The State Government has today announced a major increase of financial rewards that help unlock unsolved homicides and suspicious long-term missing person investigations in Western Australia, including three with significant links to the City of Cannington area.
In total, 64 open investigations now have a $1 million incentive for information which directly leads to an arrest and conviction.
Previously, differing reward amounts had been offered for several historical unsolved homicides or disappearances.
For 39 cases, this is the first time a reward has been offered while 21 investigations have had previous amounts increased and four already had a million-dollar reward approved.
Financial rewards are an internationally recognised tactic used to help law enforcement agencies solve serious crimes.
Reward money offers extra motivation for members of the public to come forward with crucial details which could help grieving families by providing answers as well as a sense of closure by ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.
Police Minister Paul Papalia said the rewards gave people who have vital information one million reasons to come forward.
“Each of these unsolved cases is as important as the next – and that is represented by the large rewards on offer,” he said.
“The financial incentive will hopefully ensure those responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to justice and assist grieving families in finding closure.”
Police Commissioner Col Blanch said WA Police never gives up on unsolved homicides.
“For those families who have lost loved ones and are still waiting for justice, we hope this reward money is able to deliver the closure they deserve,” he said.
“We know there are people in the community who are able to provide valuable information on these unsolved cases which is why we need you to contact us – so here is a million reasons why.”
Lorraine Kessey, a Maddington resident, vanished from a location near Carousel Shopping Centre nearly 46 years ago.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, her brothers John and Les and her niece Melinda Ryan said they were convinced that somewhere, someone knew what happened to Lorraine.
“It’s been a long time, not just for us, but for everyone,” Ms Ryan said.
“It never ends.
“Pop never wanted to sell his house because he always wanted that knock on the door one day.
“The fact that she (Lorraine) loved her animals so much, makes me believe that she wouldn’t have just gone off on her own.
“Someone did something and someone knows.”
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the special crime squad – which investigates cold cases – would be boosted if need be to deal with the influx of calls expected in the wake of the major announcement.
THE MILLION DOLLAR OPEN CASES
LORRAINE KESSEY
Maddington resident Lorraine Kessey went missing on Saturday December 17, 1977.
On the evening of December 16, Miss Kessey was with friends at the Coronation Hotel, 154 Railway Parade in Queens Park and went on to the Black Forest Tavern, 744 Albany Highway, Victoria Park.
At 11.45pm that evening Miss Kessey and a girlfriend left the Black Forest Tavern and hitched a lift to a house in Thomas Street, Cannington where they socialised with friends.
Miss Kessey left the Thomas Street house in the early hours of the following morning, December 17 1977, intending to hitch a lift to her home in Maddington.
She didn’t want to stay the night in Thomas Street because she wanted to get home to feed her pets.
She never reached her home in Maddington and was later reported as a missing person.
Information received after a public appeal at the time revealed Miss Kessey was last seen near the Carousel Shopping Centre on Albany Highway, Cannington.
BARBARA ANNE WESTERN
St James resident Barbara Anne Western went missing on Friday, June 27 1986, with her skeletal remains discovered on March 14, 1991.
Between 6 and 7pm on Friday June 27 1986, Ms Western departed her home, attending the Balmoral Hotel on Albany Highway, East Victoria Park.
Two people, who knew her personally, saw her that night at about 8pm and later that evening she was seen by another acquaintance, at nearby Irene’s Park Tavern (now Franklins Tavern) between 8pm and 11.30pm.
At about 11.30pm, Ms Western was last seen leaving the tavern. She did not return home that evening and was reported missing.
On Thursday March 14 1991, two people collecting wood at a track marked ‘Sand Track’ in the vicinity of Canning Dam, Karragullen, found what appeared to be human bones in a small clearing about 15m off a secondary track.
During a search of the area, a number of personal items belonging to Ms Western were located under a nearby fallen tree trunk.
These included items of clothing, sundry items and jewellery.
CORRYN RAYNEY
Perhaps the most infamous homicide case in WA history, 44-year-old Corryn Rayney was last seen alive leaving a boot scooting class in Bentley just before 9.30pm on Tuesday August 7, 2007.
Her vehicle was located on August 14 in Kershaw Street, Subiaco, and her body was located buried in bushland off Lovekin Drive in Kings Park.
