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POLICE are to re-examine evidence in Myrtleford about the disappearance of toddler Daniel Thomas. As the first anniversary of the mystery approaches, his father said detectives were likely to return to the town. "They've let us know that they'll be revisiting the area," Kevin Ruffels said. Daniel, aged two at the time, was reported missing from his Standish St home on October 17, sparking an intensive investigation. Police canvassed almost every house in the northeast Victorian town, searched Aboriginal sacred sites and scoured rubbish tips. It is believed the investigation, led by Detective Senior Sergeant Rowland Legg, is progressing. Mr Ruffels, still hopeful of finding his son alive, has no plans for a memorial ceremony. "Until they find a body, we're still holding out hope that he's alive. We don't want to do any of that until we know," he said. "This has been hell." Mr Ruffels said he had not heard from his former partner, Daniel's mother Donna Thomas, since February when she returned to Myrtleford to follow up a tip about the location of her son's body. Nothing had resulted from the tip. Ms Thomas has kept a low profile, despite a plea for public assistance in finding her son, who suffered asthma and eczema, in the week following his disappearance. "This is a mother's worst nightmare. Please bring him back to me so this nightmare can end," she said at the time. The last person known to have seen Daniel alive was babysitter Mandy Martyn, who shared a house with Ms Thomas and Daniel. She was caring for the boy at the time he vanished. Ms Martyn has been questioned repeatedly by police. Early this year she said she had nothing to do with the disappearance. She suggested other people close to Daniel knew more about his disappearance than she did. Herald/ Weekly Times (10-10-2004) Carly Crawford |
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AN anonymous tip could lead homicide detectives to the body of a toddler who went missing in Victoria's northeast more than two years ago. Two-year-old Daniel Thomas was reported missing from his home in Myrtleford, 280km northeast of Melbourne, on October 17, 2003, but extensive police searches failed to find him. Detective Inspector Steve Francis of the homicide squad said an anonymous caller to Crime Stoppers last week gave "valuable and credible information" on where Daniel's remains were hidden. He said detectives appealed for the person to contact Crime Stoppers again, saying police needed further help before conducting a search. "Operationally, it will be step by step, but we would definitely like to speak to this person before we take those physical actions and move towards a specific area," he said. "I'm hoping this person calls back. Hopefully we can meet with this person and get further details." Daniel's mother and father, Donna Thomas and Kevin Ruffels, and other relatives had been advised of the call, Det Insp Francis said. "It's a difficult situation. Investigators have spoken to Mr Ruffels and Donna Thomas and advised them that this has occurred," he said. "There's that balance of `don't get the hopes up too high', but we're keen to speak to this person because of the value of the information. "I guess as a parent with children ... you want that closure to a horrible chapter in their lives and, from a police perspective, it is valuable information if we locate the remains and forensically we can progress further." The caller's anonymity would be maintained, he said. Daniel was last seen in the care of babysitter Mandy Martyn, who was minding him while his mother Donna attended a nursing course in Shepparton. Daniel and his mother had been living with Ms Martyn and her three children in their Standish Street home for several weeks. Daniel, an asthmatic, was wearing heavy bandages to cover severe eczema when last seen at the house. Ms Martyn told detectives that on the day of Daniel's disappearance, she had left him alone in the house for several hours while she took her children to Wangaratta. She raised the alarm with a neighbour when she returned home. Detectives believe it was highly unlikely Daniel wandered away, and that he probably met with foul play, Det Insp Francis said. Police in 2004 offered $100,000 reward in the case. AAP (6-3-2006) Jamie Duncan/ Jane Bunce |
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The father of a missing toddler desperately hopes a mystery phone call to police may solve his son's fate. Two-year-old Daniel Thomas disappeared from his mother's home in Myrtleford in October 2003. Police said an anonymous caller last week contacted Crime Stoppers and gave "credible information" about where Daniel's body was buried. They appealed to the mystery caller to ring back. Daniel's father, Kevin Ruffels, said last night he hoped and prayed his son was alive. But Mr Ruffels, said police believe the caller has been genuine so the chance of Daniel being alive was very remote. "If this caller does come through, which I hope they do, it will take a big burden off our shoulders and give us some closure," he said. Mr Ruffels said he had been living a nightmare since Daniel's disappearance and wanted whoever was responsible jailed. "No one just disappears off the face of the earth," he said. He pleaded with the caller to contact police again. "If what your saying is true, don't hold back any longer. Put us out of our misery and let us have some closure on this so we can get on with our lives and give Daniel a decent burial," he said. Mr Ruffels said his former partner, Daniel's mother Donna, would have ben hurting as well yesterday. The pair have not spoken since shortly after Daniel disappeared. Mr Ruffels said yesterday his son would have been going to school this year, as he would have turned five on February 2. "It would have been his first year at school," he said. At the time of his disappearance, Daniel was in the care of babysitter Mandy Martyn. Yesterday, Ms Martyn reacted angrily to media crews outside her Myrtleford house. Ms Martyn told police at the time she left Daniel alone for some time while she went to Wangarratta. When she returned he had vanished. Ms Thomas put Daniel in Ms Martyn's care two days earlier while she attended a nursing course in Shepparton. Herald Sun (7-3-2006) Anthony Dowsley/ Holly Lloyd-McDonald |
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The sister of missing and feared dead toddler Daniel Thomas has moved out of their mother's home. The sister, 14, is living with an aunt, who took in the teenager after she decided she no longer wanted to live with her mother. Daniel's mother and her former housemate, who was the last person to have seen the child, have been questioned at length over Daniel's disappearance in October 2003. The development came as Daniel Thomas's father arrived at the crushing conclusion his son was dead. "Unitl now, we've hoped they'd find him alive," Kevin said. "But we are realising it's probably unlikely." Police have asked that a person who supplied them with information about the location of the toddler's body to call them back, saying they believed the tip was credible. Daniel had been in the care of Ms Martyn when he vanished from their Myrtleford home. His mother had been out of town at the time he was reported missing. Relatives told the Herald Sun Daniel had been badly neglected before his disappearance. Daniel's mother and her former housemate have publicly claimed to have no knowledge of what happened to the boy. This week, the teenager's aunt said Daniel's sister had chosen to leave her mother because she did not like the home environment. She claimed her mother had little interest in her daughter's welfare. "I thought that because she had already lost one child she might want to hold on to the other one, but she doesn't seem to care," she said. She said Daniel's mother had suffered moments of depression since Daniel's disappearance. Police have asked anyone with information to call Crimestoppers. Herald Sun (9-4-2006) Carly Crawford |
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