A coroner has found that a Tasmanian woman who disappeared over 40 years ago was killed by her former partner.
Darlene Avis Geertsema, 30, was last seen at her family home at Devonport in October 1978.
The Coroners Court previously heard her former partner, John Shepherd, was a person of interest in her disappearance. However, no charges have been laid.
Today, coroner Simon Cooper found Ms Geertsema died as a result of injuries inflicted by Mr Shepherd.
However it is not know where she died or where her body is located.
Tasmania Police have confirmed they are "aware of the findings handed down by the coroner today" and say they will review them.
Mr Cooper did not make any recommendations but gave his condolences to all those who "knew and loved Darlene Geertsema".
"Especially to her six children who grew up without a mother and without knowing what happened to her," he said.
Mr Cooper also said he was thankful much had changed since 1978, "so far as the treatment of violence towards women in our society is concerned".
"Much has also changed in relation to the manner in which missing person investigations are carried out in the modern era," he said.
"In saying this, I do not wish to be taken as criticising the police officers involved in the original investigation.
"The investigation conducted in 1978 after Ms Geertsema's disappearance was reported by Mr Shepherd and was completely consistent with standards, practices and procedures in place at the time.
"It is just that those standards, practices and procedures have changed markedly in the last 45 or so years."
Outside of court, Ms Geertsema's sister-in-law, Lynne Styles, said she was feeling "a bit emotional".
Ms Styles said she hoped there was justice for Ms Geertsema one day, "for her kids' sake".
And while the family would like charges to be laid, it conceded there likely was not "enough proof."
In last year's coronial inquest, Mr Shepherd told the Coroners Court that the last time he saw Ms Geertsema she was going to visit a friend who had been unwell, and she failed to return home.
The court heard that Mr Shepherd spent the next day driving around looking for Ms Geertsema's car, reported her missing to police, and was "pretty upset".
"It's strange she'd leave [the children] like that."
Counsel assisting the coroner, Madeleine Wilson SC, put to Mr Shepherd that he was "the last person to see Darlene Geertsema alive and the first person to see her dead", which he denied.
Ms Wilson then suggested that Ms Geertsema planned to end the relationship and leave the state with the children.
The court was told that, on the night of her disappearance, Ms Geertsema told Mr Shepherd she was pregnant.
Ms Wilson suggested Mr Shepherd was concerned because he knew he was not the father of the unborn child as she was in a relationship with another man at the time.
The Coroners Court then heard that on the night Ms Geertsema disappeared, one of her daughters had reported a heated argument between Mr Shepherd and her mother.
That argument was then "followed by hitting sounds, followed by silence", Ms Wilson said.
Ms Wilson put to the court that Ms Geertsema was planning a life without Mr Shepherd, without "fear and violence".
She alleged Mr Shepherd "delivered blows that caused her death" before putting her body in the boot of a car.
Allegations of domestic violence
Darlene Geertsema's younger sister, Dawn Bishop, told the court via video link that Mr Shepherd was "possessive, jealous and domineering", and that she believed it was his attitude that Ms Geertsema "belonged to him".
But counsel for a person of interest, Greg Richardson, put to Ms Bishop that her sister would sometimes tell the family deliberate untruths.
He said Ms Geertsema told the family she had cancer in the months before her disappearance.
The court heard it was not known whether Ms Geertsema had cancer or not.
Ms Bishop said her sister "use to tell fibs a lot", but mainly as a child.
In evidence to the inquest, Mr Shepherd's former wife, Wendy Shepherd, told the court there was "domestic violence" in their relationship and "John would hit me".
"He'd push me, he'd hit me, shout at me," she said.
In his evidence, Mr Shepherd said he had hit Ms Shepherd about three times because he was told that she was having sexual relations with other men.
The Coroners Court also heard evidence from Mr Shepherd's current wife of 39 years, Marlene Shepherd, who said her husband has pushed and shoved her in the past.
