‘Someone must know something’: Where are Ivan and Rita?

In May 2026, NSW Police issued 50 separate appeals to the media to locate scores of missing people from across the state.

Two of these people, former bricklayer Ivan Jakus, 75, and Rita-Marie Collin, 60, are among the group that has not yet been found.

The toll of losing a loved one can be devastating enough for any family, but for the Jakus and Colin families, the loss is made even more unbearable by a lack of answers and investigations quickly running out of leads.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Mr Jakus’s daughter Victoria has remained determined since her father, who has dementia, disappeared from a venue in Leppington, south-west Sydney, last month.

The daughter of an elderly man who went missing in April is asking for the public’s help in bringing her father home.

Mr Jakus disappeared from the Istra Social Club on Cowpasture Road at around 5.30pm on April 12.

Speaking to NewsWire, Ms Jakus said her father was “fit as a fiddle” and was able to travel great distances despite his declining cognitive abilities.

“Dad is in great shape. His mind is starting to work, but he’s perfectly fit. He can jump fences and walk for miles. We know he walked 18km to the point we last saw him… We just don’t know how far he went after that,” he said.

“I went out on Tuesday and spent the day walking along Northern Rd and looking around properties that had not been searched. At the end of the day I thought to myself ‘I’m confused how he could have walked that far’.”

Part of the difficulty in finding her father, Ms. Jakus said, was because the police clearly underestimated how far he could walk.

“I feel like my father was underestimated from the very beginning. There was such a waste of time in everything, we would spend days searching one area, only to find out days later that he was somewhere else,” she said.

“It’s frustrating, but at the same time, I understand. They can’t keep everyone here for us.”

NSW Police told NewsWire on Friday the search for Mr Jakus was “definitely active”.

Freelance reporter and Missing Australia podcast host Meni Caroutas has worked for decades to help police and families find loved ones who have seemingly disappeared without a trace.

Ivan Jakus

While the first 24 hours are always the most important part of an investigation, that doesn’t always mean it’s the be-all and end-all, Caroutas said.

“The reason police are renewing calls against Ivan is because they hope to generate new leads. They hope to renew public awareness and fill in gaps where people may not have seen the initial stories or reports,” Caroutas said.

“They also want people who see the reports and dismiss them or don’t think too hard about something they might have seen to think again about it, because information that may seem unimportant at the time may actually be important.”

Caroutas said disappointment is a natural reaction for families going through the process of waiting for information.

“It is very difficult for families to sit at home and wait for the police to call and provide information. I know many families who search bush land. Their loved ones do the same,” he said.

“As for Mr Jakus, it looks like this poor gentleman wandered off, got confused and wandered off into the woods. The important thing is for people to check the cameras, check the CCTV, check the dashcam footage. Even if you don’t think it’s important, let the police decide.”

As police efforts diminish, Ms. Jakus devotes more and more time to community efforts in support.

A Facebook page started by one of his friends has more than 2,000 followers and regularly posts updates about efforts to track down Mr. Zukus.

“He’s amazing, he does this every day. People come and message us, send us pictures of old men who look like him. The community has been really nice,” Ms. Zukus said.

“There are a lot of people who want to go out and search. We’re working on another day of searching right now.”

The page includes video taken along North Avenue near where Mr. Zukus was last seen.

Ms Jakus warned anyone who recognizes the road and travels it regularly to let her know if they see an elderly man who appears lost or disoriented walking in the area.

Rita-Marie Collin’s disappearance

While the search for Mr Jakus hopes to turn up new leads in Sydney’s south-west, a similar appeal has also been made in relation to Ms Collin’s disappearance on the NSW Central Coast.

Ms Collin disappeared seemingly without a trace when she left her home in Tudawali Crescent in Kariong on May 5.

On Wednesday, NSW Police announced they had resumed searching for Ms Collin with the help of its canine unit.

Detective Inspector Matthew Stingmore told the media that “extensive investigations have already been carried out by the Brisbane Water Police District, as well as a number of coordinated searches by police and partner agencies.”

“Police today renew our appeal to the public for anyone who may have information that could help investigators find Rita,” Inspector Stingmore said.

“We are particularly interested in anyone who may have dashcam footage from Woy Woy Street or surrounding areas at around 2.45am on Tuesday 5 May.”

A GoFundMe run by family friends of Ms. Collin’s daughter, Amy, includes a long series of self-made notes about Amy’s disappearance.

“My mom is still missing. Someone must know something,” Amy said.

“No, he didn’t say where he was going and no one knew about his plans that day. He usually kept everything in a diary and there were no records for that day.”

“He wasn’t a bushwalker, camper, hiker or outdoorsman, (but) we still keep an open mind.”

Amy said there were “numerous locals” helping to search the area tirelessly and the efforts of the RFS, search dogs and SES volunteers were greatly appreciated.

“There are no other signs and all leads have gone cold,” he said.

“There are so many questions and absolutely no answers.”