Annette Deverell: Cold case investigators continue hunt for killer, urge Mandurah public to come forward

Detectives are probing the alibis of 51 persons of interest as they re-examine the 1980 murder of a young woman who vanished from Mandurah before her body was found in a forest years later.

Annette Deverell was last seen alive speaking with an unknown man with blonde hair, near the Mandurah Post Office about 11.20pm on September 13, 1980.

She had been dropped off at the Boathouse Tavern earlier in the night to meet friends.

Almost two years later, on July 4, 1982, her body was found next to a large log in a burnt out forest in Pinjarra.

The WA Police cold case squad are shining a fresh light on the case this week, with investigators opening a mobile police facility in the middle of Mandurah in the hope members of the community will come forward.

Detective Sergeant Peter Sloan said Ms Deverell’s family were still seeking answers.

“A couple of these persons of interest were persons of interest back then, but all the friends vouched for them providing what they believed were airtight alibis,” he said.

“Further information has come forward recently ... those alibis have fallen down, allegiances have changed. And whether there was a threat there previously, that is no longer there, so people are not hesitant in coming forward.”

Det-Sgt. Sloan said it was likely Ms Deverell knew her killer, and that identifying the mystery blonde man could be the key to solving the 40-year murder mystery.

“Identifying that person remains a focus of the ongoing investigation into Annette’s murder,” he said.

Her brother, Michael Deverell, has been seeking closure ever since his sister vanished.

“We’d like to know who (has) done it, just for peace of mind, and so my mum can go to her grave knowing who (has) done it,” he said.

“Someone knows, definitely knows who did it, and them themselves know who did it — just give yourself up basically.”

A $1 million reward is in place for information that leads to the conviction of the person or people responsible for the murder of the then 19-year-old.

Police will be taking statements from the public on Wednesday at a mobile police facility set up in the Sholl Street carpark, behind the Mandurah Post Office.

One of Ms Deverell’s friends, Wendy Wintle, said she believed that only a local person would have known about the Pinjarra forest.

“Everybody thought that it had to be a local person, because if you weren’t local, you wouldn’t know that area, and we, all of the Mandurah young ones ... we’d go up there most weekends, swimming and camping, or they’d ride motorbikes,” she said.

“The guys used to go shooting up there. And, yeah, everyone thought it has to be a local person, has to be a local person.”

Annette was dropped off at the Boathouse Tavern, on Pinjarra Road, before going to several venues from 8pm onwards on September 13, 1980.

She left the Brighton Hotel alone about 11pm before she was seen speaking to the unknown blonde man 20 minutes later. Her last recorded sighting was at 11.30pm, alone and at the same location.

She was reported missing the next day before her body was found by trail bikers on July 4, 1982, next to a log near Scarp Road, Pinjarra.

WA Police have since launched a new podcast about Ms Deverell’s death in a bid to obtain more information.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.