WA Police want the public to report anyone who used to pick up hitchhikers in the Mount Lawley area of Perth in the late 1970s, in relation to the cold case murder of a young woman 43 years ago.
Key points:
- Kerryn Tate was last seen alive in Mount Lawley on December 29, 1979
- Renewed investigations have uncovered a male DNA profile
- Police are using all technological means to identify who the DNA belongs to
Kerryn Mary Tate's body was found in bushland south of the Perth suburb of Karragullen on December 30, 1979.
Police say the 22-year-old was expected to travel from Mount Lawley to Karragullen, which is about 45 kilometres south-east of Perth's CBD, but never arrived.
"[Kerryn Tate] was last seen alive at 11am on December 29, 1979, when she was dropped home by a friend to Mount Lawley," Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Potter said.
"We believe Kerryn intended to travel to Karragullen that same afternoon to house-sit for friends.
"Sadly it appears that she never got there because on Sunday 30 December at 10:30am, Kerryn's body was found in dense bushland about [800 metres] off the Brookton Highway."
An unidentified male DNA profile was identified by forensic officers during the investigation, and police say they are "using all technology available" to identify who the DNA belongs to.
Police said the DNA profile was gained from items near Ms Tate's body, but would not be more specific.
Fire in the area
There was a fire in the area at the time, which led Forestry Department workers to go to the Canning Dam catchment area, after smoke was reported.
"There was a fire in that area, on the 29th, near where her body was," Detective Snr Sgt Potter said.
"We're happy to say she didn't die as a result of the fire.
"We've had our arson squad have a look at it since, it's one of the things we've looked at.
"They've tried to look at it in an evidence way probably 40 years later and it's very difficult to tell — it was in the middle of summer — how the fire started."
Detective Snr Sgt Potter would not say how long police have had the DNA profile.
New DNA analysis technique could be used
The detective said traditional DNA tests had been run but they were also interested in whether a new technique dubbed "genetic genealogy" could be deployed.
The past decade has seen a rise in commercial online DNA databases that people around the world submit samples to, in order to learn more about their heritage and connect with relatives.
Police then send DNA samples in to see if they match a submission – which could also be from a relative of the original sample.
"We're pretty excited about it," the detective said.
"My limited knowledge is we will be able to do some work in there in that field, in that area.
"Our forensic people do great work, they've picked up heaps of items from various places.
"We're able to use the technology as it gets better to keep testing and we will continue to keep doing that until we get some answers."
The special crime squad is now calling for anyone with information about what happened to Ms Tate, including anyone who knew her back in 1979 or who may have given her a lift, to come forward so a DNA comparison can be made.
"We are very keen to speak to people we have not spoken to in this matter – anyone who knew Kerryn or associated with her in 1979 or anybody who may have given Kerryn a lift to Karragullen or from Mount Lawley," Detective Snr Sgt Potter Potter said.
"Despite the passage of time, WA Police and [the] Special Crime Squad have remained committed and dedicated to find out what happened to Kerryn on that day," he said.
"Just recently the WA government has offered a $1m reward in cases like this, and that’s life changing ... but more importantly it has the ability to change the lives of Kerryn’s family who deserve to know what happened to their daughter, their sister, and her child [who] is missing a mother."
He read a short statement prepared by Ms Tate's family members.
"Although many years have passed since Kerryn’s murder, just hearing her name or seeing her face still brings us to our knees and breaks our hearts again," the statement said.
"Please stand up and give us the answers we have been waiting our whole lives for so we can at least understand what happened."
Ms Tate was born in Victoria before moving to New South Wales.
She only moved to Western Australia about 12 months before she was killed.