Lucille Butterworth's Disappearance (1969): Lucille, a 20-year-old model from Hobart, disappeared from a suburban bus stop in August 1969.
Geoffrey Charles Hunt: Counsel assisting the coroner considers Geoffrey Charles Hunt, a convicted murderer, as having the opportunity and propensity to kill Lucille. Two police officers claim that Hunt confessed to strangling her in 1976.
Investigations and Suspects:
1970: Tasmania police question John Gammon Lonergan, a convicted sex offender.
1976: Hunt is arrested but unable to assist in Lucille's case.
1986: Lance Russell Sage confesses to helping dispose of a woman's body but the remains are not found.
May 1999: Sergeant John Ward leads a renewed investigation.
2007: Police review the file but make no breakthroughs.
2014: Investigation is reactivated, a suspect is questioned but released without charge.
Coroner's Inquest:
2014: Coroner Simon Cooper declares Lucille's case a homicide, identifying four people of significant interest.
2017: The Director of Public Prosecutions advises against charging Hunt, stating that evidence wouldn't be admissible in a criminal trial.
Digging for Evidence:
2014: Police excavate an abandoned car park in search of Lucille's body but find nothing.
Current Status: The coronial inquest continues, with counsel Simon Nicholson suggesting that statements by Hunt could be considered an admission to strangling Lucille. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions has advised against charging anyone.
The case remains unresolved, with the exact cause of Lucille's death undetermined. Despite various leads and suspects over the years, legal challenges and admissibility of evidence have hindered progress in bringing someone to justice for Lucille Butterworth's disappearance and suspected murder.
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