LOCAL police are appealing for help to find three men who have been missing for a combined 37 years.
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After following numerous avenues in the search to find Bingara’s Darren Willis, Tamworth’s Barry Ayton and Armidale’s William Roach, there’s been no trace of any of the men.
Tamworth duty officer, Acting Inspector Josh McKenzie said despite a number of years passing, police weren’t giving up in their investigations to find the men.
“These people all have families that have expressed concern for them, as evidence recently in the United States, even after 10 years people don’t forget missing persons,” Acting Inspector McKenzie told The Northern Daily Leader.
“Police would like to have a resolution to these matters for families to give them closure, to help them towards the healing process.”
Police say even the tiniest piece of information could help them.
“If anyone has any information on these people as to the whereabouts or any of them coming to grief or misadventure in anyway, we would ask them to come forward,” Acting Inspector McKenzie said.
Darren Willis was 45 years old when he was reported missing from Bingara in January 2011.
He hasn’t accessed his bank accounts since then.
Acting Inspector McKenzie said there had been reported sightings of Mr Willis in Tamworth as recently as September 2011.
“Police hold concerns for Mr Willis’ welfare. He was known for doing walkabouts without notifying people and his family want to know that he is all right,” Acting Inspector McKenzie said.
Police are urging Mr Willis or anyone who might know the whereabouts of him to contact them.
“Police have concerns without any significant information that he may have come to grief somewhere,” he said.
“All inquiries have failed to shed any light on where he might be.”
In another case, police are trying to find any sign of Barry Ayton who went missing from Tamworth in March 1997.
Acting Inspector McKenzie says he hasn’t been heard of or seen from since, and all avenues have failed to identify where he might be.
“Police received information in 2011 that someone fitting his description was seen in the Narrabri area and that person was located and it was confirmed it wasn’t Mr Ayton,” Acting Inspector McKenzie said.
“We do have grave concerns for his welfare because from all reports, this was very out of character for Mr Ayton to disappear.”
Mr Ayton hasn’t contacted anyone since he went missing, and hasn’t accessed his bank accounts.
A $100,000 reward was offered just a few years ago to solve the death of Mr Ayton.
A coronial inquest was held in Tamworth in 2006, but there are still a lot of questions about his possible death that remain unanswered.
Police are also appealing for help over the disappearance of William Roach from Armidale.
Mr Roach was born in 1968 and went missing back in 1994 in Armidale, at age 25.
He was originally from Coffs Harbour but was believed to be visiting family or friends in Armidale when he mysteriously disappeared.
He was also a part-time student at the University of New England at the time.
Acting Inspector McKenzie said Mr Roach was last seen in Armidale on New Year’s Eve in 1993.
“Concerns are held for his welfare. His disappearance was also out of character,” Acting Inspector McKenzie said.
The NSW government offered a $50,000 reward for any information that would help solve the missing case in 2009, while an inquest into Mr Roach’s disappearance was held in 2011 by Justice Michael Holmes, the coroner at the time.
“I find that it has been proved to a satisfactory degree of probability that William Bill Roach as the subject of this inquest, has died, however the evidence adduced does not allow me to say the date of the death, and the manner, place and cause of death,” Justice Holmes said at the time.
Acting Inspector McKenzie said information was received in late 2012 that there may have been a Google-Plus account that related to Mr Roach, however police inquiries revealed the account had been created in the USA.
“If anyone knows any information in relation to this missing person, or information on any missing persons, we are pleading with them to come forward and help our investigations,” Acting Inspector McKenzie told The Northern Daily Leader.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
