Laura Haworth, not seen since 2008, may have met with 'foul play'

A long-term missing woman is believed to have met with “foul play”, police said while announcing that officers from the ACT and NSW had joined forces to investigate her disappearance.

Mother-of-two Laura Haworth was last seen on Collett Street in Queanbeyan on 5 January 2008 before her car, a red Mazda 121, was found in Reid on 18 January.

“Police have received information to lead us to suspect she met with foul play on or about that time,” ACT Policing Detective Acting Inspector Adam Rhynehart said on Monday (29 July).

“Despite extensive investigations at the time and over the years, Laura has never been located.”

Police from the ACT and NSW have now formed Strike Force Viking to investigate the exact circumstances of the then-23-year-old’s disappearance.

“Sixteen years is a long time for a family to wait for someone to come home,” NSW Police Detective Chief Inspector Neil Grey said.

“The ACT has done a tremendous job in investigating thus far and have established lines of inquiry that go into NSW, and it’s for that reason that we are commencing this strike force today.”

Ms Haworth is also one of eight women chosen by the Australian Federal Police’s National Missing Persons Coordination Centre to focus on in their Always Searching campaign as part of National Missing Persons Week 2024.

National Missing Persons Week runs from 28 July to 3 August. About 50,000 missing persons reports are made to police every year, and about 2500 people remain missing long-term.

“The Always Searching campaign is an important reminder to members of the public to report any information to police, because no matter how small the detail may be, it could be the missing piece of the puzzle that brings peace to the family of a missing person,” AFP Commander Forensics Joanne Cameron said.

As part of the week, ACT Policing is also highlighting the 14 active long-term missing persons cases in the ACT, which includes two people missing overseas.

In addition to Ms Haworth, these missing people include David Abuoi, Kate Alexander, Wendy Joy Dalla, Amelia Toa Hausia, Elizabeth Herfort, Megan Mulquiney, Odette Houghton, Robert Jacob and Jean Policarpio.

“While the ACT currently has 14 long-term missing people, at the request of the families, four of these people have not been publicly named,” a police spokesperson said.

Earlier this year, police said they were looking at a possible link to Summernats during the investigation into Ms Haworth as she disappeared on the weekend of the annual motor festival that brought thousands of visitors to the ACT.

“It is possible that there was somebody who attended from interstate and they might have seen something, and they have information regarding Laura’s whereabouts that they don’t even realise,” Detective Senior Constable Shannon Pugsley said.

In 2020, Ms Haworth’s mother, Beth Cassilles, told the media her family missed her deeply every day.

“Laura had two children aged two and three when she disappeared. These kids had not yet started pre-school when she disappeared and are now in Years 10 and 11,” she said at the time.

“They have grown up wondering where their mother is and what happened to her, but we do not know. The effects on her loved ones have been immense, ongoing and unrelenting.”

On Monday, Acting Inspector Rhynehart said it had been 16 years since Ms Haworth went missing, and over those 16 years, her family has not had any answers.

“I implore anyone with information, no matter how big or small, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” he said.

“The information you provide could be the key to giving Laura’s family some much-needed answers.”

Anyone with information about Ms Haworth’s disappearance should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Crime Stoppers ACT.