Tasmanian coroner Simon Cooper unable to determine cause of missing Launceston man’s death

A Tasmanian coroner has recommended the investigation into the death of a Launceston man who disappeared in 1994 remain open.

A TASMANIAN coroner says he is unable to determine how a Launceston man missing since 1994 died, and has recommended the investigation into the man’s death remains open.

Coroner Simon Cooper on Wednesday published his findings into the death of Tyrone Frederick MacQueen, who was 25 when he was last seen on July 1, 1994.

“Mr MacQueen appeared to have disappeared without a trace,” Mr Cooper said. “There is no evidence that anyone has seen or heard from him since about 8pm on Friday July 1, 1994.”

His body has never been found. Mr Cooper said while he was satisfied Mr MacQueen was dead, he could not say whether his death was accidental, a suicide or a homicide.

“I do, however, recommend that the file remain open and the subject of continued and ongoing investigation with a view to attempting to find what became of Mr MacQueen,” Mr Cooper said.

Mr Cooper said Health Department records showed Mr MacQueen was diagnosed with chronic schizoprenia, had shown poor compliance with treatment and consumed alcohol to excess.

He said Mr MacQueen went to Western Australia in November 1993 and returned to Tasmania to live with his mother and his niece in Ravenswood in January 1994.

Mr MacQueen’s mother died in 2000, but in a document prepared sometime before her death she said her son, upon his return to Tasmania, showed signs of depression, talked about suicide and dwelt on and blamed himself for the 1982 death of his brother, 12, who was hit by a truck.

Mr Cooper said there were factors that suggested suicide was a likely cause of death, but he could not be satisfied that was the case.

“Mr MacQueen had on a number of occasions in the past disappeared for two or three days at a time, but had always returned,” he said.

“Similarly, no note or letter written by Mr MacQueen convincing any suicidal intent seems to have been found as part of the police investigation or by a member of his family in the aftermath of his death.”

Mr Cooper said Tasmania Police received information suggesting Mr MacQueen had been the victim of foul play.

Police were told shortly after Mr MacQueen’s disappearance that he had been stabbed to death at a party in bushland at Ravenswood. In 2005 an anonymous caller told police Mr MacQueen’s body was buried beneath a Ravenswood house, and in 2009 a caller said Mr MacQueen had been bashed and killed by criminals at Rossarden.

Mr Cooper said the leads were investigated but “none seem to have a basis in fact”.

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