During Missing Persons Week, police are renewing their call for information over a number of disappearances for which friends, loved ones and the community have not received closure.
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The annual week of action, which takes place over the first week of August, raises awareness about issues surrounding missing persons around Australia.
James Hunter, Dubbo
James Hunter was a Newcastle resident but often travelled to work at rural properties in Dubbo, Mendooran and Dunedoo and was also known to frequent Walgett and Lightning Ridge where he would mine for opals.
His family last saw him in person in December 2019 in the Newcastle area after which time he told them he was heading to Lightning Ridge. He was last seen at a pharmacy on Macquarie Street in Dubbo on Friday, February 28, 2020 and hasn't been seen or heard from since and has not accessed his bank accounts since then.
After failing to make contact with his family for several months, Mr Hunter was reported missing to police in July 2021. He is described as being Caucasian in appearance, about 175cm tall, of a medium build with brown hair and eyes and would be 53 today.
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Harry Youl, Dubbo
Harry Youl - who had recently moved to Dubbo from Victoria with his family - was last seen leaving his place of work for a lunch break on the 2nd of August 1990. He failed to return and left behind personal belongings, he has not been seen or heard from by his family since.
Born in 1937, Mr Youl would now be 85. He's described as being of Caucasian appearance and 170cm tall and had a thin build, grey hair and blue eyes.
On the day of his disappearance Mr Youl's wife found a note in his car suggesting he may have taken his own life.
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Robert Dickie, Elong Elong
Robert Dickie, a 71-year-old retired farmer, was last seen in 2016 at about 6pm on Tuesday 14 June when he left his Wattle Road home in Elong Elong on foot. He did not return as planned and was reported missing. He has not been seen or heard from since which police and family say is "out of character".
Robert is described as being Caucasian in appearance and 174 cm tall. He has a thin build, grey hair, handlebar style grey mustache and beard and a large number of tattoos covering his torso, arms and back. Mr Dickie is a frequent visitor to Dubbo and has ties to the Mudgee/Gulgong area, he's known by locals for his distinctive late model red Mustang and interest in car shows.
A woman was arrested for the suspected murder of Mr Dickie and is currently before the NSW Supreme Court.
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Elsie Tonini, Peak Hill
Elsie Grace Tonini was last seen at approximately 7pm on Wednesday 4th May 1983 by an attendant of a motel she was staying at overnight in the Peak Hill area of NSW. Elsie has not been seen or heard from since this date.
At the time of her disappearance, Ms Tonini was described as standing 160cm tall with a medium build, greying light brown hair and fair complexion. Ms Tonini would now be aged 99 years old.
Max Day, Peak Hill
Peak Hill man Max William Day left his home on the 7th of January 2017 with very few personal belongings on him. His car, a green Ford Fairmont, was found abandoned nearby in Forbes. Later that month, on Wednesday 25th January 2017, Mr Day was picked up hitch-hiking just outside of Forbes before being dropped off at the Gooloogong Caravan Park.
There was an unconfirmed sighting of Mr Day on Sunday February 5 in 2017 at the truck stop on the Newell Highway, 10km's north of Parkes. He appeared to be hitch-hiking. He has not been seen or heard from since then.
Mr Day is described as being 170cm tall, of medium build and has grey hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion.
A coronial inquest into the disappearance by Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee in 2020 determined Mr Day has most likely passed away.
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Michelle Mills, Mudgee
Michelle Mills, aged 39, was last seen on 12 August 2000 in the Mudgee area. Michelle has not been in contact with family or friends since this date and would now be 61. She is described as being only 140cm tall and of Caucasian appearance and had green eyes, fair skin and light hair.
Friends told police that Ms Mills was going through a difficult time before her disappearance, following the breakdown of a number of relationships but it was "highly unlikely" she took her own life.
Police believe the disappearance of Ms Mills is most likely a case of murder, but her body has never been found. Ms Mills' bank card was used for up to nine months after her disappearance with transactions made in Mudgee, Cowra and Blayney.
There is a $100,000 reward on offer for any information which leads to a breakthrough in the case.
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Judith Young, Gunningbland
Judith Young was last seen unloading a mare at her home in Gunningbland, 25 kilometres west of Parkes, in central NSW on December 5, 1999. Her disappearance was reported by her brother in 2001.
Ms Young is described as being 160cm and of solid build and has brown hair, blue eyes and fair complexion. She would be 62 today.
At the time of her disappearance Ms Young was also known by a number of aliases, including Judith Henry, Judith Boland and Judy Davis. She was involved in a number of business ventures including buying and selling horses, selling raffle tickets for charity organisations and managing country music bands.
An investigation into the disappearance by Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund found Ms Young almost certainly "died in suspicious circumstances".
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James Rice, Condoblin
James Earl Patrick Rice, then 66, was last seen when a neighbour dropped him off near his property in Condobolin on Tuesday, July 13, 1999.
Mr Rice is described as being of caucasian appearance and approximately 175cm tall. He had an olive complexion, brown hair and brown eyes when he disappeared.
In 2006, a coronial inquest found Mr Rice had most likely passed away but the circumstances of his death remained a mystery. Police are treating the probable death as suspicious and established Strike Force Jungarra in September last year to investigate it.
"Mr Rice's family deserve to know what happened to him, to gain some closure," Central North Police District Commander Superintendent Tim Chinn said.
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