WA Homicide Squad to ‘finally chase’ lead following Northcliffe search in Nannup missing person’s case

A former Victorian policeman has searched tracks in Northcliffe in the hope of finding two missing family members, and while he left empty handed, he told the Times he felt he had made some progress. Barry McIntosh travelled to Western Australia last week to search for his missing niece Chantelle McDougall, 27, and her daughter Leela McDougall, 6, who went missing nearly 17 years ago. And while he wasn’t able to find anything in particular, he has sought some assurance the WA Homicide Squad will follow up on a lead he believes was overlooked all those years ago. It comes after claims prisoners working on a track in the area reported the smell of dead flesh to Walpole police, but the “exact” area was never searched — despite it possibly being the known location of the now missing people. “(We’re) potentially going home empty handed,” Mr McIntosh told the Times. “We’ve been in and out. The bush in there is as thick as I’ve ever seen. It’s truly like finding a needle in a haystack. You could have been right on top of a gravesite and really not known.” “It was like the amazon — you can walk 20 metres in front of the person behind you and they disappear — such was the denseness of the bush.” Following his search, Mr McIntosh wrote to the WA Police Commissioner to request the WA Homicide Squad follow up a lead he believes is vital to the case. “I got some traction from the Homicide Squad in WA who are finally going to chase up the prisoners and speak to the prison officer,” he said. Mr McIntosh said Chantelle’s parents — Leela’s grandparents — Cathy and Jimmy McDougall had hoped the search would put an end to the torment of 17 years without answers. “Cathy and Jimmy are disappointed that nothing was found during the recent search, but maintain hope that one day the mystery will be solved,” he said. “They will never stop looking. Cathy and Jimmy have never given up hope that they might still be alive, but as the years go past that hope diminishes. Mr McIntosh — who received police files on the matter in 2017 — launched an investigation and search at the Cairn Rock track in Northcliffe as the final movements of one of the individuals, Tony Popic, leads to the area. He returned to Victoria last week after conducting the three day search with cadaver dogs and a LiDAR scan. The dogs were able to clear a number of spots and have helped to narrow future searches, he said. Mr McIntosh said the Homicide Squad in WA have now responded and are “finally” willing to chase up the prisoners and speak to the prison officer. “This means so much to our family to find answers to the disappearance of our daughter and granddaughter,” he said. Mr McIntosh had been raising funds for the LiDAD, but told the Times the family were unable to raise sufficient cash, so they self-funded the technology. The GoFundMe donations were utilised on airfares, car hire, accommodation, food and fuel. Mr McIntosh said their search would not end here. “Chantelle and Leela, if you are out there somewhere please get in touch with your mother and father,” he said. “Cathy and Jimmy would like to send a message to their daughter Chantelle that if she is out there somewhere to give them a call — we just want to assure she is safe.” A WA police spokesperson told the Times not knowing what happened to a loved one was confronting and challenging for the families and friends of long-term missing persons. “WA Police remains committed to finding answers for those families and communities,” the spokesperson said. The investigation remains with the missing persons team at major crime division. It remains an open case. Anyone who believes they may have new information regarding the case is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperswa.com.au.