Vehicle found in Garden Island search for Melissa Trussell

There is renewed hope in a breakthrough after police uncovered a vehicle during a new search for the remains of Melissa Trussell at Garden Island.

Police have uncovered a vehicle during a fresh search for the remains of Melissa Trussell at Garden Island.

It comes as part fresh search has been launched in the hopes it will recover the remains of a 15-year-old girl at the centre of a decades-old South Australian cold case.

Specialist officers from SAPOL’s Water Operations Unit located the submerged vehicle on Friday 18 July.

A section of the car’s front grill was retrieved to help confirm its identity.

Major Crime detectives are now working to determine if the vehicle is linked to either the 2016 murder of Brown or the suspected murder of Trussell, who vanished around the same time.

Pending the outcome of forensic testing, police may attempt to recover the entire vehicle for further examination.

Rosemary Brown and Melissa Trussell – also known as Melissa Brown – were last seen leaving their Blair Athol home on May 13, 2000 when Rosemary was 33 and Melissa was 15.

Rosemary’s body was discovered in mangroves at Garden Island about two months later after what police suspect was her murder. Melissa’s body has never been found, however police believe she was also murdered.

Melissa Trussell was last seen with her mother, Rosemary, leaving their Blair Athol home on May 13, 2000. Her remains have never been found. Picture: SA Police

Rosemary Brown, whose body was found about two months after their disappearance, with a newborn Melissa. Picture: SA Police

Divers are today searching a previously unsearched area of the water in the Port River estuary on the northern side of the Garden Island in a bid to find Melissa’s remains.

Major Crime officer in charge Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said the area being searched was determined following a comprehensive, months-long review of the case.

“A number of exhibits” in the case have also been resubmitted to Forensic Science SA to determine if modern techniques, like DNA testing, might result in new leads.

A police diver enters the Port River north of Garden Island for the new search for Melissa Trussell. Picture: SA Police

Divers are searching a previously unsearched part of the Port River. Picture: SA Police

Supt Fielke said the search demonstrated the persistence and determination to solve the cold case.

“This search really does show to everyone that we never give up trying to find answers to those investigations,” he said.

“Despite the circumstances, despite the challenges that long-term missing persons and homicide investigations have, we’ll never give up trying to return the remains to the family, to bring justice, and to bring comfort.”

Supt Fielke said police remained hopeful people might come forward with new and pertinent information to help solve the case.

“In some ways, the passage of time is helpful to us because of those allegiances that breakdown,” he said.

“It might be time for someone to come forward and tell us what really happened.”

Although police have not been able to “square away” a motive for the murders, they are continuing to look at a “number of persons or interest over the years”.

There is up to a $1m reward for any person who provides information as to Melissa Trussell’s murderer or her whereabouts, as well as $200,000 to anyone who provides assistance that leads to the conviction of a person or people responsible for Rosemary’s murder.

Originally published as Vehicle found in Garden Island search for Melissa Trussell