Police appeal for information to locate Victorian dad Brendan Breen who mysteriously vanished 14 years ago
Police have appealed for information to locate the brother of a former AFL star who mysteriously disappeared 14 years ago.
Brendan Breen, 55, was reported missing after he stopped answering his phone after canceling dinner plans with his ex-wife via text message at the last minute.
Mr Breen, who is the brother of former St Kilda player Barry Breen, was last seen in April 2012, but police were initially unsure whether he had chosen to disappear voluntarily.
Mr Breen was known to the police and was sentenced to several years in prison for fraud offences.
Investigators were unable to find any clues that would provide further information about Mr. Breen’s whereabouts and he could not be located.
But when she failed to show up for her daughter’s funeral in 2018, her family raised suspicions, saying it was out of character because they were close.
Mr Breen’s bank accounts were never accessed and there were no reports of his sightings.
Detectives now believe her disappearance is suspicious and she likely met with foul play.
Police interviewed Mr. Breen’s friends and associates to determine his whereabouts, who may have been involved in his disappearance or who had the motivation to harm him.
Missing Persons Squad Inspector Dave Dunstan said detectives investigated the case last year but Mr Breen’s disappearance remained a mystery.
“His family first reported him missing in 2012, but there was some doubt that he had not fled voluntarily,” he said.
“As they had been very close before, his suspicions increased when she did not come to her daughter’s funeral in 2018.
“This was really the catalyst for the Missing Persons Squad to take over the investigation, but we were also unable to locate Brendan.
“There are several aspects of his disappearance that continue to concern us, particularly the length of time he disappeared without a trace.
“We know he has a number of associates who are also known to police and although they have been spoken to over the years this remains an active avenue of investigation for investigators.
“We believe that 14 years later, there are still people who know what happened to Brendan, who was involved and why it happened.
“Even the smallest detail could lead us to a breakthrough and put us in a position to give Brendan’s family some answers.”
Mr Breen is described as 183cm tall, of medium build, with olive skin, gray hair and blue eyes.
He was previously known as Brendan Green, Brian Greer and Brendan Lacombe.
Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
