The body of a teen has been found just days after his family issued a tearful public plea.
An eight day search for Richard Tu, 17, ended after his body was found in bushland at Mount Richon, 36km south-east of Perth, on Tuesday afternoon.
Police and SES volunteer rescue teams had been combing a five square kilometre area of bushland near where the teen’s phone last ‘pinged’.
Richard was last seen getting off a bus in Armadale on the night of March 31.
The last location ‘ping’ from his phone was recorded two hours later in Mount Richon at 11pm.
It’s understood he walked the 4km from the bus stop to where his phone was last traced.
More than 80 volunteers and emergency responders spent much of Tuesday searching for the teen.
Rescue teams were about to call off the extensive search when the grim discovery was made.
The eight day search for Richard Tu came to a tragic end on Tuesday afternoon
The 17-year-old was last seen exiting a bus in Armadale at 9pm on March 31, 4km away from where his body was eventually found
‘We’ve covered probably about five square kilometres of area around where we believe the last ping was from Richard’s phone,’ Fremantle District Inspector Steve Scott Inspector Scott said.
‘Unfortunately, at this stage we have been unable to locate any trace of him.’
Police aren’t treating Richard’s death as suspicious.
His sister, Rachel Tu, had previously asked anyone with information about her brother’s whereabouts to contact emergency services.
She also thanked the community for the ‘outpour of help and support’.
‘The community has reached out a lot and helped us, and we’re so grateful, and we’re so thankful,’ she said.
A report will now be prepared for the coroner.
For support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.
Police and SES volunteers spent eight days searching for Richard in the bushland before it came to a tragic end on Tuesday
