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January 2014:
February 2014:
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015
The death of Pip Manley remains a mystery a year after his remains were found near Maitland.
The 21-year-old Bolwarra man’s body was found in long grass at Lorn one year ago today. He had disappeared from his family almost two months earlier.
An autopsy on Mr Manley’s remains could not pinpoint the cause of death.
Central Hunter crime manager Detective Inspector John Zdrilic said a coronial inquest into the cause of Mr Manley’s death reached an open finding when the matter was considered at Kurri Kurri court house on December 12.
An open finding means the Coroner has insufficient evidence to determine the manner or cause of death, according to the Judicial Commission of NSW.
Inspector Zdrilic said no recommendations had been made as a result of the inquest.
Mr Manley’s mother Mary dropped him at Telarah train station to meet a friend on the night of November 21, 2013.
It was the last time she saw him alive.
Pip’s father Jonathon launched a public appeal for information of his son’s whereabouts in early January, 2014, as police ramped up efforts to find the missing man.
A large-scale police operation, Strike Force Wondoba, was established in late January after new information came to light through social media.
The information led investigators to believe Mr Manley had been seen walking in the Lorn area several hours after his mother left him at Telarah train station.
A police search party found Mr Manley’s skeletal remains in overgrown grass a few metres from the edge of the busy Belmore Road, near Marcellin Park, on the morning of January 29 last year.
An autopsy conducted last February found no broken bones or other injuries that would have been consistent with Mr Manley being hit by a passing vehicle.
Results of a toxicology study on his remains released in April concluded that there were no abnormal levels of substances that would suggest animal poison or illicit drugs killed him.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
