SA Police have searched double the area they did yesterday to find the body of a man they believe was murdered over a drug debt and are "happy" about a lead that has come from publicity around the case.
Officers are searching an area between Peterborough and Orroroo, in the state's Mid North, to find the body of Robert Atkins, who they believe was killed in November 2020.
Police have previously said they believe Mr Atkins's death was connected to his involvement in the drug scene in Adelaide's southern suburbs.
One of the state's largest task forces was set up in December to investigate his death, along with other unsolved suspected murders in SA in which police believe the victims were targeted over petty drug debts.
Police searched between four and six square kilometres of bush and farmland today, which Major Crime officer in charge Detective Superintendent Des Bray said was twice as much as combed over yesterday, the first day of the search.
No new evidence connected to the case was found but Superintendent Bray said police were still "optimistic" about finding Mr Atkins's body.
"The team is pretty upbeat that we're in with a good chance of finding Robert," he said.
"It was always going to be a long search and so things are playing out how we expected."
Motorcycles and drones join search
Police searched the area on foot and motorbike, focusing on areas along roads and creeks.
Australian Federal Police also joined the search with drones and ground-penetrating radar.
Superintendent Bray said the suspected killer — a drug dealer — was "lazy".
Police also released CCTV images of Mr Atkins showing what he was wearing on the day of his death and the day before, while committing offences in Adelaide with the suspect.
They show he was wearing a fluoro yellow and blue vest and grey, black, teal and white Nike sneakers, which police say could have been discarded in the area.
"We believe Robert was wearing those clothes at the time of his death and that those clothes and shoes will be located somewhere in this area," Superintendent Bray said.
"He was wearing a high-vis vest and we've been able to get good images of the shoes he was wearing.
"We think, given he was away overnight, it's highly probable that he would have had the vest with him and again that might be located in this area."
Publicity and reward attract lead
Police are offering a $200,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of Mr Atkins's killer, as well as the same amount for information leading to his body.
The rewards, coupled with the search ramping up media coverage of the case, had led to a lead being called into police, Superintendent Bray said.
However, he would not elaborate on what it was, except to say he was "happy".
"I can say something positive has happened but I can't tell you what it is," he said.
Police are meeting tonight to consider which areas should be examined when their search resumes tomorrow.
