Kellie Ann Carmichael’s family has broken their silence after the backpacker’s remains were found in the Blue Mountains 23 years after she disappeared.
Carmichael was 24 when he left a hostel in Katoomba, west of Sydney, on April 29, 2001.
She told staff she would collect her belongings after going for a walk, but she was never seen again.
In a dramatic update decades later, bones discovered by NSW Police in Katoomba last week have been confirmed to belong to her.
Kellie Ann Carmichael, 24, left a hostel in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains, on April 29, 2001.
She told staff she would collect her belongings after going for a walk, but she was never seen again.
Carmichael’s parents, who live in Geelong, have always believed their daughter may have been murdered.
Agents from the Unsolved Homicide Team informed them of the discovery.
Her mother, Margaret Carmichael, said her daughter would never have committed suicide.
“We know it, and everyone who knew her knows it,” he told the Geelong Advertiser.
“She wasn’t feeling well at the time, but she loved life and was a beautiful girl.”
His father, John, said the grim events had taken their toll on the couple, who now hope to bring his remains home.
His cousin, Andrew Carmichael, said the news came as a complete shock and he had endless questions about what happened.
Peter Vandenberg, 51, said his group of friends were absolutely stunned by the news and said they wanted answers because his mysterious death never left them.
Another friend from school said she hopes the family gets some answers.
A post-mortem examination will now attempt to determine how Mrs Carmichael died.
The discovery only occurred by chance after an officer rappelling down a cliff as part of an unrelated search spotted the bones in bushes in late April.
Police returned to the same location in May, when they found more remains.
The bones discovered by NSW Police in Katoomba last week have been confirmed to be those of Ms Carmichael (pictured below right).
Carmichael’s parents (pictured), who live in Geelong, Victoria, have always believed their daughter may have been murdered.
Carmichael’s parents reported her missing after not hearing from her for six days.
Her case shocked the nation and gave rise to many theories about her disappearance, including whether she had been the victim of a serial killer.
But a police investigation concluded that he had committed suicide because he suffered from schizophrenia.
In 2011, the New South Wales government placed a $200,000 reward for information about his disappearance.
“I feel like we’ve been robbed of the chance to have our daughter and our grandchildren,” Mrs. Carmichael told reporters at the time.
“We have never had the opportunity to have our daughter… our family has never been the same.”
Carmichael was the youngest of three siblings and was 47 years old.
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