Police Still Seek Identity of Man Found Dead in NSW Car After 27 Years
A body discovered in a beige Holden near Glen Innes in 1999 remains unidentified, and police are urging families of missing persons to submit DNA samples.
Police were called to a beige Holden Commodore on the Gwydir Highway near Glen Innes on 1 September 1999, where they found a man dead inside the vehicle. The car displayed Western Australian licence plates that had been taken from a separate vehicle written off three years earlier, and all other identifying features had been scratched off. The victim was dressed only in faded blue jeans, light sneakers, a blue-and-white checked shirt and a grey nylon jacket, and investigators believe he may have been traveling south from Queensland.
The case went before a coroner in 2000 but remained unresolved, and the man's identity is still unknown after 27 years. During Missing Persons Week, Detective Inspector Kingsley Chapman urged families of long-term missing individuals to submit DNA samples, hoping modern testing can match the remains to the national database and bring closure to relatives. Police also hope someone recognizes the distinctive car and can provide information to help solve the mystery.
Why it matters
Identifying the unknown victim could bring closure to families and demonstrate the value of modern DNA techniques in cold cases.
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