The family of missing Adelaide woman Colleen South have paid tribute to their “beautiful angel” after a body was found at Bunguluke, in Victoria’s north-west.
A farmer made the discovery in a paddock on Swan Hill-Charlton Road, south of Mackies Road, just before 4pm on Monday.
The body is yet to be formally identified. However, Mildura Superintendent John O’Connor said it was “highly probable” the body was Ms South’s.
“It’s highly likely that the body that was found last night east of Wycheproof is that of Colleen South but it’s yet to be formally identified and we are waiting for DNA analysis to confirm that,” he said.
Superintendent O’Connor said the body was discovered under a large tree in high grass only about 2 kilometers from where Ms South’s abandoned car was discovered crashed in a ditch on July 3.
He said police were preparing a report for the coroner, which would include a review into the search process.
Emergency services and Ms South’s family conducted an extensive search of the area in the hope of finding her.
In a tribute posted online, her family said they were “heartbroken and in shock.”
“We want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for your endless support, calls & messages for the past 5 weeks. We are so grateful,” they wrote.
“Fly high our beautiful angel.”
Colleen South’s belongings were found earlier near her abandoned car.(Supplied: Veronica South)
A new photo has emerged of missing South Australian woman Colleen South at a petrol station on the day she was last seen.
Key points:
An image of Colleen South was captured on CCTV at a service station in Berriwillock, Victoria, around midday on July 3
Ms South’s car was found crashed in a ditch four hours later near Wycheproof
Family members say the bright colored jacket she was wearing in the CCTV image was not found with possessions left near her car
The 58-year-old was captured on CCTV at Sunraysia Petroleum at Berriwillock, in Victoria’s Mallee region, on Sunday, July 3, about midday.
Ms South tried to purchase fuel at the unattended petrol station on the Calder Highway but had trouble using the self-service machine.
According to a member of Ms South’s family who has seen the footage, another person who was also paying for petrol at that time noticed her struggling and kindly paid the $10 amount Ms South owed.
Victoria Police has confirmed the CCTV footage forms part of their investigation into the disappearance of Ms South, who had left her Adelaide home the day before, on July 2.
Witnesses have reported last seeing Ms South driving her 2006 Hyundai Getz towards Wycheproof, in Victoria’s Mallee.
The photo at the service station was taken four hours before Ms South’s car was spotted by a farmer, crashed into a ditch just outside of Bunguluke, 15 kilometers east of Wycheproof, and about 40 minutes away from the petrol station.
jacket mystery
Ms South’s possessions were found laid out 20 meters away from her car, which was locked. The items included bedding and other personal effects, as Ms South had been in the process of moving house between two Adelaide suburbs at the time of her disappearance from her.
Her Samsung phone, however, was found three weeks later in a playground in Port Noarlunga, south of Adelaide, with its SIM card missing.
Family members have said the bright colored jacket Ms South was wearing at the petrol station, was not uncovered in items found near her car.
The jacket is different from the description of a black and white jumper that a witness had previously reported seeing her in.
Colleen South’s belongings found near her locked car did not include the red jacket she was wearing in the CCTV footage.(Supplied: Veronica South)
In a statement, Victoria Police said the physical search for Ms South had been scaled back.
“However we continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance including any reported sightings and or new information that comes to light,” the statement said.
Ms South’s family has not ruled out foul play and is planning to return to the Wycheproof area this week to continue searching for her.
