Sharron Phillips taxi driver confession
Sharron Phillips fuel ran out disappearance.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
A man who accused his father of murdering a young woman could also have been involved in her disappearance – but there was not enough evidence against either man, a coroner has found.
Sharron Phillips vanished on May 8, 1986, while waiting for her boyfriend after running out of petrol at Wacol in south-west Brisbane.
Reopening of the Inquest
Queensland State Coroner Terry Ryan reopened the inquest into the 20-year-old’s disappearance after taxi driver Raymond Peter Mulvihill was identified as the number one suspect by police.
Mr Ryan on Monday handed down findings that Ms Phillips was dead with the cause and precise circumstances unknown, and the person or persons responsible unable to be identified.
Unreliable Witness
Mr Mulvihill’s stepson Ian Seeley testified during hearings in 2020 and 2021 that he contacted a former detective in 2016 and said his father was responsible for abducting and killing Ms Phillips.
Mr Ryan said Mr Seeley was an unreliable witness and his evidence was not enough to support his allegations against Mr Mulvihill.
Commercial Motive to Lie
However, Mr Ryan found Mr Seeley had a commercial motive to lie in order to benefit his podcast about the case and had made unsupported claims, such as his father having murdered at least 10 other women and hidden the bodies in a drain alongside Ms Phillips.
‘It is possible that both Mr Mulvihill and Mr Seeley had some involvement in Sharron’s disappearance,’ Mr Ryan said.
Recommendations
Mr Ryan recommended the Queensland police commissioner ensured Ms Phillips’s death remained with the cold case investigation team for review and monitoring of any new information.
‘I acknowledge Sharron’s family, who have lived with continual and unresolved grief for over 38 years,’ Mr Ryan said.
Disappointment
Following Mr Ryan’s findings, Owen Lockett, who had given evidence during the inquest, shared his disappointment about the uncertainty surrounding Ms Phillips’s death.
Mr Lockett said he had come across Mr Mulvihill walking out of the bush with a shovel on May 10, 1986.
He said when he saw Mr Mulvihill walking towards him out of the dark treeline, he felt “cold shivers” through him and knew something was suspicious.
Conclusion
It’s been a long and painful journey for Sharron Phillips’s family, with many unanswered questions and unresolved grief. The search for justice continues as the case remains unsolved after 38 years.
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Sharron Phillips ran out of fuel and disappeared 40 years ago
Taxi driver confessed to her murder on his deathbed
Coroner delivers devastating new bombshell to Phillips family.
