Case prompts search warning

THREE years after a NorthWest woman went missing a coroner has found she died, and has reminded civilians involved in searching for missing people to pass on information to police as quickly as possible and not to handle potential evidence.

Coroner Simon Cooper yesterday published his findings into the death of Angela Joy Jeffrey, of Penguin, who was last seen on June 2, 2016 near Bakers Beach.

Mrs Jeffrey was aged 53 at the time of her disappearance.

Mr Cooper said no trace of Mrs Jeffrey has ever been found and, in the absence of her body, he could not reach a concluded view as to how she died.

The formal search for Mrs Jeffrey, which began as a rescue operation but became a search for her body, was suspended on June 13, which Mr Cooper said was appropriate.

He said many people were involved in an informal search organised through Facebook, which continued until about June 28, 2016.

Mr Cooper said some of those volunteers found a black cardigan about 1.30pm on June 11, 2016.

“Unfortunately those searchers did not leave the cardigan where it was and handled it in a manner inconsistent with appropriate forensic examination procedures,” he said.

Mr Cooper said the cardigan was later found to have traces of Mrs Jeffrey’s DNA on it.

He said those organising the search also received information via Facebook from a member of the public late on June 17 about a possible sighting of Mrs Jeffrey on June 2.

Mr Cooper said community efforts to search for Mrs Jeffrey were “laudable”, but it was important that any information was passed on as quickly as possible to police.

“The fact that relevant information was not given to police for 16 days, whilst unlikely in this case to have affected the outcome of the search, might do so in cases in the future,” he said.

“The same comment holds true with respect to the cardigan.”

Mr Cooper said Mrs Jeffrey had struggled with depression for most of her adult life and was described as being “extremely distressed” on June 1, before she left her home, telling her husband she was going to the chemist. When she did not return, her husband contacted police.

Mr Cooper said a group of men riding four-wheel motorbikes near Bakers Beach on June 2 saw and briefly spoke to Mrs Jeffrey.

“There is no evidence of Mrs Jeffrey being seen alive after this time,” Mr Cooper said.

He commended the men who saw Mrs Jeffrey on June 2, and another man who saw a car he later realised belonged to her, for contacting police after seeing television reports of Mrs Jeffrey’s disappearance. For 24/7 crisis support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636