A renewed police investigation into the baffling disappearance of a mother in the Australian Outback three years ago has uncovered a chilling new witness account of a bizarre road rage attack, believed to be connected to her case.
Doubled Reward and a Puzzling Disappearance
On December 18, Northern Territory Police announced they were doubling the reward for information to half-a-million dollars in the hope of finding Angie Fuller. The 30-year-old mother-of-two was last seen on January 9, 2023, on the remote Tanami Road, 15km west of the Stuart Highway turn-off and 35km north of Alice Springs.
CCTV from that day showed Ms Fuller at a service station on the outskirts of Alice Springs, behind the wheel of a car with a male passenger. Two days later, on January 11, 2023, a man identifying himself as her boyfriend, Jake Jefferson Peters, walked into a police station to report her missing.
Peters later appeared at the search area, insisting he had a right to be there, and posted social media videos claiming he and Ms Fuller were ambushed by a 'gang' on a remote stretch of highway. "Me and my girlfriend got ran off the road and then we got shot at by a gang," he said, describing how they were separated while fleeing through the bush. Police have since confirmed Peters is a 'person of interest' in the case.
A Terrifying New Witness Account
Now, a separate witness has come forward with a harrowing story from the same night. Kevin McCormack was driving his family home to Hamilton Downs outstation from Alice Springs when a car sped up behind him on Tanami Rd with its high beams on.
"Then it started to come up beside us and I saw a person put half their body out through the window - he had a cloth, or a t-shirt, wrapped around his face," Mr McCormack told the ABC. The masked assailant then pulled a pole from the car and smashed the rear windscreen of McCormack's vehicle, shattering the glass.
In a desperate bid to escape, Mr McCormack drove alongside the other car and nudged it off the road, where it became bogged in mud. After racing his family to safety and retrieving a rifle, he returned to the scene but found the vehicle empty. Police working on the case believe this was the car Angie Fuller had been driving. They have verified Mr McCormack's account and say he is not under suspicion.
A Family's Anguish and a Vast Search
Ms Fuller's family have expressed outrage and confusion over Peters' claims. Her father, Tony Fuller, said he was "sickened" by the online videos and stated his daughter was not in a relationship with Peters. Her aunt, Allison Wilson, confirmed the wider family did not know him.
Acting NT Police Commander Drew Slape stated that all evidence indicates Angie Fuller "has met with foul play and we believe that she has been murdered," though her body has never been found. The extreme remoteness of the area has left investigators with little traditional evidence, such as CCTV.
Commander Slape admitted it is "highly unlikely" she is in the initial search area, noting the vastness of the Outback. The substantial $500,000 reward is hoped to generate new leads and tip-offs. "The Northern Territory Police Force will not stop investigating until Angie is found," Slape vowed, urging anyone with information to come forward.
