Detectives investigating the 1980 disappearance of Collie schoolgirl Lisa Mott believe they may have found a crucial piece of evidence in the case. During a grid search of the Mumballup State Forest, authorities located an exhaust pipe and muffler that they believe belonged to the yellow panel van possibly involved in her disappearance.
Police confirmed the discovery on Thursday and noted they had received over 100 calls from the public to Crime Stoppers regarding the case. Lisa Mott was last seen on October 30, 1980, after spending the day at Collie’s basketball courts. She was later observed walking toward her home around 9 p.m.
Mott was last seen walking across a railway line towards her home.
A key witness, a 10-year-old girl at the time, told police she saw Lisa get into a yellow panel van – likely a Holden HQ, HR, HT or HZ – after she crossed the railway tracks. In 1996, detectives found an abandoned vehicle in bushland near Hoddell Road, matching some aspects of the description, but it had rear windows, which the young witness said the van did not possess.
Officers found an exhaust pipe and muffler during the search.
Although the metal plate with the vehicle identification number was missing from the abandoned Holden, police were able to preserve the number stamped into the chassis. The owner of the van, however, has never been identified.
The yellow Holden panel van has been in the Mumballup State Forests since 1996.
By 2005, police had discounted the car’s relevance because it didn’t precisely match the witness’s description. However, further developments put the case back on the radar. A local man reported seeing the witness and the car near where Lisa disappeared. Detective Sergeant Dowding stated that the police are eager to find the van’s owner.
“We don’t know its history but that’s what we want to find out today,” Det-Sgt Dowding said, asking, “I’d ask if the person who abandoned the panel van today would come forward. Just give us a reason, so we know the history of it. We do have a lot of data from panel vans that were investigated in 1980, so we can match that data to see if that panel van was investigated.”
Police recruits searched the Mumballup State Forest.
Detectives will continue their inquiries in Collie over the next few weeks, with further investigations planned for April 1 and 2. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
A family photo of Lisa Mott who went missing in 1980.
