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Daniel Morcombe
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| Date | c.7 December 2003 |
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| Location | Abducted from Nambour Connection Road, Woombye, Queensland Remains discovered near Kings Road Glass House Mountains, Queensland |
| Outcome | Deceased |
| Suspect(s) | Brett Peter Cowan |
| Charges | Murder Deprivation of liberty Child stealing Indecent treatment of a child under 16 Interfering with a corpse |
| Publication bans | Lifted after parents' request[1] |
| Website | danielmorcombe.com.au |
Daniel James Morcombe (19 December 1989 – c.7 December 2003) was a 13-year-old Australian boy who was abducted from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, on 7 December 2003. In August 2011 Brett Peter Cowan, a former Sunshine Coast resident, was charged with Morcombe's murder. In the same month, DNA tests confirmed bones found in an area being searched by police were Morcombe's.
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It is believed that Morcombe was abducted from an unofficial bus stop under the Kiel Mountain Road overpass in the Woombye district of the Sunshine Coast approximately 2 km north of The Big Pineapple on Sunday, 7 December 2003.[2] Morcombe planned to catch the 1:35 pm bus to the Sunshine Plaza Shopping Centre for a haircut and to buy Christmas presents for his family, but he failed to return.
Witnesses reported seeing Morcombe at approximately 2:10 pm on the Nambour Connection Road under the Kiel Mountain Road overpass. The bus he was supposed to catch had broken down a few kilometres before his stop, and was behind schedule. When a replacement bus eventually arrived, Morcombe hailed the bus, but it carried on without stopping, due to its delay and the fact that his stop was only an unofficial request stop. The driver of the bus radioed the depot for another bus to go and pick up Morcombe. The bus driver and other witnesses later reported seeing a man standing a distance behind Morcombe and another man slightly farther away at the time. When the second bus came a couple of minutes later, Morcombe and the man had both gone.[2]
A blue 1980s model sedan, possibly a Toyota Corolla, with yellow New South Wales license plates, is believed to be the car used by the abductor(s).[3] Morcombe owned a distinctive fob style pocket watch with "Dan" engraved on it, which has not been found.[3]
The death of Daniel Morcombe is one of the most extensively investigated crimes in Queensland's history.
As of 12 December 2008, a total reward of $1,000,000 ($250,000 from the Government and another $750,000 donated privately) had been offered. The privately donated portion of the reward expired at midnight on 31 May 2009. On this day, the Seven Network reported that a known pedophile (identified by the media as Douglas Jackway), who had been released from prison in 2003 - one month before Morcombe's disappearance - could be of interest to the police.[4]
By early 2009, the investigation had seemingly run out of leads, but in May a full-size clay model of the man believed to be involved in Morcombe's abduction was placed at the spot where Morcombe disappeared. Within a few days there were more than 300 tip-offs.[5]
In June 2009, the Queensland Government came under criticism from Parliament over the release of Jackway from prison. One MP claimed the Supreme Court had presented clear evidence of his risk of reoffending.[6] This publicity also prompted civil liberties groups to call for laws banning media outlets from naming people linked to criminal cases.
In July 2009, the parents of Morcombe called for a coronial inquest in the hope of finding answers to their son's abduction and murder.[7] The Morcombes said that after 5½ years, it was time for an inquest. Of particular interest to the family are several criminals who have told police they know who killed Morcombe and where his body was buried.
On 13 August 2011, a Perth man was taken into custody and charged with Morcombe's murder and other offences, including child stealing, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment of a child under 16, and interfering with a corpse. In 2006 the man had admitted to police that he travelled the road from which Morcombe disappeared on the same day of his disappearance, on his way to purchase marijuana from a drug dealer.[8][9] The accused was subsequently named as 41-year-old Brett Peter Cowan.[10]
Around this time, a white Mitsubishi Pajero was seized from a property on Russell Island. The vehicle was believed to have been involved in Morcombe's abduction after a witness at the coronial inquest in April 2011 reported seeing a vehicle of similar description parked 100 metres north of the site where Morcombe was last seen.[11]
On 21 August 2011, two shoes and three human bones were found at a search site at Glass House Mountains.[12] Forensic testing confirmed that the bones were Morcombe's.[13] The shoes were similar to the ones that Morcombe was wearing when he disappeared.[14]
The Morcombe family started the "Daniel Morcombe Foundation", and has put its resources into keeping Morcombe's disappearance in the public eye and trying to find out what happened to their son. The foundation is committed to educating children about personal safety and to raising awareness throughout Australia of the dangers of predatory criminals. These efforts are supported by the Australian media, especially on each anniversary of Morcombe's disappearance when a "Day for Daniel" is held to promote awareness of the vulnerability of children. An accompanying event is the "Ride for Daniel", which covers 50 km of the Sunshine Coast, held each year since 2005.[15]
Morcombe's murder was the focus of the Crime Investigation Australia Season 1 episode "Tears for Daniel".[16]