The family of a young army aspirant who disappeared without a trace have renewed their appeal for information, saying “we have suffered enough”.
The last time Kim Brassington saw her cousin Jake Lyons, it was his birthday and he seemed like he “didn’t want to get out of the car.”
“Jake is a beautiful young man, he was 20 years old the last time we saw him,” she said.
“He deserves to be found somehow.”
Ms Brassington braved the news cameras on Sunday as Victoria Police issued a fresh appeal for information into the disappearance of Jake Lyons on the 10th anniversary of his disappearance.
The then 20-year-old was last seen at his Dandenong home on Scullin St in Melbourne’s south-east on 25 August 2014.
His father, Rick, left for work around 9 a.m. and was initially unconcerned when he returned home to an empty house and realized his car was missing.
But three days later, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to make contact, Jake was reported missing to the police.
Jake Lyons (pictured) was last seen at his Dandenong home on the morning of 25 August 2014.
On the 10th anniversary of his disappearance, detectives from the Missing Persons Squad are asking for the public’s help in finding Jake (pictured)
It would be another three days before investigators found Rick’s silver Holden Astra van at Warner Reserve in Springvale, around the corner from where Jake had previously gone to school.
The car was locked with the keys underneath the vehicle, but police were unable to determine whether the man had driven to the reservation.
There has been no trace of the missing man since then and police now believe it is “less likely” that Jake is still alive.
“While her disappearance remains extremely unusual, police have never been able to establish whether it is suspicious,” said Missing Persons Squad Acting Inspector Tony Combridge.
‘We hope that today’s appeal will provide us with further avenues of investigation.
“It is possible that with the passage of time someone may now be able to share with us information that they were unable to do in 2014 or in subsequent years.”
Acting Inspector Combridge said a friend of Jake’s had told police he arrived at the Scullin St home in the afternoon after making plans to go looking for a rental property with Jake.
He found the front door open and no one was home.
Jake (pictured as a child) was last seen at his Dandenong home on Scullin St on 25 August 2014.
“It didn’t appear that he was planning to leave at that point,” the detective said.
“There are a number of gaps in the day of her disappearance and in the days after… I think there are people out there who probably know things we would like to know.”
Ms Brassington described Jake as “kind, caring and intelligent” and said he had dreams of joining the army.
She said he had previously lived with her and her partner, but before his disappearance he had suddenly expressed a desire to return to live with his father.
Jake had been seeing a counsellor for depression, but Ms Brassington says she had seen “something positive”.
“Ten years of stress, worry and anxiety is a nightmare,” she said.
‘His father wakes up every morning and has to deal with this and it’s really hard not knowing where his son is or if he’s hurt.’
There has been no trace of the missing man, and police now believe it is “less likely” that Jake is still alive (pictured, Missing Persons Squad Acting Inspector Tony Combridge)
Kim Brassington (pictured) described her cousin Jake as “kind, considerate and intelligent” and said he had dreams of joining the army.
Ms Brassington appealed for anyone with information, however small, to contact police.
“Please come and bring some peace to our family. We have suffered for a long time,” he said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.