Daniel Morcombe's twin brother recalls the tragic day the schoolboy was abducted from a bus stop and murdered by a paedophile
Daniel Morcombe's twin brother has recalled the day the 13-year-old was abducted and murdered while waiting for a bus to go and buy his family Christmas presents.
Brad, 35, has fondly remembered Daniel as his 'best mate' over two decades after the schoolboy disappeared from a bus stop on Sunday December 7, 2003.
'On that hot Sunday afternoon, trouble found Daniel,' he told a new documentary into his brother's disappearance, Don't Waste It: The Daniel Morcombe Story.
'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We never saw him again.'
The family were finally reunited with Daniel eight years later when his remains were discovered in the Glass House Mountains in the Gold Coast hinterland in 2011.
Daniel's killer, Brett Peter Cowan, was arrested the same year and is serving a life sentence at a Brisbane correctional centre.
'When the truth finally came it was worse than we ever imagined,' Brad said.
'After eight years, Daniel wasn't coming home.'
Daniel's father, Bruce, described the arrest as 'an incredible shock and surprise, a moment not of joy - a moment you think, "Wow Daniel's not coming home".'
Brad cherishes the happy childhood memories he shared with his twin.
'He was only 13-years-old when he was abducted, just a few days before our birthday,' he said.
'He was my best mate. He loved horses and we both loved motorbikes.
'We grew up doing everything together - school, motorbikes, horses. Basically what he did, I did and vice versa.
'To outsiders he would seem like he was quiet but to us he was very boisterous, a little joker, a little mate. Just a nice kid.'
Brad said waiting to get answers into his brother's disappearance before he was found was 'torture'.
'Every phone call, every knock on the door brought a flicker of hope, that quickly faded,' he said.
The documentary was shared on Tuesday, May 6, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
Originally established by Daniel's parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, as a way to help find their son, the foundation has become one of the largest child safety operations in Australia.
Its symbol, a red t-shirt, has become a well-recognised symbol for child safety and pays tribute to the shirt Daniel wore on the day of his abduction.
Bruce explained the evolution of the foundation's mission was a way for him and his wife to cope with their grief and help other victims.
'We weren't sitting there in our sorrow,' he said.
'I can't change what's happened to Daniel but I can influence and change the future.
'I want everyone to stand tall and accept the challenge… Today is the day I tell my story. You are incredibly important in helping others. Don't waste your pain, you will help somebody else.'
The Daniel Morcombe Foundation provides child safety education, prevention, and community engagement across Australia with Bruce and Denise often conducting sessions themselves.
Over the years, the organisation has distributed more than two-million child safety resources and raised over $20million to ensure the continuation of its free programs.
With more plans for books and resources in the pipeline, the Morcombe family are determined to continue their advocacy for many years to come.
Don't Waste It: The Daniel Morcombe Story is available to watch on the Daniel Morcombe Foundation's YouTube page.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
18 minutes ago
- Times
Nick Kyrgios's role as Wimbledon pundit to end after only one year
Nick Kyrgios will not be part of the BBC's Wimbledon coverage this year and the Australian is set to miss the tournament as a player too. The BBC was criticised for hiring the 30-year-old for Wimbledon last year after he admitted assaulting an ex-girlfriend. Sources close to the broadcaster have confirmed that Kyrgios will not be part of the line-up for the 2025 event, which starts on June 30. Kyrgios confirmed last week that his hopes of playing in SW19 for the first time since 2022, when he reached the final, had been dashed by a setback in his recovery from injury. In 2023 Kyrgios admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari when he pushed her over during an argument, but avoided a criminal conviction after a magistrate ruled that the offence was 'low-level'. He was also criticised for sharing social media posts by the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate — he later deleted them. Last year the BBC was forced to defend its decision to hire Kyrgios, saying: 'We are in no way condoning his cited previous actions or behaviours, on and off the court, and he is employed to share his views on tennis only.' Kyrgios has also been outspoken in recent months about the leniency of a three-month ban given to the French Open finalist and world No1 Jannik Sinner after two positive drugs tests in 2024. Kyrgios, who has been open about his mental health struggles, said the sanction showed that 'fairness in tennis does not exist'. Last year he told the interviewer Louis Theroux it was 'impossible' that the pyramids had been built by humans and also indicated he believed there was evidence to back up other conspiracy theories, including whether the moon landings had actually taken place.
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Beauty queen strangled to death by longtime family friend after he revealed shocking secret
A young beauty queen was allegedly strangled to death by a longtime family friend who confessed his love for her - only to fly into a murderous rage when she rejected his advances. Suspect Marcelo Alves, 40, told police that he made up a story about a job opportunity in Sorocaba, Brazil, and pitched it to Raissa da Silva, 23. Video footage showed da Silva getting in a vehicle with Alves, an up-and-coming comedian, on June 2 and waving at her family before they reported her missing. They went out for lunch and then visited his home in Curitiba, where Alves admitted to da Silva that he loved her, according to Paraná Civil Police chief Aline Manzatto. Alves, who is known on stage as Alves Li Pernambuco, said that da Silva got upset and insulted him before he strangled her with a plastic wire. 'He said he was angry and out of control, that he took the plastic wire and strangled the victim, leaving her in one room of the house and going to another,' Manzatto said. Alves returned to the room 10 minutes later to find her dead. Manzatto indicated that Alves placed da Silva's body in a tarp and wrapped it before sealing it with duct tape. He then called his son, Dhony, who begged him to turn himself in to the police. Alves then borrowed a vehicle from a friend, and with the assistance of his son transported the body to a forest in the town of Araucária - about 18 miles from Curitiba - and buried da Silva. On Monday, Alves went to a police station in Curitiba and admitted to killing da Silva and hiding her body. He gave his confession just moments after sending da Silva's sister audio message copping to the crime, the victim's family's lawyer told Brazilian news outlet G1. Alves provided the location of da Silva's body and led cops to the site. Da Silva, a native of Paulo Alfonso, was only 10 years old when she met Alves, a friend of the family, at a martial art class he taught. She was crowned Miss Serra Branca Teen in 2020 and had been doing modeling work in Curitiba, where she lived the past three years. Da Siva's cousin, Herbert Guilherme, told G1 that Alves even offered to assist the family in their search after she went missing because da Silva saw him as a father figure 'When I found out about her disappearance, I called him,' Guilherme said. 'He lied the whole time. He kept saying he was going to help me find her.' Alves remains jailed on charges of homicide and concealment of a body. Dhony was charged with concealing a corpse and was released after posting bail. The comedian's lawyer, Caio Percival, told RPC television that he has a clean record and had never stepped inside a police precinct before his confession. 'There is no secret to this, it is a crime of passion,' Percival said. '[He] unfortunately was dragged by passion into this situation that is clearly out of the ordinary.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Toddler, two, 'killed by his grandparents' had bleed on the brain caused by 'repeated assaults' and was 'probably going to die', court hears
A two-year-old boy allegedly killed by his grandparents had a bleed on the brain caused by 'repeated assaults' and was 'probably going to die' despite efforts to save him, a court heard today. Dr Jayaratnam Jayamohan told Mold Crown Court, north Wales, that Ethan Ives-Griffiths, two, had been 'desperately ill' when he was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, on August 14, 2021. Providing a report on the brain injuries Ethan suffered, Dr Jayamohan said the toddler had been in a coma and required emergency surgery for a bleed on the brain after being subject to 'repeated assaults' which left him with 'traumatic' injuries. The doctor said that Ethan had potentially sustained both an 'an impact to the right side of the head or a shaking injury' which left medics believing he was likely to die despite their attempts to save him. Dr Jayamohan added: 'This was a very hopeful operation. He was probably going to die but he's a young boy so we will always try. Everything was stacked against him by this point.' Prosecuting KC Caroline Rees said the discovery of old and fresh blood suggested there had been two events which caused bleeding in the brain. The doctor agreed and said there was 'evidence Ethan has had repeated assaults.' Ethan died in hospital on August 16, 2021 after his life support was stopped, and the prosecution have alleged he was murdered by his grandparents at their home. Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, both of Kingsley Road, Garden City, Flintshire, on the Wales - England border, deny murder, instead blaming the toddler's mother, Shannon, 28. Both grandparents deny murder, instead blaming the toddler's mother, Shannon (above) - but the prosecution have said the mother was out of the room and not responsible for the fatal injuries But the prosecution have said the mother was out of the room and not responsible for the fatal injuries. The jury heard that Ethan had suffered a 'catastrophic head and brain injury', and the Home Office pathologist is alleged to have seen 40 injuries on his body. The prosecution said there were cuts, grazes and bruises, and that Ethan was an 'object of abuse and neglect'. The grandparents and Shannon Ives, who was of Nant Garmon, Mold, have also pleaded not guilty to causing or allowing the tragedy, and cruelty between June 8, 2021, and August 17 that year. The trial continues.
