On Friday, the NSW Police renewed the water search Bowraville operation, which would last for two days and take place in the Nambucca River. The water search in the Nambucca River, as part of the investigation, is the way forward to discover the remains of Colleen Walker-Craig, Bowraville search 2025, who was reported missing 35 years ago in September 1990.
Colleen, whose age was 16, was reported missing on 13 to 15 September 1990 after having attended a party on Bowraville Mission. The police later found her outfit, which had been submerged in the river and weighed down with stones. Nevertheless, her corpse was never discovered. The investigation was taken over by the Bowraville cold case investigation 2025 squad, and it still remains one of the most sorrowful and longest-unsolved cases in Australia.
This new operation represents a mixture of probing and determination. The police, along with forensic experts, are attempting to find Colleen’s remains through the use of cutting-edge sonar and underwater detection equipment.
NSW Police renewed the Bowraville water search for Colleen Walker-Craig.
Why Is This Search Important For Justice?
Colleen Walker-Craig Bowraville search 2025 not only expresses the enduring dedication of the investigators to bring justice to the family and the larger community, but also is the one where the bow is already loosely attached. The probe is this way: a confrontation lasting decades on the side of the families of three Aboriginal children, Colleen Walker-Craig, Evelyn Greenup, and Clinton Speedy-Duroux, who were all reported missing at the same location between 1990 and 1991.
In the beginning, a suspect was apprehended, tried, and acquitted, but no one has ever been punished for this crime. For the victims’ families, every new attempt is a token of a great possibility for closure and accountability. The police are still prepared to give $1 million to anyone who has information that can assist in recovering Colleen’s remains or point to the person responsible.
How Are Police Conducting The Operation?
The homicide squad, supported by the Marine Area Command, directs the NSW Police renewed water search in Bowraville. Under Wilson Bridge at Macksville, divers and search experts started to work before moving upstream to the river stretch behind private property along Park Road in Bowraville.
The tough terrain and murky conditions of the Nambucca River have hampered the police’s every search so far. Now, the police are employing advanced technology to perform a detailed scan of the riverbed for metals, clothing fibres, or other materials that are heavy and that can be linked to Colleen Walker-Craig’s Bowraville search in 2025.
The authorities reiterated that the renewed search is based on new intelligence, new witness testimonies, and re-analysis of past forensic data as part of the Bowraville cold case investigation 2025.
Homicide squad and Marine Command lead NSW Bowraville water search.
What Is The Background Of The Bowraville Cold Case Investigation 2025?
The investigation of the Bowraville cold case investigation 2025 takes us back to a series of crimes that rocked New South Wales. In the period from September 1990 to February 1991, three Aboriginal children either vanished or were murdered in very close proximity to the Bowraville Mission. The remains of Evelyn Greenup and Clinton Speedy-Duroux were found not far away, but the body of Colleen Walker-Craig has never been discovered.
At first, all three cases were treated as separate investigations. This disjointed method of inquiry invited scathing criticism and raised doubts about the existence of systemic bias in police practices. After several years, the three cases were consolidated under Strike Force Ancud. The families of the victims have since been vocal in their demand for unified recognition and justice.
Where Might New Evidence Be Found?
The investigators think that the Nambucca River’s slow-moving currents could still be hiding the crucial evidence. The past searches’ weighted objects and items have pointed to the current operations’ key points of interest.
The team is anticipating the possibility of remains or personal belongings being recovered, which may lead to DNA confirmation. The same findings could also link previously unidentified evidence from the 1990s to the known materials that police are already holding. The renewed search has both emotional and investigative importance in the context of the NSW Police renewed water search in Bowraville.
Investigators believe Nambucca River currents may conceal crucial evidence points.
What Comes Next In The Search For Answers?
All the items collected during the two-day search will be subjected to forensic testing at the NSW Police laboratories once it is over. The results will be compared with historical records and the DNA data from Colleen’s family.
The investigators will, additionally, be looking into community statements and any new witness leads that are possibly available. If any credible evidence comes to light, it may open up the path to prosecution under the updated double-jeopardy laws.
The families of the Bowraville victims have been waiting for justice for decades. This renewed operation is a symbol of the NSW Police’s renewed water search commitment to the truth, to closing the matter, and to the reconciliation of the First Nation communities who incurred the tragedy.
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FAQs
Q1: Who was Colleen Walker-Craig?
Colleen Walker-Craig, a 16-year-old Aboriginal girl, vanished from Bowraville in September 1990. Although her weighted clothes were found in the Nambucca River, her remains were not discovered, prompting the ongoing Colleen Walker-Craig Bowraville search in 2025.
Q2: What is the reward for information?
A sum of $1 million is being offered as a reward to anyone who comes forward with information that will lead to either the recovery of Colleen’s body or the prosecution of the person responsible, supporting the Bowraville cold case investigation 2025.
Q3: Who is leading the 2025 search?
The two-day river search, which involves the use of divers and sonar technology, is being conducted by the NSW Police Renewed Water Search Bowraville homicide squad in conjunction with Marine Area Command.
Q4: Why is this case so significant?
The Bowraville murders, which remain unsolved, are the most significant cold case in Australia involving the murders of three Indigenous children. It has become an emblem of the need for justice and police accountability in Aboriginal communities and is part of the Bowraville cold case investigation 2025.
