Inside knowledge that has locals gripped by fear after gran’s body found decomposing in cattle dip

Residents of a rural community fear there is a killer in their midst after the body of a grandmother was found in a remote cattle dip eight months after she vanished.

On Tuesday, detectives confirmed the remains of Yvonne Whear, 73, were found in the disused trough by two trailbike riders on October 5 at Terragon near Murwillumbah, northern NSW. 

She was last seen driving in Murwillumbah on February 19 before she vanished, leaving food cooking at home, with clothes laid out for the next day and her beloved animals apparently abandoned. 

Seven months later, police found her empty SUV submerged in the Rous River at Dulguigan, about 7km from where she was last seen, but still no trace of Ms Whear.

That was until Monday morning when trailbike riders discovered her body in an advanced state of decomposition, partially submerged in the trough, 30km from her home. 

Following an autopsy on the remains, police have now launched a homicide investigation for one or more killers, sparking new fears among locals.

They believe the remote sites where her car and body were found indicate someone familiar with the area – and they now fear the murderer could be a neighbour.

‘It was a local that did it,’ one long-term resident told the Daily Mail. ‘There is no way you would find that cattle dip by chance.

‘Then to return back to the area and dispose of the car at a convenient spot for the perpetrator? They have to know the area very well because that place is not obvious.

‘You wouldn’t know it was there when driving past so it has got to be someone who has lived in the area for a long time.’

When family first reported the NDIS carer missing, investigators initially suspected she may have been involved in an accident on the region’s winding roads.

However, fears for her safety mounted as searches failed to find her or her gold Ford Escape SUV, until it was found in the river on September 12.

The vehicle was pulled from the water for forensic testing and items believed to belong to Ms Whear were also recovered.

Her mobile phone’s last recorded signal placed it in the same area, but there was no sign of the grandmother.

The local Facebook group has now become a hive of concern and speculation as neighbours increasingly fear for their own safety.

‘Old dips you don’t just see everywhere – you really need to know they are there,’ wrote one person, with dozens more agreeing.

‘It’s terrifying to think they walk among us…what motive could there be to kill a grandmother? Anyone could be next,’ added another. 

The abandoned cattle dip is concealed about 300m down an overgrown fire trail off Kyogle Road, in a location police described as ‘very isolated’.

Detectives want to hear from anyone who visited the site between Ms Whear’s disappearance and the discovery of her body.

For her family, the discovery has brought a heartbreaking end to months of searching.

Her daughter, Gillian Hallac, had long suspected foul play after calls to the much-loved mother of three and grandmother of ten went unanswered.

She said Ms Whear spoke to her family almost every day and cared deeply for the animals on her small farm.

Her family have now had to list her beloved pets for adoption. 

‘Yvonne’s animals were a cherished part of her life, each one loved, known, and cared for in their own special way,’ they wrote online.

‘While our family continues to care for them, we are looking for kind, safe homes where they can be loved as much as they deserve to be. 

‘Each animal has a story, a personality, and a heart ready to love again.’

Among the photos were six ragdoll cats, three rabbits, ducks and chickens.

On Tuesday morning, Tweed/Byron Police District Acting Commander Matt Zimmer said Ms Whear’s family were in the midst of an ‘unimaginable’ period of grief.

‘You can’t comprehend what they are going through this morning,’ he said.

He also acknowledged the distress rippling through the community as detectives worked to establish who was responsible.

‘Yvonne’s death has not only affected the family, it’s also had a significant impact on the local community.

‘It’s created distress and it has created some concern in what is a very tight regional community.’

Police are convinced someone local knows more.

‘It’s been eight months now since Yvonne was reported missing. It’s been eight days since her body was recovered,’ Acting Superintendent Zimmer said.

‘I have no doubt in that period of time there have been conversations in the community as to what occurred and as to who was involved.

‘If you do hold information, I’d ask you to consider what Yvonne’s family are going through right at the moment, the grief that they are suffering, and to put yourself in their shoes and to come forward and assist police with this investigation.

‘Someone knows what happened to Yvonne.’

Ms Whear attended TAFE on the day she disappeared, before visiting the Shell service station on Tweed Valley Way in Murwillumbah at about 3.15pm.

Her vehicle was then captured on CCTV travelling along Queensland Road towards her farm.

The clothing she had worn that afternoon was later reported to be in her washing machine, while her cap and boots were beside the door.

Calls and texts from her daughter went unanswered the following morning.

Her phone’s final recorded signal was at about 10.10am on February 20, in the Rous River area where her car was later recovered.

After the vehicle was found in September, Ms Hallac said its discovery reinforced her longstanding belief that her mother had been taken and the car hidden.

Police have established Strike Force Milera to investigate the killing and are exploring whether more than one person was involved, including whether someone collected the person who left Ms Whear’s vehicle in the river.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Tweed Heads Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

READ MORE: ‘She has vanished into thin air’: Bush tracker joins desperate search for suburban mum who disappeared on a walk two weeks ago – as expert spots worrying detail in CCTV footage 

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