A 73-year-old grandmother whose remains were found in a disused cattle dip in northern New South Wales had repeatedly pleaded online for help before she disappeared, saying she was being forced from her home and that her pets had been stolen.
Yvonne Whear vanished from her property at Dungay, near Murwillumbah, in February. Her decomposing remains were discovered eight months later on an isolated farm about 30 kilometres away.
Detectives are treating Ms Whear’s death as murder and believe someone in the community may know how she came to be there.
Before her disappearance, Ms Whear had been involved in a bitter dispute over her right to remain at the rural property where she had lived for several years. A hearing before the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal was due to take place the following week.
In a post on January 1, 2025, she wrote: “I have been illegally evicted by a nasty man, please help find suitable accommodation for me and my pets.”
She made about 11 posts in an online group focused on spirituality and guidance, describing the pressure of the impending eviction and saying it had left her unwell. She also appealed for help in a local Facebook group after claiming that her pets had been stolen.
Ms Whear had lived at the property under an arrangement with its owner, her close friend Bill Campbell. Her concerns about the arrangement emerged after she began fearing for Mr Campbell’s welfare in September 2024.
“I wish to some [sic] assistance with what to do about Bill and my thoughts and concerns around his welfare,” she wrote.
She added: “He was supposed to be home but he is not in his home and his nephew refuses to allow me to see him where ever he is.
“I just do not know how to deal with this.”
Mr Campbell died later that year, after which Ms Whear was served with a termination notice. She maintained that she had a long-term agreement with the Campbell family allowing her to stay.
The property’s new owner said he had followed the proper legal process. He said he had remained civil towards Ms Whear and had no idea what had happened to her.
He has not been accused of wrongdoing or involvement in her disappearance or death.
Investigation into Yvonne Whear’s death
Ms Whear was last seen at a petrol station close to her home. In September, her gold Ford Escape was recovered from the Rous River at Dulguigan.
The vehicle was found a short drive from where wanted fugitive Vaughn Scott Cummings had been fatally injured months earlier. Police have not linked Mr Cummings to Ms Whear’s death.
Mr Cummings, 34, had been the subject of a months-long police manhunt when he was spotted at a property in Upper Main Arm, south-east of Murwillumbah, in February.
Police allege that, on April 8, two residents confronted him at Bray Park and attempted to carry out a citizen’s arrest. Mr Cummings suffered critical injuries and died in Gold Coast University Hospital two days later.
Michael Harding and Luke Manning have been charged with manslaughter over his death, while Sandi Williams has been charged with hindering the discovery of evidence.
Ms Whear’s family said they were grateful that her remains had been found but remained desperate to identify whoever was responsible.
“Our hearts and our spirits are broken,” one of her children wrote in a Facebook group dedicated to the case. “They have found our mum Yvonne, and for that, we are deeply grateful. But there is no such thing as closure until we find who did this.”
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
