ABC News (AU)
· collected 2026-09-14 · by Marina Trajkovich and Caitlan Charles
The families of three Indigenous teenagers—Colleen Walker-Craig, Evelyn Greenup, and Clinton Speedy-Duroux—who were murdered in Bowraville, northern New South Wales, Australia, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, are urging police to take action on their cold cases. Homicide detectives recently returned to Macksville, a nearby town, for community engagement aimed at gathering new information from locals who may have knowledge about the crimes. Each case has a $1 million reward offered for any information leading to solving them.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 1 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 9129: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-14
In short:
The families of Colleen Walker-Craig, Evelyn Greenup and Clinton Speedy-Duroux are calling for more action from police to find their children's killer.
asserted
families → call → killer
Homicide detectives are in northern NSW engaging with locals in Macksville, who they hope may have information regarding Ms Walker-Craig's remains.
uncertain
they → engage → remains
Police say they have not previously targeted the Macksville community, north of Bowraville, and anyone with information is urged to come forward.
asserted
anyone → say → information
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the names and images of people who have died.
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who → advise → people
After grieving for more than three decades, an Indigenous family is demanding police "stop appealing and just go out" as homicide detectives return to northern NSW in a bid to find the body of murdered teenager Colleen Walker-Craig.
asserted
detectives → grieve → Craig
The 16-year-old was last seen at Bowraville, north of Coffs Harbour, on September 13, 1990.
asserted
old → see → September
Her mother, Muriel Craig, has renewed her pleas for police to solve the 36-year-old cold case.
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police → renew → case
"I know that there's people who live in the Bowraville community who know what happened to Colleen," she said.
"
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she → know → Colleen
Sometimes I think the police don't believe me.
"
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police → think → me
I know they haven't questioned these people.
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they → know → people
I can't wait any longer."
asserted
I → wait → ?
The teenager’s weighted-down clothes were discovered in the Nambucca River months after her disappearance, but her body has never been found.
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body → weight → disappearance
In an inquest, a state coroner declared her dead and most likely murdered.
A $1 million reward has been offered for information leading to the recovery of her remains.
asserted
reward → declare → remains
Today, detectives arrived in Macksville, just south-east of Bowraville, for a week of community engagement, appealing for new information.
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detectives → arrive → information
Four-year-old Evelyn Greenup and 16-year-old Clinton Speedy-Duroux, who were also First Nations children, disappeared in the area about the same time.
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who → disappear → area
Their remains were discovered in 1991, but no-one has ever been convicted of their murders.
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one → discover → murders
Separate $1 million rewards have also been offered for information that leads to police solving their cases as well.
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police → offer → cases
Asking for answers
Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi did not directly respond when asked about the family's concerns but said this week's community engagement could help the investigation.
uncertain
engagement → ask → investigation
He said officers would be stationed at Macksville's Phillip Hughes Pavillion to speak with locals until Friday afternoon, after a similar operation in Bowraville in 2024.
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officers → say → 2024
"It's not just an exercise to keep people happy," Detective Superintendent Doueihi said.
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Doueihi → keep → people
"In 2024, a lot of valuable information was obtained through that.
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lot → obtain → that
"What we learned is that we didn't target that community here and we've taken those lessons on board."
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we → learn → board
Detective Superintendent Doueihi said loyalties could change over the course of 36 years.
uncertain
loyalties → say → years
"We believe that people in this community didn't present in 2024, and we're giving them that opportunity now," he said.
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we → believe → opportunity
Colleen Walker-Craig's brother Lucas Craig urged those with information to contact police.
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brother → urge → police
"Think about the families, how long we've been suffering with this," he said.
"
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he → think → this
This was three quarters of my life that I've had to deal with this.
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I → have → this
"Going to work and coming home to your family and seeing your parents upset every day because there's nothing they can do."
Mr Craig said the family's relationship with police was "not as strong as we'd like it to be".
Elijah Duroux, the nephew of Clinton Speedy-Duroux, said his family felt like the investigation had stagnated.
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investigation → go → Duroux
He said they were not informed police would be in Macksville until this morning and were not informed when police divers led new searches of the Nambucca River late last year.
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divers → say → River
"Don't you think my grandfather and grandmother deserve to know when there's stuff going on in regards to their son's murder?" Mr Duroux said.
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Duroux → think → murder
Evelyn Greenup's mother, Rebecca Stadhams, released a statement through NSW Police, calling on people to come forward.
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mother → release → people
"Maybe you have carried this information for years.
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you → carry → years
Maybe you were afraid to speak.
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you → speak → ?
Maybe you think what you know is too small or doesn't matter," she said.
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she → think → what
"But it might matter.
uncertain
it → matter → ?
It might be the piece of information that finally helps us find the truth about what happened to Evelyn.
uncertain
what → help → Evelyn
"After all these years, I am asking you to think about my little girl."
asserted
I → ask → girl