At only 18 years old, Zac Barnes seemingly disappeared into thin air.
Mystery and confusion have surrounded the apprentice bricklayer’s disappearance from his hometown in the New South Wales Hunter Valley ever since he went missing on a Sunday evening on November 13, 2016.
Zac was last seen leaving a friend’s car and running into bushland near Thornton train station.
His social media accounts and phone have remained inactive ever since.
Karen Gudelj, the mother of Zac, has tirelessly dedicated the past seven years of her life to seeking answers and advocating for an inquest that could shed light on the mysterious circumstances surrounding her son’s disappearance.
The family has endured further heartbreak when Zac’s younger brother, Liam, tragically took his own life in 2020 at just 19 years old.
Zac Barnes vanished without a trace in November 2016. This is the one of the last photos taken of the teen a month earlier
Karen Gudelj (left) is desperate for answers about what happened to her son Zac (right)
‘With shattered hearts and complete disbelief we lost Zac’s little brother Liam to suicide this week,’ his family said at the time of Liam’s death.
‘There are no words to express the pain of loosing two sons so young within a four years, both so young.
‘We need answers more than ever now so we can lay our boys to rest together.’
But finally, after years of tireless lobbying, the NSW Coroner’s office has announced a significant milestone — the scheduled date for a three-day inquest.
It will run next week, from July 17 to July 19, under the guidance of Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes, marking a crucial step forward in the pursuit of answers regarding Karen’s missing son.
She calls ‘the story’ of Zac running from a car toward the bush in a distressed state ‘absolute bullsh*t’ – but that doesn’t mean she is any closer to finding out what actually happened to him.
Karen said she has so many questions to ask and all she wants is answers.
The two men who were in the car with Zac were the last to see him.
They claim they were driving through Thornton, in Newcastle, when he suddenly panicked and jumped out of the car on the corner of Tripp Close and Haussman Drive, before running into bushland nearby.
Zac (top left) was last seen leaving a friend’s car and running into bushland near Thornton train station
Zac’s family announced they had lost their son Liam to suicide four years after his older brother vanished
They say he ran off with no wallet or phone and wearing just boardshorts and a singlet. He has never been heard from since.
But Karen can’t understand why the two young men have since withdrawn any assistance in solving the mystery of his disappearance.
Earlier this year, the family spoke out on social media, hoping that they would finally get some answers into what happened to their loved one.
‘You should be here with us. You loved our camping holidays. It was the highlight of each year. I still look for you in the crowds although deep down I know you are not coming back.
‘2016 changed our lives forever. Someone out there has the answers the questions is are you brave enough to tell your truth. We will never give up.
‘May 2023 give us the answers to bringing you home.
The family marked the six year anniversary of his disappearance weeks earlier.
‘This day 6 years ago our world broke. We continue to fight for you everyday (more now than ever) we will never give up. You are loved you are greatly missed and you matter,’ the post read.
Zac was last seen wearing a faded blue singlet, blue shorts and brown work boots. He also has a distinctive VB tattoo logo on his right calf.
A coroner’s inquest into Zac Barnes’ disappearance has been set for next week
Karen Gudelj (pictured with son Zac as a child) and her family had hoped 2023 would finally bring some answers
He would now be 25 if he was still alive.
Karen has always asked followers on Zac’s official Facebook page to send in potential sightings if they think they spot him or one of his tattoos, but says none have been her son.
In fact, there hasn’t been a single firm sighting of Zac Australia-wide.
Zac hasn’t used his bank accounts, social media, Medicare card or phone since the day he went missing.
Shortly after Zac’s disappearance, new allegations arose suggesting he owed people money or may have made some ‘foolish mistakes’.
But his mother quickly dispelled any possible theories that may have risen out of that allegation.
Anyone with information about Zac’s disappearance is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
Zac Barnes was last seen leaving a friend’s car and running into bushland near Thornton train station in November 2016
Zac Barnes had a distinctive tattoo on his right calf in honour of his favourite beer
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