Outback Murder: Graffiti Clue in Australian Killing?

Graffiti found in a laneway behind a pub in Western Australia may hold a key to solving the decade-old cold case of a missing tradesman, Charlie Park.

Charlie Park Disappearance: New Lead in Cold Case

Charlie Park, 66, was last seen entering his Kalgoorlie-Boulder home on January 3, 2012, after an evening at a bar with a colleague. Despite extensive searches and public appeals, detectives have been unable to determine what happened to him, but suspect foul play.

Detective Senior Sergeant Uwais Cuff stated that Park had been prescribed medication he hadn’t been taking since his disappearance. His bank accounts and mobile phone have not been used since he was reported missing, leading investigators to believe the circumstances are suspicious.

The graffiti, painted in gold-coloured paint on a fence behind the Recreation Hotel in Boulder, was created in the month prior to Park’s disappearance. It appears to read “Charles Athostan Park,” though portions of the message are blurred in images released by police.

Investigators believe the graffiti was targeted at Park and contained a “horrible allegation,” but have chosen to obscure the specific wording from public view as there is no evidence to support its claims. “There’s been absolutely no information or anything to suggest that there was any truth behind it at all, so we’ve chosen to blur that word,” Cuff said.

Detectives have travelled to Boulder this week to interview local residents in hopes of uncovering new information. A AU$1 million (NZ$1.15 million) reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Park’s death.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is located approximately 595km east-northeast of Perth in Western Australia’s Goldfields-Esperance region.

“Incidents like this in small, tight-knit communities like Boulder and Kalgoorlie, it really has a long-term impact and effect,” Cuff said. “Someone out there knows something which could be the vital piece of information we need to solve this.”