Investigators are calling on the community for assistance following new leads in one of Western Australia’s most enduring cold cases.
Authorities have shared details about a man who might hold crucial information regarding the disappearance of 12-year-old Lisa Mott, which took place 44 years ago.
On October 30, 1980, Lisa left to play basketball with a friend at 6:45 PM at the courts located on Throssell Street in Collie.
Around two hours later, at approximately 8:45 PM, Lisa visited a nearby pizza shop, spending about 15 minutes there.
Her last known sighting was crossing a railway line on Forrest Street, where she reportedly entered a yellow panel van, thought to be a Holden model from 1970 to 1978.
Since that fateful evening, there has been no trace of her.
An eyewitness has told detectives she saw the schoolgirl talking to man, who appeared to know the 12-year-old, at the basketball courts the same evening she went missing.
The witness had previously seen the man at the courts about three times.
The man has been described as approximately 18 to 20-years-old at the time and tall with curly hair.Â
It is believed he was leaning on a yellow Holden panel van during that conversation with Lisa.
Detectives have been unable to identify the man and have asked him to come forward.
Police said additional unrelated investigative lines of inquiry have led detectives to search a number of wells in Noggerup, south of Collie, for the schoolgirl’s remains.Â
There was a yellow vehicle sighted in this area around the time she went missing.
Detective senior sergeant Greg Dowding from the cold case investigations unit is urging anyone who knows anything to come forward.
“Someone out there knows something which could be the vital information we need to solve this,” Dowding said.
“Tomorrow marks an unwanted 45-year anniversary of Lisa’s disappearance but all these years later, WA Police remains committed to finding out what happened to Lisa and providing some solace for her family.
“I would just like to say that someone out there knows what happened to Lisa and can tell us where she is.Â
“Unfortunately, Lisa’s father, Brian Mott passed away not knowing what happened to his daughter.
“Lisa’s surviving family need to be able to say goodbye, so I ask that person to come forward or make that phone call.
“Spending decades not knowing what happened to your child is every parent’s worst nightmare and WA Police is unwavering in our pursuit to provide those answers.”
