A heartbroken mother has penned an emotional letter to her son after he vanished without a trace at 11-months old from the wreckage of a fatal car crash.
About 50,000 missing persons reports are made to police each year – that’s one person every 11 minutes – but 95 per cent are found within a week.
Half of the reports involve young people aged between 13 and 17 years old.
While the majority are safely located in a short time – between 24 hours to one week – some cases stretch beyond three months and are classified as long-term missing.
There are about 2,700 long-term missing persons across Australia, which are registered on the Australian Federal Police’s National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC).
To mark International Missing Children’s Day on Sunday, the NMPCC have issued a public appeal for information related to six long-term missing children.
One of the missing children is 11-month-old Darren Jason Shannon, who was last seen in June 1973 in Elizabeth South, South Australia.
Referred to by his middle name, Jason was taken from his grandparents home by his father, John Shannon, on June 9, 1973.
Darren Jason Shannon went missing when he was just 11-months-old after he was taken from his grandparents house by his dad in 1973
Just two hours and 20 minutes later at 9.15pm, Mr Shannon died in head-on collision car crash just north of Adelaide.
Emergency services searched the wreck and the surrounding areas but there was no sign of baby Jason anywhere.
The case made national news and an extensive search was launched to locate the 11-month-old but he was never found.
His mother, 76-year-old Michelle Swift, has not given up hope of finding out what happed to her little boy.
Ms Swift has penned an emotional letter about her son, who would be aged 52 now.
‘I can only remember him smiling and always being the centre of attention amongst my brothers and sisters,’ Ms Swift wrote.
‘There he was either sat on the grass with them all, or being carried in someone’s arms. He was taking part in the fun in his own little way.
‘The last thing I did for Jason was light a sparkler for him. I can still remember the look on his face as he was watching it burn.
His distraught mother has not given up hope and has penned an emotional letter desperately asking the public for information about her little boy
Referred to by his middle name, Jason went missing after his father died in a head-on car crash. Police searched for him in the wreck and surrounding area but failed to locate him
‘Jason was doted on by my brothers and sisters, and they would take it in turns to feed and hold him. There was always someone different holding him. I’m glad he at least had that short time of happiness.’
Ms Swift reflected on how she never had the chance to watch her son grow and learn about his favourite colour or his aspirations.
Now, more than five decades later, she has made a desperate appeal for any information that could lead to finding Jason.
‘What happened that night was devastating not only to me but all of my family. None of us have been the same since. It has affected us in more ways than we realise,’ Ms Swift wrote.
‘We just want him back, even if it means finding a final resting place for him. We need to find out what happened to him.
‘There’s always this missing piece in my heart which can only be filled when this puzzle has been solved.’
The heartbroken mum urged anyone who has information no matter how ‘insignificant’ about that night or could help her find Jason, to contact South Australian Police or Crime Stoppers.
‘My hope is that I will get some closure one day in the not too distant future,’ Ms Swift wrote.
Megan Louise Mulguiney was 17-years-old when she disappeared after finishing her shift at Big W in Canberra
OTHER LONG-TERM MISSING AUSTRALIANS
Megan Louise Mulquiney, 17, last seen in July 1984 in Canberra
Megan had finished her shift at Big W at the Woden Shopping Centre in Canberra on July 28, 1984.
She was last seen at 12.15pm standing outside the western entrance of the Woden Plaza and was due to catch a bus home but she never arrived.
At the time of her disappearance, Megan was 17 years old. She would now be 58.
‘Megan was a beautiful, quiet girl who loved being at home with her family,’ Megan’s mum said.
‘Somebody knows something. Please, please come forward if you know anything about Megan’s disappearance’.
Ronya Livoni, 16, last seen in March 1980 in Moli, Northern Territory.
Ronya was last seen by her mother on March 10, 1980 while leaving their family home without a change of clothes or any money.
Ronya Livoni, was 16-years-old when she was last seen by her mother while leaving their family home without a change of clothes or any money on March 10, 1980
She was 16-years-old when she was last seen. She would now be 61.
Ronya’s brother said his favourite memory of his sister was when they would skip school and spend the day together on trains exploring different places.
‘We had so much fun together…. I love you and miss you a lot, please contact me if you see this.’
Cherie Westell, 15, last seen in December 2000 in Wantirna South, Victoria.
Cherie went missing on December 12, 2000, just seven days before her 16th birthday.
She had attended a dentist appointment at 12pm at Knox Dental Group and left the surgery at about 12.30pm.
At 1.58pm, Cherie called her Mooroobark home from a public telephone box on the corner of Selkirk Avenue and Wantirna Road, Wantirna about 5km from the dentist.
Cherie was attempting to make her way home but has not been seen or heard from since.
Cherie went missing on December 12, 2000, just seven days before her 16th birthday after leaving a dentist appointment in Wantirna South, Victoria
‘When Cherie was a little girl, and I took her to school Cherie would aways hold my hand,’ Cherie’s original foster mother of nine years said.
‘Cherie’s hands were always really rough because she spent so much time swinging on the monkey bars at school.’
Cherie’s favourite activity was horse riding, she played competition tennis and rollerblading, played piano by ear and loved to compose music and poetry.
Leela McDougall, 5, last seen in July 2007 in Nannup, Western Australia.
Leela was five-years-old when she was reported missing after she, along with her mum and two other men, vacated a Nannup property on July 1, 2007.
She would now be 23-years-old.
Leela’s grandparents, Cathy and Jim, said their little granddaughter was full of beans, loved to dance and adored her two dachshunds.
‘We just would like to know you are safe and happy,’ her grandparents said.
Leela was five-years-old when she was reported missing after she, along with her mum and two other men, vacated a Nannup property on July 1, 2007
Eve Askew, 14, last seen in November 1991 in Fitzgerald, Tasmania.
Eve went missing from her family’s residence at Fitzgerald, Tasmania sometime during the night of the 16 November 1991.
The 14-year-old left a note indicating her intention to leave home after being grounded by her parents for smoking.
There is a reward of $500,000 for information which results in the conviction of an offender in relation to her disappearance or leads to the whereabouts of her location.
Eve Askew was 14-years-old when she went missing from her family’s residence at Fitzgerald, Tasmania sometime during the night of the 16 November 1991
AFP Commander Joanne Cameron said the AFP hoped International Missing Children’s Day would result in information for the families of missing children.
‘When a loved one is missing, families often experience what we call ambiguous loss — a form of grief that never quite settles,’ Commander Cameron said.
‘It can be a relentless cycle of hope and heartbreak, making it incredibly difficult for families to move forward without any real answers about their loved ones.
‘The AFP will continue to work tirelessly to keep the stories and memories of those missing, alive.
‘We hope people will see their faces and profiles online and report any information that could help police locate them and bring them home.’
Commander Cameron added any piece of information, no matter how small a person believes it is, could be ‘incredibly valuable’ in helping locate a missing person.
‘We have featured six missing persons on our website in hope someone, somewhere, knows something and reports it,’ Commander Cameron said.
‘Remember behind every missing person is a family member, friend, and community, all waiting for answers. If you know something, please report it.’
Anyone with information that could help with any of investigations should contact Police Link on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Anytime you have concerns for the safety and welfare of someone and their whereabouts are unknown, you can report them missing to your local police. You do not have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing.
For confidential support call Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
