IT WAS a jawbone, poking out through piles of child’s clothing, that began Australia’s chilling body in suitcase murder inquiry.
Stuffed into a 40cm wide dark grey Lanza-brand suitcase in between a Dora the Explorer T-shirt, pink pants, boxer shorts with teddy bears on them, was the skeletal remains of a child who police say died a “violent and terrible death”.
The suitcase lay open, items of clothing scattered nearby, close to the road and near the low bushes that dotted the landscape.
That a small child could vanish without anyone noticing has mystified detectives who say
the child could have been dead a “very, very long time” and it has electrified the tiny town of Wynarka, where four witnesses have reported seeing a man with an identical suitcase as the one that contained the child’s remains.
The man, a clean-cut caucasian aged about 60, could hold be the key to unravelling the mystery — because locals say he isn’t one of theirs.
Fewer than 200 people live in the town so anyone unfamiliar stands out.
The fact a possible killer walked among them is troubling some community members who are upset also their town has been plunged into an international news story of the worst kind.
One local said it was frightening to think someone dangerous enough to kill a small child had been in the town.
Wynarka, South Australia. Picture: Tony Gough Source: News Corp Australia
“Even if it was just to dump the body. I mean, what if they were disturbed? It’s such a terrible thing to happen to anyone ... But a small child, who would do that?’
Another resident, Caroline Phillips, told news.com.au, the murder “wasn’t a local story” but admitted the multiple reports of the mystery man was worrying.
“Yes the sighting of the man raises questions for us all. Where was he coming from and where was he going?”
Local people knew that visitors didn’t regularly just wonder through the tiny town, which is possibly why so many have reported seeing the suspect man.
“We are about 20km each way from the nearest town so it is fair to say that people other than locals don’t walk in the town,” Ms Phillips said.
The community was small and close with many having lived there their whole lives, she said.
“There are many young families in the district and like all parents around the nation we are holding our children a little tighter, kissing them often and telling them we love them.”
A local businesswoman refused to speak about the discovery of the child’s remains, other than to say “everyone’s been talking about it”.
Police have released images of the clothing they hope someone will recognise and provide a much needed breakthrough.
A purple Dora the Explorer T-shirt, pink pants, a woollen coat and the pyjama shorts were inside the suitcase that may have been on the side of the road for as long as four months.
Last week, other items in the suitcase — small black tutu dress, a pink slipper embossed with a butterfly, a smiley-faced T-shirt and several pairs of girls shorts — were released by investigators. So far though, no one has come forward.
One man told police he found it just after the road was resurfaced in late March.
Intrigued, he dragged it from behind low bushes close to the road shoulder to look inside.
He did not see the child’s remains hidden among the clothing — that came later when another man noticed a jawbone through the clothing.
In the meantime many others saw the suitcase and even looked through it, totally unaware of what horror was hidden by the clothes.
Officer-in-charge of the inquiry, Detective Superintendent Des Bray, has raised the possibility that someone who came across the suitcase may have removed something from it.
“A lot of people have seen it and several people have gone up and looked in it. It is highly likely if there was anything of value there someone could have taken it. If that has happened I would appeal to those people to contact us,” the Adelaide Advertiser reported.
It’s hoped the gender of the child will be known this week. So far a post-mortem has revealed the skeleton was complete and from a child aged between two and five.
Detective Bray confirmed police believe they knew how the child was killed but would only say they suffered a “violent and terrible death”.
And it appears they have no idea why the child was killed.
A number of leads were being investigated by the 15 strong taskforce including those based on items found in the suitcase, which he would not comment on.
So police have a body, but no name, a cause of death, but no motive and sightings of a mystery man but no suspect.
The people of Wynarka will be hoping more than most that whoever brutally killed a small child and dumped them on the side of the road will be found.