Australia’s worst serial killer could still be on the loose and potentially linked to dozens of women either dead or missing, a politician has warned.
NSW legislative council member Jeremy Buckingham gave an impassioned speech in parliament about the large number of unsolved cases on the NSW north coast between 1977 and 2009.
An emotional Mr Buckingham needed a moment to compose himself as he argued for police to investigate the cases more thoroughly on Thursday.
‘We must acknowledge that this is an absolute anomaly, an appalling anomaly and has every indication that someone operated in that area, travelled that area, lived in that area took women destroyed their bodies, destroyed their lives,’ he said.
‘It is a stain on our society.’
Mr Buckingham’s inquiry into 35 cold cases led police to state there were actually 67 similar ones identified during the period in question.
The MP cited Coffs Harbour Detective Gary McEvoy’s view that the cases were linked.
‘Some of these were individual incidents; there is no doubt about that. But many are linked, and there is a single perpetrator,’ Mr Buckingham continued.
Narelle Cox, 21, who was last seen in Grafton in 1977 is one of the unsolved cases of women missing
NSW legislative council member Jeremy Buckingham believes a serial killer could be behind 67 cases of women dead or missing
‘It is impossible to think that there are 67 individual murderers in the area from the North Coast to the Tweed Heads who have escaped justice.
‘Someone has done these things repeatedly.’
While Mr Buckingham admitted some of the cases were likely individual and isolated incidents, he believes that many were linked
he believes there’s a single perpetrator who had killed many more than ‘backpacker murderer’ Ivan Milat, who had seven victims.
‘Some of these were individual incidents; there is no doubt about that. But many are linked, and there is a single perpetrator,’ Mr Buckingham said.
‘It is impossible to think that there are 67 individual murderers in the area from the North Coast to the Tweed Heads who have escaped justice.
‘Someone has done these things repeatedly.
‘The worst serial killer in the nation’s history has gotten away with it.’
Next month will mark 30 years since Gordana Kotevski 16, was last seen alive
Narelle Cox, 21, who was last seen in Grafton in 1977 is one of the unsolved cases.
She left a note for her family which read: ‘Gone to Noosa to see Faye, be back on Monday.’
A truck driver later said he had picked up Ms Cox and dropped her off in Brunswick Heads but he was never seen again.
Rose Howell, 18, is another who went missing in 2003 and was last seen in Bundagen, about 25km from Coffs Harbour.
Next month will mark 30 years since Gordana Kotevski 16, was last seen being forced into a vehicle while walking from Charlestown Square Shopping Centre to her aunt’s home in the NSW Hunter Valley.
Robyn Hickie, then aged 18, was last seen standing at a bus stop on the Pacific Highway at Belmont North in 1979
Despite extensive investigations and the offer of a $1million reward, Gordana has never been located.
Another unsolved case concerns Susan Maree Kiely, 33, whose body has never been found after she went missing from Bellingen in 1989.
Mr Buckingham said Ms Kiely’s brother broke down while calling for more to be done.
he also accused NSW Police of having ‘failed these women’.
NSW Police told Nine News there was ‘no evidence to indicate a common offender was responsible for the disappearances’.
‘The matters remain under investigation by State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad Unsolved Homicide Team and the Missing Person Registry, the spokesperson said.
‘As part of the recent recommendations handed down by the Special Commission of Inquiry, all unsolved cases will be reviewed every two years.
‘All recommendations relating to the processes around unsolved homicide cases have been accepted.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police for comment.
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