The reward for information about the suspicious disappearance and suspected murder of Armidale man William Roach, nearly three decades ago, has now risen to $1 million.
William “Bill” Roach was 25 years old when he was last seen on Barney Street in Armidale on New Year’s Eve in 1993 and was reported missing in early 1994.
William’s sister, Kim Roach, is still hopeful for answers.
“It has been 27 years since we have heard from Bill and we just want to know what happened to him,” Kim said.
“We are so grateful for a reward of this magnitude to be offered to assist investigators finally solve this case and find out what happened all those years ago.”
New England Police District Commander, Detective Superintendent Steve Laksa, said Mr Roach’s family deserves answers.
“William’s family is living with the pain of not knowing where he is, or if any harm has come his way, and they have waited long enough for answers,” Detective Superintendent Laksa said.
“We believe there are people in the community who have vital information about William’s disappearance and what happened to him on the last day he was seen alive.”
“We are keen to speak with anyone who has information about his whereabouts, even a small piece of information about William’s movements could make a big difference to this investigation.”
Strike Force Annan was established in 2004 to examine the circumstances surrounding Mr Roach’s disappearance and a reward of $50,000 was originally offered for information.
In 2010, a coronial inquest was conducted and found that it was likely Mr Roach had died but the cause of death was undetermined.
His body has never been located.
This was despite extensive investigations over the years, including the execution of a crime scene warrant at a property on the outskirts of Armidale in February 2016.
The reward was increased to $100,000 at that time.
To assist with ongoing inquiries, the NSW Government announced the reward for information has been increased to $1 million from today.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott said he hopes the increased reward will help encourage anyone with information to come forward and assist Strike Force Annan.
“The pain of not knowing what has happened to a loved one is unimaginable, and we hope that the NSW Government’s $1 million reward could be the push that helps police find answers for the Roach family,” said Minister Elliott.
At the time of his disappearance, William was described as being of Caucasian appearance, 180cm tall, of thin build, with brown wavy hair, and brown eyes.
It is believed he was wearing blue jeans, work boots, and a red flannelette shirt with the sleeves buttoned up when he was last seen.
The $1 million reward is available for information leading to the discovery of William Roach’s whereabouts or disclosing the circumstances of his disappearance.
The investigation is also the subject of a new podcast, now available online.
