June 22nd 2024.
Fifteen years ago, Kirrilee Wells had a bittersweet reunion with her father at a pub in northern NSW. It wasn't uncommon for them to go months or even years without seeing each other after her parents' marriage ended. But little did she know, it would be the last time she ever saw him.
Reflecting back on that night, Kirrilee couldn't shake off the strange feeling that something was off. Her father, Garry John Wells, had reached out to his ex-wife, Michelle, in order to meet with her, Kirrilee and her brother Ben at the Chinderah Tavern on June 10, 2009. He also briefly met with his ex-wife again at the Cudgen Surf Club the following day. However, it wasn't until almost a year later, when Garry's mother Joan reported him missing, that Kirrilee and her family realized something was seriously wrong.
"We didn't get to see dad that often," Kirrilee, now 28 years old, shared with 9news.com.au. "He kept saying he was going to come and then he didn't, that's just how it was, which was sad. But when we saw that he had been reported missing, we thought that was a bit weird. And when we reflected back on that night, we realized there were a few strange things he said."
Garry had moved to Muswelbrook after his marriage to Kirrilee's mother broke down in the late '90s and he would travel back and forth to Chinderah sporadically. Kirrilee remembers giving statements at the police station after he was reported missing, but after that, they heard nothing. It wasn't until almost a decade later, when Kirrilee was an adult and wanted answers, that she found out there had been a coronial inquest into her father's disappearance and suspected death.
"I decided that I really wanted to try and find him because I felt like we just needed some closure," Kirrilee explained. "I think we stayed in contact with my nan, but we weren't really in great contact with her."
It took Kirrilee three years to obtain the findings and brief of evidence from the inquest. She had initially contacted Muswelbrook police, who directed her to the Coroner's Court. The brief of evidence revealed that in the years leading up to his disappearance, Garry had been a heavy drinker and had an itinerant lifestyle, moving between family and friends. His last card transaction was at the Dolphins Hotel in Tweed Heads, a 15-minute drive from Chinderah, on June 12, 2009. The red Ford Telstar sedan he was driving at the time has never been found.
According to a transcript of the hearing, Detective Sergeant Mardi Boardman told the inquest that she believed Garry "committed suicide sometime after the last meeting with his ex-wife." However, Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund left an open finding as to the manner and cause of his death, ruling that Garry had died sometime after June 1, 2009.
"When I read that, I burst into tears," Kirrilee said. "My mum burst into tears too. I think it's the way they worded it, that he tried to take his life due to an unwelcoming meeting with his family. I just don't believe it."
Kirrilee and her brother still hold onto the hope that their father could still be alive and hiding from someone or that he may have been murdered. "I'm not too sure why he didn't really want us in his life, but at the end of the day, he's still my dad and I want to know what happened and have a bit of closure," Kirrilee said.
In New South Wales, a missing person case is referred to the coroner when the investigating police believe the missing person is dead or when no further inquiries can be made about whether they are alive or not. Family members can stay updated about the investigation by keeping in contact with the police.
"Realizing that we weren't notified about the coroner's court, it definitely hurt," Kirrilee shared. "We are his only children, so it just felt really, really strange that we weren't notified."
Recently, Kirrilee's aunt Carolyn Neilsen received a phone call from a woman who wanted to tell her about a strange encounter she had with Garry at a Muswelbrook pub before he went missing. The woman said Garry seemed afraid of another woman at the venue and that the encounter had been on her mind for years.
"I don't know if it's a lead or anything, it was super random, but I thought, wow, someone is speaking out now, after all this time, so I wanted to get the story out there again," Kirrilee said.
As Garry's remains have not been located, he is still listed as a missing person, according to a spokesman for NSW Police. "Police will investigate any new leads and urge anyone who might have information about Garry's disappearance to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," the spokesman said.
It's important to note that going missing is not a crime. If a person has been reported as missing and makes contact with the police, their privacy will be maintained. If anyone has information about a missing person, they can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
In times of distress, readers can seek support from organizations such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue, Suicide Call Back Service, and MensLine Australia.
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