Police say the disappearance of Jeremiah Rivers, who has been missing in remote south-west Queensland for nearly three weeks, is now being treated as suspicious and homicide officers are investigating.
Key points:
- The 27-year-old was last seen near Noccundra in remote south-west Queensland on October 18
- The official search was called off after five days
- Mr Rivers's family members have travelled from the Northern Territory and Western Australia to search for him
The 27-year-old, who is also known as "Jayo", was last seen walking away from the group he was camping with near Wippo Creek, south of Noccundra, on the morning of October 18.
A police and SES search for the East Kimberley man was called off after five days.
Detective Acting Superintendent Stephen Blanchfield said, after a number of enquiries, Mr Rivers' disappearance is now being treated as suspicious.
"Our enquiries to date have indicated that some of the information that we have is not consistent," Superintendent Blanchfield said.
"There are a lot of things that don't necessarily make some sense to us.
"Therefore we've escalated our inquiries in relation to this disappearance being suspicious."
Superintendent Blanchfield said it was out of character for Mr Rivers to have "wandered off" and that authorities are gravely concerned for his wellbeing.
"He is someone who has a fairly high level of skill in this kind of bush area," Superintendent Blanchfield said.
"There is not a lot of water out there. There is no food out there, so we do have grave concerns for his safety.
"At the core of it, a family are missing a son."
The Homicide Investigation Unit was now assisting with the case.
An incident centre has been established at the Cunnamulla Police Station, with local criminal investigation detectives handling the case.
Superintendent Blanchfield said no further search would be conducted "until there is evidence to indicate a location to search".
Family members continue to search
Over the past three weeks, Mr Rivers's family members have travelled from the Northern Territory and Western Australia to search for him.
Fifteen family members, mostly from the Indigenous community of Warmun, have continued to comb the harsh landscape where he was last seen, even after the official land search was called off.
Family member Marcia Purdie told the ABC they have searched an area stretching about 100 kilometres in the past fortnight.
"[We're] trying to think how Jayo would have thought and routes that he might have taken," Ms Purdie said.
"[We've been] driving the back tracks from the base where he went missing ... where he would have walked, being around waterholes, not going over the open plains."
Case took COVID turn
The search for Mr Rivers took an unexpected turn in the first week of his disappearance, with two of the people he was camping with testing positive to COVID-19.
The camping group was sent back to New South Wales the day after his disappearance by a local police officer, after they were intercepted following a suspicious vehicle report.
The development forced five investigating police officers into isolation, but none contracted the disease.