiners are going right through those to see if they might afford us any idea as to what has happened,” he said, adding there was no indication if they were linked to Mr Morseu’s disappearance.
Superintendent Shadlow said the second address, a two-storey home on River St, was no longer a crime scene but the Griffin St site was still “having forensic examinations conducted”.
“A person that we have spoken to … was residing for a time at the Griffin St residence had then moved into the River St residence … the reason for a crime scene being declared there. We have since released that residence,” he said.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on their behalf.
Superintendent Shadlow confirmed officers had at this stage been unable to identify any sign of a struggle at either address and that police don’t believe Mr Morseu had been living at the River St address.
“But we do believe that people that had been in Griffin St had also been to the River St place,” he said.
“We’re not going to rule anything out but at this stage there’s nothing to show that drugs were involved.”
Superintendent Shadlow said, “we’re looking into everything.”
Loved ones reported Mr Morseu missing on November 10 after not having contact with him since mid to late October with Superintendent Shadlow confirming the length of time alone deemed the disappearance suspicious.
“It’s very out of character for Mr Morseu not to have contact with his family. He generally has contact every couple of weeks,” Superintendent Shadlow said.
“He has no medical conditions that we know of that would hinder him a great deal.
“We’re obviously very hopeful that Mr Morseu will walk back through the door and to his family.”
Superintendent Shadlow has called on the public for help “in relation to identifying the movements of Mr Morseu”, adding that Mackay police were “putting every resource we have into it”.
We’ve spoken to quite a number of people so far and we intend to speak to quite a number more,” he said.
“We know he didn’t have a vehicle. He walked a lot of places that he went.
“He’s a family-orientated man from the Mackay area, worked in the railway for a lot of years, so he has a lot of friends and family in the area.
“If anyone has seen him. No matter how small you might think it is.”
‘Where is he?’: Neighbour’s fears as man vanishes
Police launched a major investigation into the suspicious disappearance, including searching a decrepit home in the Mackay city centre that once sold for a huge price tag.
The two-storey, weatherboard home at 69 River St is visibly dilapidated with flaking paint and broken window panes.
The front yarn is heavily overgrown and secured with a chain-link fence with some areas cluttered with piles of refuse and yard waste.
Susan Bath, who lives in the same housing block as Mr Morseu and shared a friendly relationship with him, said she feared for his safety.
“He was a really, really nice guy. He kept to himself a lot but when you saw him he was quite polite and chatty. It’s really upsetting. Where is he?
“I was out in the garden there one day and fell over and he came along and said ‘Oh, doing a bit of gardening there Sue are ya?’
“He helped me out and we were laughing and carrying on.
“He was a really nice guy.”
According to RP data the home and the property next door was last sold in May 2013 for $1.045m during the mining boom.
Police and family hold significant concerns for Mr Morseu’s welfare as he has not contacted anyone since his disappearance.
Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts or information about the missing person is urged to contact police immediately.
Mr Morseu is described as First Nations with a slim build, grey hair and brown eyes.
Investigations are ongoing.
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Originally published as Fears grow for Wayne Morseu as police probe suspicious disappearance
