Latest news with #JasonLawrence
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Dramatic breakthrough more than three decades after Aussie mum vanished without a trace in a cold case that gripped Australia
A man has been charged over the suspicious disappearance of a mother two years after a probe in the cold case reopened. Pauline Sowry, 49, went missing in December 1993 from Wollongong, south of Sydney. Her whereabouts remain unknown. An inquest in 2008 found she had died, despite an unconfirmed sighting in 1994. NSW Police strike force Anthea was formed in 2022 to re-examine the circumstances of the case. Following extensive inquiries, police arrested a Wollongong man, 64, at a unit in Gywnneville on Thursday morning. Footage showed officers leading a man with a long, grey ponytail from the unit to the back of a police car. He was taken to Wollongong Police Station, where charged with accessory after the fact to murder and conceal serious indictable offence. The man was refused bail and will appear in Wollongong Local Court on Friday. The breakthrough has been a long time coming for Ms Sowry's family. 'We have waited more than 30 years to hear today's news,' her son Jason Lawrence said in a statement shared by police. 'We miss her every day and her disappearance has taken a huge toll on myself and our entire family. 'We thank the police officers for never giving up hope and we look forward to the outcome of this investigation.' Southern Region Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar said police worked tirelessly to close the case. The NSW government offered a $500,000 reward in March 2024 for any information about Ms Sowry's disappearance. Local officers conducted three searches as part of their investigation in 2023 and 2024 and found items of clothing belonging to Ms Sowry, who also went by her married name Pauline Lawrence. Those items included a cream button-down long sleeve blouse with a coloured stitching and black pants. A key area of interest was bushland in Figtree, south of Wollongong. In May 2024, police called on the public to share information about a 'pristine' white 1968 Holden HK Kingswood sedan which detectives believed Ms Sowry may have travelled in. 'During last year's renewed appeal for information, I made a promise that the NSW Police would leave no stone unturned to seek a resolution,' Assistant Commissioner Cassar said. 'The persistence and effort by my officers has resulted in today's arrest. 'I commend the tireless commitment of our officers in finding answers for Pauline's family and they continue to work hard to bring this matter before the courts.' He added Ms Sowry's disappearance 'is still subject to an investigation'. 'Even from whatever transpires from today's interview (with the man), I would expect there will be continued investigations until we can locate Pauline, and to see if there are any other suspects or pieces of evidence we may need to locate,' he said. 'It's an open investigation.' Items seized during Thursday's arrest will under forensic testing. Mr Cassar confirmed the man arrested was a 'significant person who can certainly assist us with this inquiry' and was a 'person of interest' during investigations. 'The reason for his arrest is specifically in relation to the suspected disappearance of Pauline,' he said. 'There is a confirmed connection between this individual and Pauline.' Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Man arrested three decades after NSW woman Pauline Sowry disappeared from Wollongong
A man has been arrested three decades after a New South Wales mother disappeared and three years after her cold case was reopened. Pauline Sowry, also known by her married name Pauline Lawrence, was 49 when last seen by her family in the northern suburbs of Wollongong in December 1993. Her whereabouts remain unknown, although a 2008 coronial inquest found she had died, most likely after an unconfirmed sighting in 1994. Police said a 64-year-old man was arrested on Thursday at a unit in Gywnneville. He remained in custody. Pauline's son, Jason Lawrence, said: 'We have waited more than 30 years.' 'We welcome today's news that a person has been arrested in relation to the suspicious disappearance of our beloved mum,' he said. 'We miss her every day, and her disappearance has taken a huge toll on myself and our entire family. We thank the police officers for never giving up hope and we look forward to the outcome of this investigation.' Police reopened the investigation in 2022. In December 2024, police found black pants and a cream button-down blouse with white and orange stitching after searching the Illawarra escarpment at Figtree. Police did not confirm whether the clothing belonged to Sowry but said the items included hand-stitching in coloured cotton and the mother was known for altering clothing for herself and her children. In March last year, the police and state government announced a $500,000 reward for information leading to the 'arrest and conviction of anyone responsible'. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Responses to that announcement led officers to search bushland, including in October 2024. NSW police's southern region assistant commissioner, Joe Cassar, said on Thursday: 'I made a promise that the NSW police would leave no stone unturned to seek a resolution and the persistence and effort by my officers has resulted in today's arrest.' 'I commend the tireless commitment of our officers in finding answers for Pauline's family and they continue to work hard to bring this matter before the courts,' he said.
