Grandmother’s body mysteriously ends up 800km away from the last place she was seen
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The unsettling case of Wendy Hansen, a 63-year-old grandmother and local businesswoman, has left a community in distress and detectives grappling with a perplexing mystery.
Hansen, who was cherished by her family and known for her kind and caring nature, vanished under circumstances that have since baffled authorities and loved ones alike.
Wendy Hansen was reported missing from her Queensland home on the leap day of 2020, 29 February, after a seemingly ordinary day of running errands failed to conclude with her return.
The alarm was raised when she did not come home, and subsequent attempts to contact her proved futile.
Hansen, a grandmother to at least four grandchildren, was last captured by CCTV footage withdrawing cash from an ATM in Monto, a small town 170 kilometres west of Bundaberg.
Later that day, around 2:30 PM, she was again seen on camera driving on the Bruce Highway near Wild Horse Mountain on the Sunshine Coast in her silver 2007 two-door Mitsubishi Pajero.
For three long months, Wendy Hansen's whereabouts remained a complete enigma, with no further traces of her until a grim discovery was made.
On 18 June, a volunteer engaged in bushland regeneration work stumbled upon half-buried skeletal human remains at Jetty Beach, near Jordan Esplanade in Coffs Harbour.
The remains, which were initially thought to be historical due to their condition, were accompanied by personal items.
A backpack, silver earrings, hair clips, and a copy of Anne-Marie Conway’s novel Butterfly Summer were found in the vicinity, hinting at a tragic end to what started as a routine day.
Forensic analysis later confirmed the remains to be those of the missing grandmother, and the case took on a new, more sinister dimension.
Police treated Hansen's death as suspicious and have launched a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and demise.
Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty has expressed the gravity of the situation, saying, ‘We’re treating it as a suspicious death and at this stage the highly unusual disappearance of a loving grandmother who has been found 800 kilometres from home and no one knows why. It’s a mystery, and we would like to solve that mystery and provide those answers to the family.’
The mystery deepens with the absence of Hansen's vehicle, which remains unaccounted for and is a critical piece of the puzzle for homicide detectives.
The family's anguish is palpable, with Hansen's son, Donald Hagan, publicly thanking the community and police for their efforts.
‘Unfortunately, this is not the result we hoped for. The NSW Police are still looking for mum’s car, so if you have any info, please pass it on to the relevant authorities,’ he said online.
Friends and family have paid tribute to Wendy Hansen, remembering her as an 'amazing woman' who had a ‘kind and caring soul’.
We at the Seniors Discount Club extend our deepest sympathies to Wendy Hansen's family and friends during this difficult time.
Hansen, who was cherished by her family and known for her kind and caring nature, vanished under circumstances that have since baffled authorities and loved ones alike.
Wendy Hansen was reported missing from her Queensland home on the leap day of 2020, 29 February, after a seemingly ordinary day of running errands failed to conclude with her return.
The alarm was raised when she did not come home, and subsequent attempts to contact her proved futile.
Wendy Hansen was last seen at the ATM. Credit: New South Wales Police
Hansen, a grandmother to at least four grandchildren, was last captured by CCTV footage withdrawing cash from an ATM in Monto, a small town 170 kilometres west of Bundaberg.
Later that day, around 2:30 PM, she was again seen on camera driving on the Bruce Highway near Wild Horse Mountain on the Sunshine Coast in her silver 2007 two-door Mitsubishi Pajero.
For three long months, Wendy Hansen's whereabouts remained a complete enigma, with no further traces of her until a grim discovery was made.
On 18 June, a volunteer engaged in bushland regeneration work stumbled upon half-buried skeletal human remains at Jetty Beach, near Jordan Esplanade in Coffs Harbour.
The remains, which were initially thought to be historical due to their condition, were accompanied by personal items.
A backpack, silver earrings, hair clips, and a copy of Anne-Marie Conway’s novel Butterfly Summer were found in the vicinity, hinting at a tragic end to what started as a routine day.
Forensic analysis later confirmed the remains to be those of the missing grandmother, and the case took on a new, more sinister dimension.
Police treated Hansen's death as suspicious and have launched a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and demise.
Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty has expressed the gravity of the situation, saying, ‘We’re treating it as a suspicious death and at this stage the highly unusual disappearance of a loving grandmother who has been found 800 kilometres from home and no one knows why. It’s a mystery, and we would like to solve that mystery and provide those answers to the family.’
The mystery deepens with the absence of Hansen's vehicle, which remains unaccounted for and is a critical piece of the puzzle for homicide detectives.
The family's anguish is palpable, with Hansen's son, Donald Hagan, publicly thanking the community and police for their efforts.
‘Unfortunately, this is not the result we hoped for. The NSW Police are still looking for mum’s car, so if you have any info, please pass it on to the relevant authorities,’ he said online.
Friends and family have paid tribute to Wendy Hansen, remembering her as an 'amazing woman' who had a ‘kind and caring soul’.
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