DETECTIVES have taken over an investigation into the death of Waratah woman Cecilia Devine, whose naked body was found in a Blue Mountains dam, and announced a $500,000 reward for information after a coroner was unable to rule out foul play.
Cecilia, 42, who was also known as Kristen Pearson, was found dead in the remote waters of the Upper Cascade dam on March 18, 2019, six months after she was reported missing and last seen three kilometres away in the village of Katoomba.
But an orange towel, found in bushland near the dam, and a DNA sample recovered from it could hold the key to unlocking the mystery.
The coroner's findings meant the investigation was handed back to police, who, after questions about the inadequacy of the initial police search and delays in obtaining CCTV, on Tuesday announced a $500,000 reward for information to solve the disappearance.
But when she disappeared in early September, 2018, and did not attend a hospital or return home, her family became concerned and a police investigation was launched.
It wasn't until police went through Cecilia's bank records that they discovered she had travelled to Katoomba on September 6.
Police inquiries revealed Cecilia had gone to the Carrington Hotel, but left because she was not wearing any shoes. She was spotted on CCTV apparently asking for directions from a man in Katoomba Street, who pointed her in the direction of Echo Point.
Cecilia is shown walking down the street before bank records show she went to Rivers clothing store and Coles, making purchases and withdrawing $700 from an ATM.
But after this, Cecilia vanished and it was not until March, 2019 that a Water NSW scientist discovered her body in the Upper Cascade Dam.
However, due to the advanced decomposition of her body, a forensic pathologist was unable to establish the cause of her death.
She had no skeletal fractures and the degree of decomposition meant there was no possibility of undertaking blood tests.
Police repeatedly searched the dense bushland and canvassed the Katoomba shops to try to determine what happened to Cecilia after she was last seen.
Aerial mapping later revealed that her naked body could be seen in the dam on September 13, 2018, meaning she must have died during the week after her disappearance on September 6.
And police did make two important discoveries during a search near the dam, a single shoe matching the pair Cecilia had purchased on September 6 and an orange towel.
A DNA sample was taken from the towel, which proved to be that of an unknown male. The DNA was linked to a sample which had been lifted from a stolen motorcycle some years earlier. However, when police tracked down the owner of the motorcycle he provided a DNA sample and it did not match the profile found on the towel. The profile is yet to match any stored DNA samples.
Even after the lengthy police investigation and inquest, how and why Cecilia went to Upper Cascade Dam remains a significant mystery, as does why she was naked at the time she was discovered.
"At the time of day and the season in which Cecilia disappeared, it is difficult to see how this isolated location could have presented itself to her as an appealing or safe place to be," Magistrate Ryan said. "Furthermore the route to the dam would have posed very significant challenges for her, involving unlit and hilly residential streets, followed by very dense bushland with no signage and no discernible walking track. "In addition there remain unanswered questions about what happened to Cecilia's clothing and property, noting that with the exception of a single shoe, nothing has been found either in the vicinity of her body or anywhere else. "It is for these reasons that Cecilia's family and friends hold strong concerns that her presence in the Cascade Dams area was not voluntary, and that she may have been the victim of foul play by another person."
Ultimately, after hearing evidence from police and an expert in forensic decomposition chemistry, who was asked whether Cecilia's clothes could have been separated from her body by natural causes, Magistrate Ryan said she could not make findings as to her cause or manner of death.
The $500,000 reward was announced a short time later and Blue Mountains police Commander Superintendent John Nelson said he hoped the financial incentive would encourage anyone who may have seen Cecilia to come forward.
"Prior to her disappearance, Cecilia travelled from Newcastle to Katoomba yet we still don't have firm evidence of how she got here, why she made the journey, or how she died," Supt Nelson said.
"We are urging anyone who saw Cecilia at the time she was reported missing, or who has any information about her whereabouts at the time, to contact police. This information could very well be the missing puzzle piece for this investigation.
"Today's coronial findings have handed the investigation back to police and we are committed to find the answers the NSW community and Cecilia's family deserve."
Cecilia's mother, Kathy Pearson, welcomed the reward and hoped it could finally provide peace of mind for her family.
"Cecilia - who was also known as Kristen - was a much-loved daughter, sister, and friend who was taken from us too soon in terrible circumstances," Ms Pearson said.
"She was a talented singer and songwriter, with a sparkling smile, infectious laugh, and a big heart.
"We hope that this reward encourages anyone with information to come forward and help the police to provide answers and peace of mind to our family."
