Qld: New witness comes forward in missing teen case

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2003
Qld: New witness comes forward in missing teen case

By Janelle Miles

BRISBANE, Dec 14 AAP - A witness told police they had seen a blue old-model, four-door
sedan parked with its rear door open near Queensland teenager Daniel Morcombe as he waited
for a bus just before his disappearance last Sunday.

Daniel, 13, of Palmwoods, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, has not been seen since
last Sunday afternoon, as he was waiting for a bus on the Nambour Connection Road.

Police fear the Year 9 student may have been abducted and witnesses have said they
saw him standing near a man before he disappeared.

Police have not released a description of the man, wanting to speak to as many witnesses
as possible first.

A new witness came forward this weekend telling police they saw a blue car in the vicinity
of the Kiel Mountain Bridge bus stop around the time of Daniel's disappearance.

"The witness has seen that car, the missing person and the male person standing next
to it with, he believes, the rear passenger door open," said Detective-Inspector John
Maloney.

Police have appealed to any other witnesses who may have seen the car, believed to
be a 1980s model, to come forward.

Police also want to speak to a male cyclist who was seen riding on the Nambour Connection
Road near the Big Pineapple around the time Daniel went missing.

"Because of the speed that a pushbike goes as opposed to a car ... he could have ridden
past Daniel and may have seen something," a police spokeswoman said.

Police today confirmed forensic experts were examining Daniel's computer for any clues
to his disappearance.

The computer has been taken to Brisbane to enable experts to study e-mails sent and
received through the Siena Catholic College student's internet account.

But police said this was just standard procedure.

Daniel was due to celebrate his 14th birthday with fraternal twin brother Bradley on Friday.

He's described as 150cm tall with black hair, blue eyes, of slim build and a fair complexion.

He was last seen wearing a red Billabong t-shirt and blue three-quarter length cargo-style
shorts.

AAP jhm/was/de L

KEYWORD: MORCOMBE NIGHTLEAD (FILE PIC AVAILABLE)

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