Update in the Pauline Sowry cold case: police

A man was arrested in Gwynneville, NSW, on May 29 over the cold case disappearance of Wollongong mother Pauline Sowry. Footage by Adam McLean.

Transcript

00:00I'm pleased to announce that we've had some significant developments in the investigation

00:06into the suspicious disappearance of Pauline Sowery, who was also known as Pauline Lawrence.

00:14Pauline went missing in Christmas, she was reported missing in Christmas of 1993, last

00:21sighted by a family up around the northern suburbs of the Illawarra.

00:27There was a subsequent coronial inquest that has come to the findings that Pauline likely

00:34died in 1994.

00:37I can assure you that NSW Police have always been dogmatic in their investigations and have

00:43never lost focus on trying to locate Pauline.

00:46They've kept close contact with the family throughout this investigation.

00:51In 2022, NSW Police initiated a strike force, Anthea, who was focusing on the suspicious

00:59disappearance of Pauline Lawrence.

01:02As you can appreciate, there have been a number of public appeals and there's been two specific

01:09searches in the bushland area of Fitri.

01:12To this date, we still have not located the body of Pauline, which is quite unfortunate.

01:23As you know, late last year, there was a government announcement of a $500,000 reward.

01:30That's obviously led to a number of sources of information coming through to police.

01:35I am pleased to say that earlier this morning, 8.30am this morning, police officers attached

01:43to the detective's office of the Wollongong Police District have executed a search warrant

01:48in Murphy's Avenue, Gwynville.

01:49And they have arrested a 64-year-old man who's currently in custody at the Wollongong Police

01:56Station, currently being interviewed by the Wollongong detectives.

02:01And it is specifically in relation to the suspicious disappearance of Pauline Lawrence.

02:07I'd have to say that these results have come about as a result of significant investigations

02:15and resources put into the investigation by NSW Police.

02:20As you would well appreciate, we have been in close contact and we've informed Jason,

02:24the son of Pauline, of the development of today's events.

02:30And he and the extended family are certainly, and not surprising, very supportive of the

02:36results and very supportive of police never losing interest in searching for the whereabouts

02:42of their mother, as well as trying to find what has certainly occurred.

02:48But it is, it is, we do come to a point where it, you know, we look towards the family and

02:53it is a bit of a bittersweet position that we find ourselves in, in that they do have some

03:00degree of resolution.

03:01However, it doesn't resolve the hurt that they endure every single day of not having

03:06a loved one, their mother with them to share their times with their families.

03:11And again, thank you very much for your time.

03:12For your time, we just want to go back and share your stories and your family, our families.

03:13You