Lee Ellen Stace
Lee Ellen Stace was waiting at the bus stop when she vanished after her shift at Yamba’s Bi-lo supermarket on September 2, 1997.
Investigators believe the 16-year-old was planning to return to the family home in nearby Brooms Head on the NSW North Coast. But Lee Ellen never made it home and her family reported the teen missing, sparking a large-scale police operation.
Six weeks later, her remains were discovered in Yuraygir National Park, less than four kilometres south of her home. Timber offcuts with blood-like marks and traces of hair were found near the scene, and a 2009 inquest into Lee’s death later confirmed the slab of wood was the murder weapon. Although detectives conducted a thorough investigation at the time, no one has ever been charged for her murder. A $1 million reward was posted in 2019. Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Scott Cook told reporters then, “it’s not clear if [Lee Ellen] was hitchhiking, and she may have gotten into a green car.”
Lee Ellen’s father Peter Stace pleaded to anyone with information to come forward, saying the impact of her murder has been devastating. “The fact that her murderer has not been brought to justice is unacceptable.
“Lee Ellen’s death has had an impact on every aspect of our lives. We will never give up or lose hope that we will find out what happened to our beautiful innocent girl.”