'About time': Bowraville families welcome increased reward for information

One family member said the reward should never have been so low to begin with, and that the police have consistently failed to take the disappearances seriously.

The Bowraville Murders

Source: Distributor

The family of one of the Bowraville murder victims has welcomed the increased reward for information, but questioned the police actions on the cases dating back decades. 

Three children aged between 4 and 16 disappeared from the small town on the mid-north coast of NSW, over a five-month period from September 1990 to February 1991. 

NSW police announced in a tweet on Friday, that the reward for information into the murder of Evelyn Greenup, Clinton Speedy-Duroux and Colleen Walker-Craig have each increased to $1m.

The announcement comes nearly two years after a previous $1 million reward yielded no breakthrough in the cold case.

Lucas Walker-Craig, the brother of teenage victim Colleen Walker-Craig, told NITV News that the increased reward was "welcomed", but expressed his disappointment at how long it had taken for the NSW Police Force to make the change. 

"It's about time. This is something they should have done from the beginning, because if you look at other cases that are in the mainstream media, they can easily find a $1 million reward for any missing kids," Mr Walker-Craig said. 

"There are now three million reasons why someone should come forward and help us convict someone and bring justice to all of our families."

Mr Walker-Craig is critical of the police handling of the case telling NITV News the offer of a $1 million reward two years ago "felt like a kick to the stomach".  

"It's disgusting to think that we're still here 30-odd years later. 

"It simply comes down to the race, because we're Aboriginal... When my mum reported my sister missing they didn't even believe she was her daughter because she had fair skin, and it took months for them to even take the disappearance seriously.

"We later had to find out from the news when they found my sisters clothes in the river. That's how disrespectful they have been to us," Mr Walker-Craig said.

When the police investigated the case, they focussed on one man. He was charged, and acquitted twice in relation to the suspected murders of Clinton and Evelyn, who were both aged 16 at the time of their disappearance. 

He has consistently maintained his innocence in relation to all the disappearances, and has never been convicted.

The Criminal Court of Appeal had earlier held that evidence relating to Colleen Walker-Craig's death, despite being inadmissible, was "available" during the trial into Evelyn's disappearance, and therefore couldn't be considered fresh evidence.

At the time, the families of the victims expressed their disappointment at the controversial decision, telling reporters at the time they were "heartbroken". 

Mr Walker-Craig said the families were still hoping for justice through the legal system. 

"We're not giving up. We will still fight, even though legally there is not very much we can do now."

Share
3 min read
Published 14 February 2022 7:27pm
By Mikele Syron
Source: NITV News


Share this with family and friends