Skeleton under tree at Glen Aplin identified as missing Gold Coast man Jamie Hardgraves
Updated
Skeletal remains found on a property near Stanthorpe in Queensland's Granite Belt last week have been identified as the body of missing Gold Coast man Jamie Hardgraves.
Key points:
- Jamie Hardgraves was last seen in May
- His wallet and phone were in his abandoned ute
- Police are still seeking information about his death
His body was found last week leaning on a tree on a property at Glen Aplin, near Stanthorpe.
Mr Hardgraves, 43, disappeared about six months ago after a series of unexplained events.
On May 17, he was seen at a service station at Springwood, south of Brisbane, as well as further south-west in Beaudesert.
His damaged ute was found the following day on Stanthorpe-Texas Road on the eastern outskirts of Texas, near the Queensland-New South Wales border.
Police said it appeared his ute was heavily damaged when he hit a kangaroo, and was not driveable.
Mr Hardgraves' wallet and phone were found inside his ute.
Detectives believe he was given a lift to Stanthorpe, where he was seen later that night.
About 40 SES volunteers later searched the area but failed to find any trace of Mr Hardgraves.
Last Thursday, his remains were discovered under a tree on a property at Glen Aplin, about 180 kilometres from where his car was located in May.
A post-mortem examination will be carried out later this week, but Detective Inspector David Isherwood said police were yet to determine the circumstances surrounding Mr Hardgraves' death.
"At this point in time, because we haven't got a cause of death, it still remains a possible crime — until we get some outcome from a post-mortem examination," he said.
"Although I hasten to add preliminary investigations show there don't appear to be any visible signs of trauma to the body, so I suppose the investigation will have to take its course."
Inspector Isherwood said members of the public might still be able to assist the police investigation.
"He was actually seen in Stanthorpe on that evening [in late May]," he said.
"But where he was seen was probably in the opposite direction from where he was located, so our inquiries will certainly be on the cause of death and as to how he may have come to that area.
"Now that we know he was in the area of Glen Aplin, if someone may have seen him around the time of his disappearance they'd be helping us if they came forward."
Topics: missing-person, emergency-incidents, stanthorpe-4380, toowoomba-4350, southport-4215
First posted
