Police in South Australia have launched a renewed and intensive search for a 41-year-old woman who vanished from a remote opal-mining community last December, with detectives now treating her disappearance as a suspicious major crime.
Major Crime Investigation Underway
South Australia Police will return to the far northern town of Andamooka on Tuesday, 6 February to comb multiple areas for fresh clues regarding the whereabouts of Trisha Graf. The case was officially declared a major crime investigation on 6 January, significantly escalating the resources dedicated to solving the mystery.
Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke stated that while police have pieced together some of Ms Graf's final known movements, they believe crucial witnesses have yet to come forward. "We have established Trisha’s movements on the evening and morning she was last seen, but we believe there are people who may have seen her within the town who have not yet contacted police," he said.
Timeline of Disappearance
The last confirmed sighting of Trisha Graf was at the Roxby Downs Hotel at 12.19am on Tuesday, 12 December. She left the venue a short time later in a white 2012 Ford Territory (SA registration S254BCX), accompanied by a friend.
Her journey back towards Andamooka was interrupted when the vehicle collided with a kangaroo just outside the township. Despite the damage, Ms Graf and her companion continued into Andamooka and visited a house in its north-western area.
Shortly before 2am, Ms Graf left that address alone to make the short trip home. She was last seen driving along Dunstan Drive in Andamooka. Her abandoned vehicle was discovered later the same day, perched on a dirt mound near the Blue Dam, east of the town, by her partner and a friend who were searching for her.
Extensive Searches and Appeal for Witnesses
Since her disappearance, an extensive operation has been conducted involving:
- Initial ground and aerial searches by Police and State Emergency Service (SES).
- A subsequent community search in Andamooka.
- A dive team searching the Blue Dam.
- Further ground and aerial searches by Far North, Port Augusta, Missing Persons Section, and PolAir units.
Detectives are planning doorknocks around Andamooka on Wednesday, focusing on locations where Ms Graf was last seen. Superintendent Fielke made a direct appeal: "We know there were people who were with Trisha at both the Roxby Downs Hotel and who saw her after she returned to Andamooka and we need to speak with them."
Ms Graf was wearing black pants and a black top, with her hair in a plait. She has distinctive body modifications including a nose piercing, lip piercing, ear piercings, a skull tattoo on her upper right arm and a mermaid tattoo on her lower forearm.
Anyone with information about Trisha Graf's whereabouts or her movements leading up to her disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
