NSW Police offer $1m for answers over 2003 death of Indigenous Boggabilla woman
In 2009, then-deputy coroner Jacqueline Milledge established that Binge died near Goondiwindi on or about July 18. Although the cause of death could not be determined, Milledge determined that Binge was killed by “an unknown person or persons.”
Milledge’s limited recommendations included referring the investigation into Binge’s death for re-investigation under the NSW Police Unsolved Case Justice Project.
“She was a very nice woman,” Barlow said.
“He loved everyone and everyone loved him. He was lucky.”
Barlow never gave up his search for answers. The years since his mother’s death have been full of “ups and downs.” Anxiety, depression, and grief reached extreme levels as she struggled to come to terms with the loss of her mother. No one has been charged in his death.
But now there is a glimmer of hope.
Detectives from NSW Police’s unsolved murder unit are renewing efforts to bring Binge’s killer or killers to justice. A reward of $1 million was offered for information regarding Binge’s murder. Police will announce the cash incentive on Tuesday as part of an effort to solve the case, which will include the use of a mobile billboard in Moree, Goondiwindi and surrounding areas.
Daylene Barlow (right) has been searching for answers since her mother’s murder in 2003.
Police had previously offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Binge in his murder. At the time, police said that after extensive investigations in the years since his death, investigators were unable to gather enough evidence to launch an investigation.
Detectives believed someone from the Goondiwindi or Boggabilla communities had information about the murder and appealed for them to come forward. They hoped the reward would help find new potential customers. No arrests were made.
Since then, Binge’s family has continued to search for the truth. Relatives, many of whom were critical of the police investigation into Binge’s death, gathered outside the Sydney Civil Courts Building to mark the 20th anniversary of Binge’s death, covering windows and footpaths with red handprints and demanding answers: “Justice for Theresa B”.
Binge’s family has previously criticized NSW Police’s handling of her mother’s murder.
In its initial stages, the investigation was complicated by the involvement of two jurisdictions; Binge was a NSW woman who went missing in Queensland and was found dead in her home state. Over the years, important details have been shuffled. Police have said at times that it was believed Binge was last seen leaving Goondiwindi’s Victoria Hotel, not O’Shea’s. The police, who had previously applied for information, said that the woman left the bar with a man at midnight on July 17, not at noon on July 18.
Investigators hope the $1 million reward will help bring Theresa Binge’s killer to justice.
Barlow believes the inconsistencies may have stalled progress in finding his mother’s killer but welcomed the renewed campaign.
“He has grandchildren here that he’s never met,” Barlow said.
“She’s a great-grandmother. They always ask me what she was like. She was such a beautiful woman.”
Rumors about who might have killed Binge circulated in the communities where he spent time. Many names have been passed on to investigators over the years, and Binge’s family has long held their own suspicions about who was responsible for her death.
The names came up again a few weeks ago when a friend of Barlow’s told him he had traveled to Moree in 2016 and spent the night with several locals. Eventually the conversation turned to Binge’s murder and who might have been involved in it. Barlow’s No. 1 suspect and many others were named.
“Those names have been there since day one,” Barlow said.
After a heated argument between several people in the room at the time, her friend decided to keep the interaction to herself until recently. Seriously ill and desperate to get the information off his chest, he confided in Barlow, who immediately contacted the police.
Officers working under the second edition of Strike Force Flairs, set up to investigate Binge’s murder, hope the now increased reward will encourage anyone with information to come forward. They believe the local community is still the key to solving the case.
“I won’t stop until I find something,” Barlow said.
“I want justice.”
Anyone with information about Binge’s murder is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
