Four years ago, Genny’s brother went fishing but never came home. She still doesn’t know why

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following story contains an image and the name of a person who may be deceased.

Each year in Australia, about 50,000 missing person reports are made to police. Of those, 95 per cent of people will be found safe and well within a week.

Officially, there are about 2700 “long-term missing persons” – those missing for more than three months – according to Australian Federal Police forensics commander Joanne Cameron.

Genny Tabuai refuses to give up on finding her brother, Torrance (Torrie) Sambo.

But the true figure may be higher, as many Indigenous Australians may be hesitant to report a friend or family member missing to the police, says Taz Millar, from the Indigenous Missing Persons Support Services, which was launched about a year ago.

“The relationship between [Indigenous communities and police] is frail,” she says. “It’s mind-blowing how many have reached out to us over the past year asking for help to report someone missing. And that is just the people we know about.”

Regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or other factors, the experience of a family member or friend going missing can be profoundly heartbreaking, leading to a unique form of grief called “ambiguous loss”.

“The uncertainty … can cause a constant cycle of hope and despair, making it very difficult to move forward,” says Cameron.

‘We tried to stay positive’: Genny Tabuai, 34

Genny last saw her brother, Torrance Sambo, nearly four years ago

“Torrie was 26 and the kind of person who would walk into a room and light it up. He had a contagious energy. Losing our dad to suicide at a young age, Torrie became close to Mum and all four siblings, particularly me, as we were the babies of the family.

He was living with his partner, their infant son and newborn baby girl. He also had an older daughter. Torrie loved being a dad and had big plans for the future.

The last time I saw Torrie was at Mum’s house, the night before he was reported missing. Torrie was happy. He told me about a spearfishing trip he was going on the next day.

The following evening, I was at Mum’s again, and the police knocked on the door. They told us that his colleague had reported him missing – that he did not resurface.

We posted on social media, asking if anyone had seen Torrie out there on the waters. We messaged friends and family, tried calling Torrie’s phone and his colleague. We had a million questions.

We searched Sudbury Reef [near Cairns], his last known location. His close friends and family helped with the search, trying to work out every possibility of what could have happened. We had faith in him; he was a strong swimmer, and we thought he could have made it to land. We tried to stay positive.

The police called the search off after two days; they didn’t provide a reason why, so, with the help of the Cairns community, we continued actively searching for about two months. We didn’t give up.

Because Torrie didn’t have a voice, it was important that as his family, we were his voice.

Genny Tabuai, whose brother, Torrance Sambo, is missing

There was a lack of transparency from the police right from the start. We were chasing them quite a lot, and we were only ever given limited information. Because Torrie didn’t have a voice, it was important that as his family, we were his voice. But we weren’t heard, and our needs weren’t met, which over the past four years has left us angry and frustrated.

Torrie’s oldest daughter spends a lot of time with our mob, and she asks questions about him. We keep his memory alive and tell her about his favourite songs, share his jokes, videos and photos. When we were looking for him, some friends found an injured turtle that was taken to a rehabilitation centre near Sudbury Reef. They named him Torrie. This is now his eldest daughter’s favourite animal, a symbol for her dad.

For me, it is knowing the unknown that’s the hardest part – the questions that don’t have answers. I just want to bring him home.”

‘He would never abandon his family’: Stephenie Fielding, 53

Stephenie’s brother, Rigby, went missing 10 years ago

Stephenie Fielding’s brother, Rigby, went missing 10 years ago, despite telling family he was heading home to them.

“Rigby was a retired chef who had recently returned home to Rockingham [WA] to live and take
care of our mum, who had cancer, and our younger sister Tina, who has Down syndrome. He had a magnetic personality. He was incredibly kind, full of humour, and outrageously unique in the way he saw and experienced the world.

At the time he went missing, his life was calm. He was surrounded by family, reconnecting with old friends, and enjoying the simple pleasures of being home after years abroad. Rigby and I were very close.

I last saw Rigby on August 12, 2015. That day felt perfectly normal – we laughed, reminisced, and he seemed in good spirits. I dropped him off at a friend’s house.

I was told that as a 53-year-old man, Rigby had the right to go missing … I strongly disagreed, knowing he would never abandon his family.

Stephenie Fielding, whose brother disappeared 10 years ago

Over the next few days, he stayed in touch. He messaged family on August 14 and visited a friend in East Perth that evening. On August 15 at 3pm, he called our mum from Perth and said he was heading back to Rockingham. That was the last confirmed contact we had with him.

I formally reported Rigby missing on September 4. I explained to police that this was completely out of character – he hadn’t responded to messages, he hadn’t returned home, and he hadn’t collected essential medication for a neurological condition.

I was told that as a 53-year-old man, Rigby had the right to go missing if he wished. I strongly disagreed, knowing he would never abandon his family. It was an incredibly frustrating and painful process.

In those early days, there was a constant, exhausting urgency. Every message or lead felt like it could be the breakthrough we needed. I clung to hope while navigating an overwhelming sense of helplessness. As time passed, the uncertainty became unbearable. It has affected every part of my life. The grief isn’t clean or linear; it’s open-ended, unforgiving, without closure.

Every day, your mind cycles through possibilities, hoping for something that might make sense of it all. It’s the silence and the absence that weigh the heaviest and knowing that someone knows what really happened and isn’t coming forward.

The reality that we still don’t know what happened to Rigby has become harder to bear. A $500,000 reward gives me hope that someone may finally come forward with information. We just want answers. We want to bring him home.”

‘I still have nightmares’: Kellie Moody, 55

Kellie Moody’s son Jack McLennan vanished last year.

Kellie hasn’t seen her son Jack McLennan, 27, since last year

“Jack always had a smile. He came across as larger than life with fierce determination. He was a lively, spirited and cheerful 27-year-old. At the time of his disappearance, Jack was a builder’s labourer; he was very fit and enjoying his job.

Jack and I were besties, and we were both overprotective of one another because, for 10 years, he was my only baby until his sister, Sydney, arrived.

On October 3, we had a long chat about him and his girlfriend, Carlee, breaking up. Jack was going to collect his belongings from the home they shared the following day and come back home to live. He was also a little down over the break-up, but he was not depressed.

I saw Jack on the morning of October 4 when I was leaving and said I’d see him later. Our last call was at 9pm, and he said he was going to stay at a colleague’s house. I offered to pick him up, and that sticks with me. I wish I had.

The following day, I got a call that Jack hadn’t picked up his car. My immediate reaction was total fear. I reported Jack missing to Broadbeach police station that afternoon, and they acted quickly, searching for a few weeks with the SES, finding his hat, wallet and shoes, but then they stopped the search.

Our family and friends also searched the thick bush. I called out to him in case he was hurt. I hated being in the bush, but I had to find my son. I was in flight or fight mode.

After Jack went missing, I began having nightmares, waking up screaming and not having much sleep. I still have them.

I have found dealing with the police very frustrating. They say they are investigating, but I don’t know exactly what they are doing.

Over nine months later, my heart is broken, never to be the same. I wonder if Jack got hurt or if it’s foul play; these thoughts and questions gnaw at me constantly. The hardest thing is that we all miss Jack’s soul, his laughs, his hugs, and his revving up to do more. He’s our hero and our light.

As a mother, you will do anything for your baby. I’m on a mission. I am fighting all the way to get answers, and I’ll lodge an inquest. I will always adore Jack and I will honour him.”

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