Australia’s worst serial killer could still be on the loose and potentially linked to dozens of dead or missing women, a politician has warned.
Jeremy Buckingham, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, gave an impassioned speech in parliament about the large number of unsolved cases on the New South Wales north coast between 1977 and 2009.
An emotional Buckingham needed a moment to compose himself as he called on police to investigate the cases further on Thursday.
“We must recognize that this is an absolute anomaly, a horrific anomaly and it has every indication that someone operated in that area, traveled in that area, lived in that area, took women, destroyed their bodies, destroyed their lives,” he said.
“It’s a stain on our society.”
Mr Buckingham’s investigation into 35 unsolved cases led police to claim that 67 similar cases were actually identified during the period in question.
The MP cited the opinion of Coffs Harbor detective Gary McEvoy that the cases were linked.
‘Some of these were individual incidents; there is no doubt about that. But many are related and there is only one author,” Mr Buckingham continued.
Narelle Cox, 21, last seen in Grafton in 1977, is one of the unsolved cases of missing women.
New South Wales legislative council member Jeremy Buckingham believes a serial killer could be behind 67 cases of dead or missing women
‘It is impossible to think that there are 67 individual murderers in the area from the north coast to Tweed Heads who have escaped justice.
“Someone has done these things repeatedly.”
Although Buckingham admitted that some of the cases were probably individual, isolated incidents, he believes many were related.
He believes there is a single perpetrator who killed many more than the “backpacker killer” Ivan Milat, who had seven victims.
‘Some of these were individual incidents; there is no doubt about that. But many are related and there is only one author,” said Mr Buckingham.
‘It is impossible to think that there are 67 individual murderers in the area from the north coast to Tweed Heads who have escaped justice.
‘Someone has done these things repeatedly.
“The worst serial killer in the country’s history has gotten away with it.”
Next month it will be 30 years since 16-year-old Gordana Kotevski was last seen alive.
Narelle Cox, 21, last seen in Grafton in 1977, is one of the unsolved cases.
He left a note for his family saying: “Went to Noosa to see Faye, will be back on Monday.”
A truck driver later said he had picked up Ms Cox and dropped her off at Brunswick Heads, but was never seen again.
Rose Howell, 18, disappeared in 2003 and was last seen in Bundagen, about 25 kilometers from Coffs Harbour.
Next month it will be 30 years since 16-year-old Gordana Kotevski was last seen being forced into a vehicle while walking from Charlestown Square shopping center to her aunt’s house in Hunter Valley, New Wales. South.
Robyn Hickie, then 18, was last seen standing at a bus stop on the Pacific Highway in Belmont North in 1979.
Despite extensive investigations and the offer of a million dollar reward, Gordana has never been located.
Another unsolved case is that of Susan Maree Kiely, 33, whose body was never found after she disappeared in Bellingen in 1989.
Buckingham said Kiely’s brother collapsed while asking for more to be done.
He also accused New South Wales police of having “failed these women”.
New South Wales Police told Nine News there was “no evidence to indicate that a common criminal was responsible for the disappearances”.
“The matters remain under investigation by the State Crime and Missing Persons Registry Command’s Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide Team,” the spokesperson said.
‘As part of the recent recommendations issued by the Special Commission of Investigation, all unresolved cases will be reviewed every two years.
“All recommendations related to the processes surrounding unsolved homicide cases have been accepted.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted New South Wales Police for comment.