Australia Australia - Lucille Butterworth, 20, Claremont, Tasmania, 25 Aug 1969

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Tasmanian detectives question man over suspected murder of Lucille Butterworth in 1969

Updated 2 hours 2 minutes ago

Hobart detectives have spent four hours questioning a man over the disappearance and suspected murder of Lucille Butterworth almost 45 years ago.

In one of Tasmania's most notorious cold cases, Lucille Butterworth was last seen at a bus stop at Claremont in Hobart's northern suburbs on August 25 in 1969 when she was 20.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-...tion-man-over-suspected-murder-of-luc/5471950
 
Pain of not knowing lingers on

May 26, 2014,

EVERY day John Fitzgerald wakes up to a photograph of his fiancee who vanished 44 years ago without a trace.

Lucille Gay Butterworth, 20, disappeared on August 25, 1969, while waiting for a bus at Claremont in the state's south.

The striking typist was off to meet her fiance with plans to attend a Miss Tasmania charity event at New Norfolk.

She never arrived and Mr Fitzgerald, then 22, has been waiting for answers ever since.

These days his voice carries the pain of not knowing.

``People just don't understand how difficult it is living with something like this all your life,'' he said yesterday

http://www.examiner.com.au/story/2308760/pain-of-not-knowing-lingers-on/?cs=95
 
"Lucille Butterworth: Police to excavate site in fresh search for missing model's remains"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-02/police-prepare-to-excavate-site-in-search-lucille-butterworth/6591092

Police are preparing to dig up an area north of Hobart in an attempt to find the remains of Lucille Butterworth, who was last seen on August 25, 1969.

Police are tight-lipped about what led them to the dig site but it is understood fresh information came from the latest review of the old case notes and re-interviewing old witnesses.

Police believe Butterworth's killer picked her up from the bus stop, pulled over in the rest area, dragged her further away from the road side and dumped her body.
 
Here is a 2014 article about the man (Don Hazell) who thought he dug up a rib in the area in 1987 . He was also a retired civil construction boss from a well known Tasmanian company Hazell Brothers. This man became the Mayor of Kingston - so he is not a "nutter" looking for attention. - I know from personal experience that Hazell Brothers did a great job cleaning up after the 2013 bush fires - they are a large and known company. http://www.hazellbros.com.au/node/383 .

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-28/lucille-butterworth-mystery3a-construction-worker-believes-he-/5628670

"Mr Hazell, 87, of Hazell Bros construction company, said last week he returned to an area where about 40 years ago he was working on a housing development in Kingston, where he came across what he thought was a human rib cage.

He said he had a good look at the time and could not find any other bones that confirmed the remains as human.

He said he put the bones back close to where the curb met the gutter.

Mr Hazell said last week he and his son dug up an area of concrete where he believed the bones might lie, but found nothing."
 
Lucille Butterworth inquest: Murderer and rapist Geoffrey Charles Hunt revealed as main person of interest

"On Monday, coroner Simon Cooper lifted the suppression order on the names of persons of interest.

The court heard Mr Hunt was previously convicted for the rape and murder of car saleswoman Susan Knight in 1976.

Mr Cooper was told there were three other persons of interest in the case; John Gamon Lonergan, who is deceased, Robert Carl Lahey and Lance Russell Sage, who are considered minor persons of interest"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-31/murderer-geoffrey-charles-hunt-of-interest-in-butterworth-case/6737140
 
Some interesting articles - inquest could continue into next year. So many possible suspects and missing files and evidence that a more cynical person would suspect a "cover up".

The ABC understands the inquest will now adjourn on September 25 and recommence in mid November with the final evidence being presented in December.

Lucille Butterworth inquest: Coroner orders journalist be taken into custody to reappear in court
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-14/butterworth-inquest-could-last-until-2016/6773100

Lucille Butterworth inquest: Former wife of deceased suspect believes he was the culprit
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-16/lucille-butterworth-inquest:-ex-wife-of-lonergan-talks/6781146

Lucille Butterworth inquest: Family want apology from Tasmania Police over handling of case
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-24/lucille-butterworth-police-had-clairvoyant-folder/6801212
 
Lucille Butterworth inquest: Coroner advised he could find 'person of interest' Geoffrey Hunt admitted to strangling missing model

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-20/butterworth-inquest-statement-open-to-strangulation-admission/7100358

Almost five months after a coronial inquest into the 1969 disappearance of Ms Butterworth began, closing submissions were made in Hobart.

Mr Nicholson earlier urged coroner Simon Cooper to find that Ms Butterworth was a victim of a homicide, and it was "unlikely" she was abducted.

"It is not possible to precisely determine the cause of her death," he said.

But the coroner was asked to find that it was likely her death occurred on August 25, within hours of her vanishing from the bus stop.

The main person of interest to the inquest has been Mr Hunt, a convicted murderer who lived on the same New Norfolk street as Ms Butterworth's boyfriend, John Fitzgerald.

Mr Nicholson told the coroner Mr Hunt had tried to minimise his relationship with Mr Fitzgerald, but the court could find he knew both the Fitzgerald family and Ms Butterworth.

Mr Nicholson told the court the involvement of two of them - Lance LeSage and Bobby Lahey - was discredited.

A fourth person of interest, John Gannon Lonergan, had a history of sexual offences including rape and indecent assault, and was known to pick up women from bus stops.
 

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