A coroner has ruled that a fruit picker who went missing from Cobram 25 years ago is dead, but she has not made a ruling about how he died.
John Lester Costello was last seen in Cobram on January 9, 1997.
The then 59-year-old had been working as a fruit picker at an orchard in the town and living at a caravan park in Cobram East.
A coronial inquest into his death heard there had been no sightings of him since that day, and he was reported missing by his daughter-in-law on June 2 that year.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson found that despite searches, Mr Costello’s whereabouts remained unknown and there had been no “proof-of-life indicators” since his disappearance.
Mr Costello, whose last fixed address was Maroochydore in Queensland, came to Cobram each year for five years where he would work at Cornish Orchards for the fruit season for four or five months.
He would also stay with his son in Queensland for six to eight weeks each year between picking seasons.
Counsel assisting the coroner Ann Kho told the court Mr Costello’s relationship with his colleagues became strained, and in July or August 1996 there was an altercation with one of them at a hotel, after which he thought his colleagues had “turned against him”.
The court heard that on December 16, 1996, one of Mr Costello’s colleagues told their bosses he could not continue to work with him, and according to one witness, Mr Costello was so upset by this he decided to stop working at the orchard.
At about the same time, Mr Costello’s son told his father he would not be able to stay with the family over Christmas that year.
On January 9, 1997, Mr Costello moved out of his caravan and told the caravan park owner that he intended to look for work in the Gulf of Carpentaria area.
In early February 1997, two suitcases belonging to Mr Costello were found inside the fence at Cornish Orchards on Pullar Rd, Cobram, but they were not handed in to police until three months later.
The court heard that confusion between Queensland and Victorian police as to which state had carriage of the matter meant Mr Costello was not listed as a missing person until about 20 years after his disappearance.
While Mr Costello was last seen in Victoria, he was reported as missing to Queensland police, as that is where his family was living.
The coroner said that in 2003, Queensland Police contacted Victoria Police to discuss reporting Mr Costello’s disappearance as a suspected death to the Coroners Court of Victoria; however, it appeared Victoria Police thought a body or remains had to be found for his suspected death to be reported.
It was not until January 2018 that his matter was reported to the Queensland Coroners Court; however, the coroner determined it was Victoria’s jurisdiction.
Leading Senior Constable Kelly Ramsay from the Coronial Support Unit told the court more than 20 years had passed before the file reached her desk.
“Unfortunately in the time that had passed, a lot of witnesses from the Cobram area had moved on and we struggled to get statements,” she said.
From the inquest, Ms Jamieson found that the last sighting of Mr Costello was on January 9, 1997, by the caravan park owner.
“It has been suggested that Mr Costello may have met with foul play, suicided or been a victim of the environment,” the coroner said.
“Whatever was alleged, there is insufficient evidence available to me to support any of these theories.
“No person of interest has ever been found or has ever been charged in relation to his disappearance and suspected death.”
Ms Jamieson found Mr Costello “most likely died on 9 January 1997 or after”, but she could not make specific findings about the date of death.
She also found that while he was in Cobram prior to his disappearance, she could not make a finding as to where he died, or the cause of his death.
“There is insufficient evidence to support a finding that … (Mr) Costello’s death was from foul play,” Ms Jamieson said.
“There is also insufficient evidence to support a finding that … (Mr) Costello intentionally ended his own life, but equally, the possibility cannot sensibly be excluded, as the evidence indicates he had two known previous suicide attempts.”