Detectives are renewing their appeal for public assistance after receiving new information in one of Western Australia’s oldest cold cases – the disappearance of 12-year-old schoolgirl Lisa Mott.
Police have released a description of a man who may hold crucial information about the case, nearly 45 years after Lisa was last seen in Collie.
Lisa had been playing basketball with a friend at the Throssell Street courts at 6.45pm on October 30, 1980. Around two hours later, she visited a nearby pizza shop at 8.45pm and stayed for approximately 15 minutes.
She was last sighted crossing a railway line on Forrest Street before getting into a yellow panel van, believed to be a Holden manufactured between 1970 and 1978. She has not been seen or heard from since.
An eyewitness recently informed investigators that she saw Lisa conversing with a man at the basketball courts that same evening.
The witness said the girl appeared to know the man, who she had previously spotted at the courts on multiple occasions.
The man is described as being between 18 and 20 years old at the time, tall, with curly hair.
It is believed he was leaning against a yellow Holden panel van during his interaction with Lisa.
Detectives have not been able to identify the man and are urging him – or anyone who recognises the description – to come forward.
Police have also been conducting searches of several wells in Noggerup, south of Collie, pursuing new investigative leads not previously explored.
A yellow vehicle was reportedly seen in the area around the time Lisa vanished.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Dowding from the Cold Case Homicide Squad appealed directly to those withholding information.
“Someone out there knows something which could be the vital information we need to solve this,” Dowding said.
“Tomorrow marks an unwanted 45-year anniversary of Lisa’s disappearance but all these years later, WA Police remains committed to finding out what happened to Lisa and providing some solace for her family.
“I would just like to say that someone out there knows what happened to Lisa and can tell us where she is.
“Unfortunately, Lisa’s father, Brian Mott passed away not knowing what happened to his daughter.
“Lisa’s surviving family need to be able to say goodbye, so I ask that person to come forward or make that phone call.
“Spending decades not knowing what happened to your child is every parent’s worst nightmare and WA Police is unwavering in our pursuit to provide those answers.”
Images: WA POLICE
