For nearly 27 years, the family of Meaghan Rose have been trying to prove she was murdered. Now, the ABC can reveal fresh details about her suspected killer.
It was an otherwise ordinary Friday morning on July 18, 1997, when a woman traversing Queensland 's beachside cliffs spotted something that piqued her curiosity.
Her cause of death was listed as multiple injuries from the fall and her high blood alcohol concentration led officers to determine she had taken her own life.Now, the ABC can reveal fresh details about her suspected killer, Keith Lees, including the possibility that he is using religious groups to avoid police.
In June last year, detectives announced a $500,000 appeal for information, centred on that crucial piece of evidence.They travelled to Victoria to speak with Lees, now 71, who was also the last person to see Meaghan alive.An arrest warrant for Lees for murder remains current, and police have given the ABC a "comfit" image in the hope it will spark new leads.
In the days before she died, Meaghan had been looking forward to the arrival of her sister, who planned to also make the move to Queensland.At 10:30am on July 17, Meaghan and Lees went to the Maroochydore RSL Club, where she was reported to have had two or three drinks. Meaghan's car with some personal items inside was found parked at the cliffs, but Detective Senior Sergeant Kentwell says “extensive examinations… weren’t conducted” given there had been no suspicious circumstances.After Meaghan's death, Lees and his child returned home to Victoria and in 2000, the pair moved in with recently-separated father-of-two Barry Waters.
Fast forward to June 25, 2023, when Queensland detectives went to a property in Victoria to speak to him about the case. “We're currently liaising with our colleagues in Victorian Police and the Australian Federal Police to try and locate Keith. "I will keep fighting for Meaghan. If the shoe was on the other foot, she would be doing the same," Fiona said.Police are appealing for anyone who knew Meaghan at the time of her death, or anyone with information about her relationship with Lees and the life insurance policy, to come forward.
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Queensland Sunshine Coast Meaghan Rose Keith Lees Murder Homicide Police Point Cartwright Cliffs Portland Shepparton Victoria Missing Man Missing Person Investigation Police Reward Cold Case
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