Mystery’s end?
Sunken car linked to missing teen
Police are confident a car pulled from Port Nelson belonged to Leo Lipp-Neighbours, who disappeared seven years ago.
Nelson Bays area commander Mat Arnold-Kelly said ‘‘items of interest’’ had been found in the car.
Arnold-Kelly said it was good to have progress in the case but police still had work to do on the investigation. They were keeping an open mind as to how the vehicle came to be in the water next to a wharf at Wakefield Quay on Nelson’s waterfront.
A Fairfax reporter at the scene said the car looked to be a station wagon with mag wheels. LippNeighbours was last seen driving his orange Toyota Corolla station wagon that had mag wheels.
When it had been lifted on to the Wakefield Quay wharf, LippNeighbours parents, Colin Neighbours and Charlotte Lipp, closely inspected the vehicle, which was covered in seaweed and grime. A friend of the missing Canterbury University student, who was 19 when he disappeared, wiped away tears.
The car’s grimy covering prevented confirmation of its colour.
A karakia could be heard as the car was lifted from a boat where it had been pulled from the water in darkness about 7pm. It was lifted by a crane onto the wharf upside down with its bonnet open and looked to be fairly intact.
A crowd, including some of LippNeighbours’ other friends, had gathered to get a glimpse of the vehicle to put an end to the speculation and seven-year mystery.
Lipp-Neighbours’ parents had earlier been behind the cordon at the Wakefield Quay wharf watching the operation before they were taken to a fire command unit of the wharf.
Lipp-Neighbours vanished in Nelson in the early hours of January 24, 2010, telling friends he wanted to be at one with nature.
Arnold-Kelly said earlier it was a ‘‘distressing time’’ for the family as police worked to extract and identify the vehicle. ‘‘They’re on standby and they’re obviously awaiting further information.’’
The family was getting all the support that would normally be provided, Arnold-Kelly said.
He said police were sorting through material removed from the submerged vehicle earlier yesterday at the Port Nelson wharf, searching for items of interest.
‘‘From what I’ve heard it [the car] kind of resembles a big barnacle,’’ Arnold-Kelly said. ‘‘It’s obviously got a lot of sea life attached to it over the years.’’
Asked if police knew the identity of the vehicle, he said: ‘‘I’m not going into those details.’’
Police have not confirmed the link to the station wagon LippNeighbours drove off in on the morning he disappeared.
Despite countless searches by police, family and friends, no trace had been found of him or his car – until perhaps now.