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WA coroner to hold joint inquest into four outback disappearances

Families of Aboriginal men missing since 2022 hope inquiry will bring fresh information

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
The West Australian coroner will examine the disappearances of four Aboriginal men who went missing across regional WA within two years, in a joint inquest that families say could finally yield answers after years of uncertainty.

The families of four Aboriginal men who disappeared in regional Western Australia between 2022 and 2024 have been notified their cases will be examined together in a joint inquest into the men's suspected deaths.

The cases span more than 1,000 kilometres but are linked by rumours of foul play and accusations of police and public indifference.

The men are Clinton Lockyer, last seen in the Pilbara town of Roebourne in October 2022; his cousin Wesley Lockyer, who disappeared a week earlier from his home community near Port Hedland; 21-year-old Zane Stevens, who went missing in April 2024 after a drive with associates in bush near Broome; and father-of-two Brenton Shar, last seen in Geraldton in May 2024.

Annalee Lockyer, Clinton's aunt, said the family had endured a difficult four years.

"Every day you wonder where he is," she said. "You can't really move forward without knowing what happened."

She welcomed the inquest, saying: "I think it'll be a good thing, because we might get some fresh information. There's these men gone missing, and maybe it's linked, maybe it's not, we just don't know."

Police have maintained that their investigations have been thorough and based on the evidence available.

In recent years, family members have repeatedly flown to Perth for meetings with police and politicians and have held rallies across Western Australia to draw attention to the cases.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The joint inquest offers a formal avenue for fresh evidence or connections between the cases to emerge, potentially providing answers families have sought for years.
  • It places scrutiny on how police handled four missing person investigations involving Aboriginal men in remote and regional WA.
  • The outcome could shape public confidence in how similar cases are investigated in the future.

Background

Aboriginal people are overrepresented among missing persons cases in Australia, and families in remote communities have often raised concerns about the level of police resources devoted to such investigations. The four cases span a wide geographic area and occurred over a short period, prompting community speculation about possible links, although police have not confirmed any connection.

Key Perspectives

Families of the missing men: They welcome the inquest and the scrutiny it will bring. They have pressed for action through rallies, meetings with police and politicians, and public appeals, while expressing frustration at the pace of progress.

WA Police: They maintain that each investigation has been thorough and based on the evidence available, and have not supported suggestions that the cases are linked.

Critics: Community members and advocates have accused authorities and the public of indifference to the disappearances of Aboriginal men, and hope the inquest will test whether the investigations were conducted with appropriate urgency and rigour.

What to Watch

  • Whether the inquest identifies fresh evidence or establishes links between the four disappearances.
  • Any findings about the adequacy of the original police investigations.
  • The response of authorities if the inquest recommends changes to missing persons protocols in regional WA.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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