UPDATE: Today, August 7, 2025, Bathurst has become a focal point in the fight against unsolved missing persons cases as the newly established Centre for Missing Persons Inc. holds its inaugural event during National Missing Persons Week. This critical outreach aims to bring awareness to three long-term missing persons: Jessica Small, Janine Vaughan, and Andrew Russell.
Nikii Smith, president of the Centre and daughter of a long-term missing person, emphasized the urgency of this initiative. “We are here to remember our missing persons in the region,” Smith stated. The Centre is not just about social media awareness; it aims to engage directly with the community. “You just never know; someone might walk past, trigger a memory, and that could be a lead,” she added.
The event marks the second stop in the Centre’s outreach campaign, which began in Muswellbrook, the hometown of Vaughan. Smith highlighted the importance of connecting with local communities, stating, “I like doing it old school; I think you can’t go wrong.” Following Bathurst, the Centre will move to Wollongong for a talk night at the library and a community event on Saturday, focusing on their 26 missing persons.
This year is particularly significant as the Centre was launched just this past March, with founding members bringing a collective 147 years of experience in dealing with missing persons cases. Smith’s own father, Ray Speechley, has been missing for nine years, underscoring the personal stakes involved in this initiative.
Smith stressed the pressing need for increased support for families affected by these cases. “Once police stop searching, the families are left to themselves,” she noted, calling for more resources and attention from the government. The Centre, along with Search Dogs Sydney Inc. and support from Paul Toole, the shadow police minister, is advocating for transformative changes in the handling of missing persons cases.
As the Centre embarks on its mission, Smith emphasizes the critical need for systemic change: “Police need to learn from mistakes of the past and make changes that are uniform across the board.” The community’s involvement today in Bathurst is more than just an event; it represents a collective call for action and support for families left in the shadows of unsolved mysteries.
Stay tuned for further updates as this important initiative continues to unfold across New South Wales. Your engagement can help spark vital memories and potential leads in the search for missing persons.
