The Ballina family of missing woman, Ellen Wilson, have joined the NSW Police Force at the launch of NSW Missing Persons Week this year in a bid to help locate her.
Police from Richmond Local Area Command are investigating the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Ms Wilson in September last year.
Ms Wilson, then aged 54, was last seen at a licensed premise in Ballina on Friday 11 September 2015. The following morning CCTV showed her driving to a local ATM to withdraw cash.
Further police inquiries revealed she had spoken to a friend on Friday morning via phone, and the pair had arranged to meet in Ballina regarding some volunteer work they were participating in on Saturday (12 September 2016) morning.
However, Ms Wilson failed to attend the location at the agreed time. She has not been seen or heard from since.
Concerned for her welfare, her friend reported Ms Wilson missing to Lismore Police, who launched an investigation into her disappearance.
Police investigations have since confirmed that she has not accessed any bank accounts, or made any phone calls since her last contact on Friday 11 September 2015.
Investigators have also attended Ms Wilson’s Goonellabah home, on multiple occasions; however, no one appears to have accessed the home since she went missing and neighbours have not seen her in the area.
While Ms Wilson’s disappearance is not being treated as suspicious at this stage, police and family hold serious concerns for her welfare.
Friends and family have told investigators it’s completely out of character for her not to make contact with anyone, and she’s never previously missed any scheduled appointments.
It’s believed Ms Wilson may have driven her vehicle – a silver Subaru station wagon bearing NSW registration CB 76 QX – from Ballina when she was last seen.
Her car has never been recovered and police therefore believe she may still be travelling in that vehicle.
There were unconfirmed sightings of her vehicle, in the local area, in the months following her disappearance; however, the vehicle was never located during police patrols.
Ms Wilson has been described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165cm tall with a medium build and shoulder length grey/brown hair. She has blue eyes and wears reading glasses.
Richmond Local Area Command Crime Manager, Detective Chief Inspector Cameron Lindsay, urged anyone with information on Ms Wilson’s disappearance to come forward.
‘Almost a year has passed since Ms Wilson was last seen and her family are desperate for answers. The pain of not knowing what’s happened to someone you care about, or whether they’re safe, can be incredibly devastating,’ Det Ch Insp Lindsay said.
‘While nothing at this stage of the investigation suggests foul play, we simply can’t rule anything out, which is why your call to Crime Stoppers could be the crucial detail we’re seeking,’ he said.
‘No matter how insignificant the information may seem – it could be the key to helping find Ms Wilson. Please if you know something, say something,’ Det Ch Insp Lindsay said.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Ellen Wilson is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://www1.police.nsw.gov.au/ .
Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Missing Persons Week is an annual national campaign to raise awareness of the issues and impacts surrounding missing persons and runs between Sunday 31 July and Saturday 6 August this year.
The theme of this year’s campaign is urging people to ‘Stay Connected’ and to remember that ‘Missing Persons Leave Frayed Edges.’
The campaign aims to remind members of the public of the importance of staying connected with family and friends and to ultimately enhance personal and communal support networks that assist those most at risk of going missing.
NSW Police Force would like to thank the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) for their assistance with Missing Persons Week 2016, donating advertising sites worth almost $235,000 across NSW.
