| Daniel Morcombe | |
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| Born | Daniel Morcombe 19 December 1989 |
| Died | Missing since 7 December 2003 |
| Parents | Bruce Morcombe (father) Denise Morcombe (mother) |
| Relatives | Dean Morcombe (brother) Bradley Morcombe (twin brother) |
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Website www.danielmorcombe.com.au www.dayfordaniel.com.au |
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Daniel Morcombe (born 19 December 1989) was a 13-year-old Australian boy who was the victim of a presumed abduction in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, on 7 December 2003. Morcombe has yet to be found despite regular media coverage about his disappearance since 2003 and a massive reward.
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It is believed that Daniel Morcombe was abducted from an unofficial bus stop under the Kiel Mountain Road overpass in the Woombye district of the Sunshine Coast (approximately 2 km north of The Big Pineapple) on Sunday, 7 December 2003.[1] Daniel was meant to catch the 1:35 pm bus to the Sunshine Plaza Shopping Centre for a haircut and to buy Christmas presents for his family but he failed to return. Eyewitnesses reported seeing him at approximately 2:10 pm on the Nambour-Connection Road under the Kiel Mountain Road overpass. The bus he was supposed to catch had broken down a few miles before his stop, and was behind schedule. When a replacement bus eventually arrived, Daniel hailed the bus but it carried on without stopping due to its delay and the fact that his stop was only an unofficial request stop. The driver of the bus radioed the depot for another bus to go and pick up Daniel. The bus driver and other witnesses later reported seeing a man standing close to Daniel at the time. When the second bus came a couple of minutes later, Daniel and the man had both gone.[1]
A blue car, similar to an early 1980s Toyota Corolla with yellow New South Wales licence plates, is believed to have been used by the abductor(s).[2] Daniel was in possession of a distinctive fob style pocket watch with "Dan" engraved on it. This watch has never been found.[2]
The Morcombe case is one of the most extensively investigated crimes in Queensland's criminal history.
In May 2009, a full-size wax model of the man believed to be involved in Daniel's abduction was erected at the spot where Daniel disappeared. Within a few days, there were more than 300 tip-offs.[3] This was viewed as a positive step in the investigation, which had seemingly exhausted itself and run out of leads.
As of 12 December 2008, a total reward of $1,000,000 ($250,000 from the Government and another $750,000 donated privately) had been offered. The privately donated portion of the reward expired at midnight on the 31st of May 2009. On this day, the Seven Network reported that a known pedophile (identified by the media as Douglas Jackway), who had been released from prison in 2003 - one month before Daniel's disappearance - could be of interest to the police.[4]
In June 2009, the Queensland Government came under criticism from Parliament over the release of Jackaway. One MP asked why was he released from prison after the Supreme Court had presented clear evidence of his inability or unwillingness to control his criminal instincts.[5] This publicity also prompted civil liberties groups to call for laws banning media outlets from naming people linked to criminal cases.
In July 2009, the parents of Daniel Morcombe called for a coronial inquest in the hope of finding answers to their son's unsolved abduction and murder.[6] The Morcombes said that after 5½ years, it was time for an inquest. Of particular interest to the family are several criminals who have told police they know who killed Daniel and where his body was buried.
Daniel's disappearance has been kept in the public eye, especially on the anniversaries of his disappearance, due to the efforts of his parents, the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and its supporters. The case has been widely discussed and these efforts are supported by the Australian media on each anniversary.
A "Day for Daniel" is held on the 30th of October each year to promote awareness and protect children from harm. An accompanying event is the "Ride for Daniel", which covers 50 km of the Sunshine Coast, held each year since 2005.[7]
The Morcombe family started the "Daniel Morcombe Foundation", and has put its resources into trying to find out what happened to their son. The foundation is committed to educating children about personal safety and to raising awareness throughout Australia of the dangers of predatory criminals.
Daniel Morcombe's abduction and probable murder was the focus of the Crime Investigation Australia season 1 episode "Tears for Daniel".[8]
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   | Unsolved crimes - Case File - Daniel Morcombe |
| | ABC.net.au's report on the case - Australian Story :: Into Thin Air |
| | Car found in Daniel Morcombe probe - Car clue found in Daniel Morcombe probe - National - theage.com.au |
| | Daniel Morcombe email (not a hoax) - 404 - Oops! That page is not here!! |
| | Daniel Morcombe Foundation - The Investigation - Daniel Morcombe Foundation |
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