Residents of a rural community fear there is a killer in their midst after the body of a grandmother was found in a remote cattle dip eight months after she vanished.
asserted
she → fear → dip
On Tuesday, detectives confirmed the remains of Yvonne Whear, 73, were found in the disused trough by two trailbike riders on October 5 at Terragon near Murwillumbah, northern NSW.
asserted
remains → confirm → Murwillumbah
She was last seen driving in Murwillumbah on February 19 before she vanished, leaving food cooking at home, with clothes laid out for the next day and her beloved animals apparently abandoned.
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animals → see → day
Seven months later, police found her empty SUV submerged in the Rous River at Dulguigan, about 7km from where she was last seen, but still no trace of Ms Whear.
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she → find → Whear
That was until Monday morning when trailbike riders discovered her body in an advanced state of decomposition, partially submerged in the trough, 30km from her home.
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riders → discover → home
Following an autopsy on the remains, police have now launched a homicide investigation for one or more killers, sparking new fears among locals.
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police → follow → locals
They believe the remote sites where her car and body were found indicate someone familiar with the area – and they now fear the murderer could be a neighbour.
uncertain
murderer → believe → area
'It was a local that did it,' one long-term resident told the Daily Mail.
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resident → do → Mail
'There is no way you would find that cattle dip by chance.
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cattle → be → chance
Yvonne Whear's remains were found by two trail bike riders in a disused trough at Terragon, near Murwillumbah in northern NSW
Locals believe the remote sites where her car and body were found point to someone with intimate knowledge of the area
'
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car → find → area
They have to know the area very well because that place is not obvious.
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place → have → area
You wouldn't know it was there when driving past so it has got to be someone who has lived in the area for a long time.'
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who → know → time
When family first reported the NDIS carer missing, investigators initially suspected she may have been involved in an accident on the region's winding roads.
uncertain
she → report → roads
However, fears for her safety mounted as searches failed to find her or her gold Ford Escape SUV, until it was found in the river on September 12.
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it → mount → September
The vehicle was pulled from the water for forensic testing and items believed to belong to Ms Whear were also recovered.
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items → pull → Whear
Her mobile phone’s last recorded signal placed it in the same area, but there was no sign of the grandmother.
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signal → record → grandmother
The local Facebook group has now become a hive of concern and speculation as neighbours increasingly fear for their own safety.
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neighbours → become → safety
'Old dips you don't just see everywhere - you really need to know they are there,' wrote one person, with dozens more agreeing.
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dozens → see → ?
'It's terrifying to think they walk among us...
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they → think → us
Anyone could be next,' added another.
uncertain
another → add → ?
Investigators initially considered whether Ms Whear had been involved in an accident on the region's winding roads
Fears for her safety mounted as searches failed to find her gold Ford Escape
The abandoned cattle dip is concealed about 300m down an overgrown fire trail off Kyogle Road, in a location police described as 'very isolated'.
Detectives want to hear from anyone who visited the site between Ms Whear's disappearance and the discovery of her body.
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who → consider → body
For her family, the discovery has brought a heartbreaking end to months of searching.
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discovery → bring → searching
Her daughter, Gillian Hallac, had long suspected foul play after calls to the much-loved mother of three and grandmother of ten went unanswered.
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calls → suspect → ten
She said Ms Whear spoke to her family almost every day and cared deeply for the animals on her small farm.
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Whear → say → farm
Her family have now had to list her beloved pets for adoption.
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family → have → adoption
'Yvonne's animals were a cherished part of her life, each one loved, known, and cared for in their own special way,' they wrote online.
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they → cherish → way
'While our family continues to care for them, we are looking for kind, safe homes where they can be loved as much as they deserve to be.
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they → continue → homes
'Each animal has a story, a personality, and a heart ready to love again.'
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animal → have → heart
Ms Whear spoke to her family almost every day and cared deeply for the animals on her small farm
Her family have now had to list her beloved pets for adoption
Her daughter, Gillian Hallac, had long suspected foul play after calls to the much-loved mother of three went unanswered
On Tuesday morning, Tweed/Byron Police District Acting Commander Matt Zimmer said Ms Whear's family were in the midst of an 'unimaginable' period of grief.
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family → speak → grief
'You can't comprehend what they are going through this morning,' he said.
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he → comprehend → what
He also acknowledged the distress rippling through the community as detectives worked to establish who was responsible.
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who → acknowledge → community
'Yvonne's death has not only affected the family, it's also had a significant impact on the local community.
'
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it → affect → community
It's created distress and it has created some concern in what is a very tight regional community.
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what → create → concern
'
Police are convinced someone local knows more.
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someone → convince → more
'It's been eight months now since Yvonne was reported missing.
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Yvonne → report → ?
It's been eight days since her body was recovered,' Acting Superintendent Zimmer said.
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Zimmer → recover → ?
I have no doubt in that period of time there have been conversations in the community as to what occurred and as to who was involved.
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who → have → community
If you do hold information, I'd ask you to consider what Yvonne's family are going through right at the moment, the grief that they are suffering, and to put yourself in their shoes and to come forward and assist police with this investigation.
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they → hold → investigation
'Someone knows what happened to Yvonne.'
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what → know → Yvonne
Ms Whear attended TAFE on the day she disappeared, before visiting the Shell service station on Tweed Valley Way in Murwillumbah
Police have established Strike Force Milera to investigate the killing and are exploring whether more than one person was involved
Ms Whear attended TAFE on the day she disappeared, before visiting the Shell service station on Tweed Valley Way in Murwillumbah at about 3.15pm.
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she → attend → 3.15pm
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
