Detectives are probing whether a missing woman who vanished without a trace more than a decade ago met foul play after new information sparked a fresh search for her remains.
Lorrin Whitehead, then 42, was last seen getting into the driver’s seat of a red 4WD in Bannockburn near Geelong south-west of Melbourne on February 8, 2013.
The mother-of-five was seen buying a bottle of water, a greeting card and a pen at a local supermarket after she left her property around 4.40pm.
On Tuesday morning, police launched a new search after they received new information about the possible location of Ms Whitehead’s remains.
Police and SES crews were seen scouring bushland at a remote property in Shelford, around 20km west of Bannockburn.
They were searching for Ms Whitehead’s remains and several devices that she owned, including a laptop which has never been recovered.
‘We’ve got a responsibility to Lauren, her five children, her elderly parents, and the tight-knit community of Bannockburn to solve this investigation,’ Detective Sergeant Steven Murphy told reporters.
‘We’re considering all of the theories in relation to Lorrin’s disappearance and that includes foul play.’
‘But as we do that, we need to keep an open mind.
‘We’re looking for certain items that are of interest to us, but also looking for Lorrin’s remains.’
It remains unclear what specific information led police to search the private property in Shelford, the Herald Sun reported.
‘Today is just another one of the things that we are doing to follow up every piece of information,’ Sgt Murphy said.
‘The area for today’s search is not one that people will regularly walk through, so we’re hopeful there may be some sign of Lorrin here even after all these years.
‘I can only begin to imagine how difficult the past 12 years have been for Lorrin’s family and loved ones not having any answers about why or how she disappeared.’
Her bank accounts have not been used since the day she went missing while her work phone was found inside her home.
A second witness reported seeing a red 4WD parked on the nature strip of Lorrin’s property over the weekend of her disappearance.
Police launched an appeal for information last year for further information about the vehicle as Ms Whitehead didn’t own a red 4WD at the time of her disappearance.
Ms Whitehead’s eldest daughter Amelia Grozdanovski was just 11 when her mum disappeared.
‘We are none the wiser. We have had no clear leads, although we’ve had lots and lots of people come forward with information and theories and helpful comments,’ she told the ABC last year.
Sgt Murphy said police have continued to receive new information and have spoken to people, who knew Ms Whitehead, about her disappearance.
Homicide Squad investigators are not part of the renewed search effort.
The owners of the land searched are not involved in the investigation and gave permission for police to search their property.
Anyone with information about Ms Whitehead’s disappearance is urged to call Crime Stoppers.