Missing Persons Squad detectives have been searching in the Sale area over the past week as part of their investigation into the 2019 suspicious disappearance of Lakes Entrance man Dalibor “Dale” Pantic.
The 38-year-old was last seen by an associate at a farm in Perry Bridge on the night of Wednesday April 10, 2019 and despite numerous searches, investigators have been unable to recover his body.
With assistance from Water Police, investigators searched an area of both the Avon and Thomson rivers near Sale on December 28 and 29, 2023 in the hope of finding Mr Pantic’s remains.
In November 2021, a then 33-year-old Sale man was charged with one count of murder. He has since pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
In May 2020, following a renewed appeal for information about the missing 38-year-old and his vehicle, a number of members of the public contacted police after seeing media reports.
At the time, investigators released CCTV which depicted Mr Pantic’s 2005 silver Ford Falcon leaving a Sale address at 10.58pm on Friday April 12, two days after he was last seen in Perry Bridge.
Following information from members of the public, investigators subsequently located a silver Ford in the Bunyip State Forest and the vehicle was retrieved on Friday, May 22, 2020.
This vehicle was forensically examined, but was not Mr Pantic’s car. His vehicle has not yet been located.
Investigators now believe that a number of items from Mr Pantic’s car may have also been discarded in the Sale area at the time and are urging anyone who may have seen them or have any knowledge of their whereabouts to come forward.
Particularly, three children’s car seats and a double pram. It is believed the items were thrown into the river from a bridge on Myrtlebank Road around April 11, 2019. The car seats would likely have floated downstream, and Detective Inspector Dave Dunstan, Missing Persons Squad police believe they may have been recovered somewhere in that water system.
“We believe that the items thrown into the river would still be within that water system. If they’ve been recovered by anyone over the last four years, again, they would have been found within that area,” Inspector Dunstan said.
“If you saw anything resembling a child’s car seat or a pram or you might have found any of the items, please – contact Crime Stoppers.
“Our investigators are as committed as ever and we will continue to follow up all avenues of enquiry in locating Dale.
“If you do know something or might have seen or found the car seats or the pram in the river, then I urge you to come forward and hopefully we can continue to fill in all the pieces of this puzzle until we get the result and answers Dale’s family deserve.”
Anyone who may have seen the Ford sedan, the pram or the children’s car seats or anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppers.com.au
