Cindy Masonwells (33) and her husband Scott Maitland (35) were murdered

[beli]

POLICE are hunting for two things to help them solve the mystery of what happened to a missing north Queensland couple - a white van and their bodies.

Scott Maitland and Cindy Masonwells have not been seen since July 5 when they stepped off a flight in Cairns to attend an engagement party and collect a vintage panel van that had been stolen months before, and was being repaired.

A 41-year-old man was arrested late Saturday night and charged with the murders of the pair but their bodies have not been found.

Police were tight-lipped about the man's arrest but confirmed he was known to the couple, who had been living in Mount Isa.


http://mydeathspace.com/article/2012..._were_murdered

[g r ee n ey e s]

Damn, no bodies but for sure they were murdered? They must have some other type of evidence that keeps him locked up.

[Olivia]

Damn, no bodies but for sure they were murdered? They must have some other type of evidence that keeps him locked up.

Im phone posting so no link but i heard they found the couples blood in the alleged murderers van.

[g r ee n ey e s]

Im phone posting so no link but i heard they found the couples blood in the alleged murderers van.

I was going to say, they had to have one hell of a crime scene. Ugh how terrible.

[Olivia]

DOUBLE murder accused killer Brandon McGowan has been remanded in custody after a brief hearing in Cairns Magistrates Court today.

Homicide detectives are still searching for the bodies of missing Mt Isa couple Scott Maitland and Cindy Masonwells.

McGowan, 41, who was arrested on Saturday night, did not appear today and the case was listed for callover mention on September 3.

Police are hunting for two things to help them solve the mystery of what happened to the missing north Queensland couple - a white van and their bodies.

Mr Maitland and Ms Masonwells have not been seen since July 5 when they stepped off a flight in Cairns to attend an engagement party and collect a vintage panel van that had been stolen months before, and was being repaired.

McGowan was arrested late Saturday night and charged with the murders of the pair but their bodies have not been found.

Police were tight-lipped about the man's arrest but confirmed he was known to the couple, who had been living in Mount Isa.

There were unconfirmed reports the man was linked to a Cairns vehicle mechanics' workshop where the couple's green Sandman panel van was being repaired after being stolen earlier this year.

But police did reveal their investigation was now focused on another vehicle - a white van seen in and around Cairns the day the couple disappeared.

Far Northern Region regional crime co-ordinator Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar yesterday asked anyone who saw the white 2001 Ford Econovan between 9.45pm on July 5 to 1am on July 6 to contact police.

He said the the van was believed to have been within a 30-minute drive of Cairns during that time.

"I'm interested in the movements of the van, whether it was behind an industrial estate, in a paddock or just behaving in an erratic manner," he said.

Police are also looking for a large green double canvas swag and red and black shoulder bag.

A homicide squad and scientific and forensive units from Brisbane will remain in Cairns.

"We have a very large diverse group of specialist police here and we haven't stopped this investigation," Insp Asnicar said.

He said Mr Maitland's family had taken the news "very badly" and were being offered support.

"It's a crime that's been perpetuated on two young people and at this stage we can't find a reason for or any reasonable explanation."

Last week Mr Maitland's father Wayne Maitland told The Courier-Mail the disappearance was "baffling", saying the couple's bank accounts hadn't been touched since they left Mount Isa.

A female relative said the Maitlands were too distraught to speak about the deaths of their son and daughter-in-law.

Mr Maitland had a 13-year-old daughter, Rhyane.

Anyone who has information should phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 .

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/mur...-1226427093179

[Olivia]

POLICE are waiting for forensic test results from an industrial driveway as the search for the bodies of Scott Maitland and Cindy Masonwells continues.

Bungalow man Brandon Peter McGowan, 41, has been charged with murdering the pair and his case was mentioned for the first time in Cairns Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Far Northern Region regional crime co-ordinator Det Insp Bruno Asnicar said police were testing DNA samples from the driveway and expected results by the end of the week.

"We’ve got a crime scene and we know someone’s been killed and when we get the results back we’ll know who it is," he said.

However, he said Mr Maitland and Ms Masonwells’ bodies were still to be found and investigators had been unable to pinpoint a focus for the search.

"(The search area) is still really wide. I haven’t got anyone out because we don’t know where to look," he said.

Mr Asnicar said the movements of a white Ford Econovan remained crucial to the case and reiterated the call for public help to track down its whereabouts between 9.45pm on July 5 and 1am the next day.

A police statement said anyone who may have seen the vehicle or a similar vehicle either parked in an unusual location or being driven in a suspicious manner in the Cairns area during that time is being urged to contact police.

The vehicle is a 2001 model with white wheels and has glass windows on the left side of the cargo area and painted steel panels on the right side.

Mr Asnicar said police had not ruled out other people were involved in the case.

Mr McGowan did not appear in court yesterday and was represented by solicitor Paul Richardson.

The case has been adjourned to a committal hearing on September 3 and magistrate Trevor Black said Mr McGowan would not be required to appear there either.

Friends and family packed the court for yesterday’s hearing, including Mr Maitland’s brother Jason and friend Lee Hokanson, who had been hosting an engagement party the couple were flying from Mt Isa to attend.

Speaking outside court, Mr Hokanson said they were all devastated by the news.

"We just want to see what’s going on," he said. "It’s very hard, hard for everyone.

"(They were our) best friends, best people in the world. I’m just here trying to find out something about what happened to our friends."

Outpourings of emotion continued yesterday via Facebook, including by Mr Maitland’s ex-partner Donna Astill, with whom he has a daughter, Rhyane.

"Still so angry, but nothing I will ever be able to do will bring back my daughter’s father," she said. "I can only promise her that he will forever be in her heart and will forever be by her side.

"Rhyane wishes to thank everyone for their condolences. As you can imagine she is going to have a long, hard struggle ahead of her."

The couple had been living in Mt Isa and were flying to Cairns to attend the engagement party.

They were last seen on July 5 and were reported missing on July 9.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/201...ocal-news.html

[g r ee n ey e s]

Maybe he Dextered them?

[brumby]

Their bodies have been found...:(
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au...8101_news.html

[g r ee n ey e s]

The link won't work for me.

[Cat Pajamas]

This is the article:

Families shattered after bodies found
GRACE UHR | July 19th, 2012


A TEAM of experts in forensics, pathology and ballistics today will begin analysing evidence from the scene where the bodies of Scott Maitland and Cindy Masonwells were believed to have been dumped.

Two bodies, thought to be those of the missing couple, were recovered from bushland beside Lake Morris Rd at the back of Kanimbla yesterday.

The discovery marks a turning point in the case but is heartbreaking news for relatives of the couple.

Far Northern Region regional crime co-ordinator Det Insp Bruno Asnicar said the team of experts was likely to remain at the site until around lunchtime today before re-grouping to study the evidence.

"We have to bring in experts so we can make sense of it and move forward from here," he said.

"All we can do is do our jobs, move forward and make sure we do this properly, we don't compromise anything and look at every single angle."

The team of experts, which will also comprise medical specialists, begin arriving in Cairns today to join the investigations.

Det Insp Asnicar said Cairns police's forensic crash unit would be brought in this morning to develop a 3D Google map of the Lake Morris Rd site.

He said residents could expect the road to re-open some time later today.

He paid tribute to the public for their patience.

Bungalow mechanic Brandon Peter McGowan, 41, has been charged with murdering the couple and his case was first mentioned in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday.

The case has been adjourned until a committal hearing on September 3.

Investigators are yet to rule out other people being involved in the crime.

"We haven't discounted that at this stage and we will continue to move forward with that," Det Insp Asnicar said.

Mr Maitland's aunt, Jan Richards, yesterday said the family was trying to digest the tragic news.

"I think we are just in total shock, even though we were expecting the worst," she told reporters.

"It's hard to accept that something like this has happened. It happens to other people, it doesn't happen to you."

She described the couple as 'soulmates'.

"They complemented each other," Ms Richards said.

"Cindy was very outgoing, Scott was a little bit, I wouldn't say shy, but she brought the best out in him and vice versa. Cindy was a real wag."

The Cairns Post

[g r ee n ey e s]

I am assuming wag is a good term.

RIP couple.

[Olivia]

I am assuming wag is a good term.

RIP couple.

Yeah it's Aussie slang for a real character - cheeky and outgoing kinda.