Mohawk style haircut, full right arm sleeve tattoo, half left arm
tattoo, spine tattoo.
Circumstances
Daniel Copeland was last
seen on 3 September 2023 in Maclean, NSW.
Daniel was last seen wearing a blue pair
of North Queensland Cowboys NRL shorts and a green long sleeved shirt with a
black hood. Daniel had a mohawk style haircut, full right arm sleeve tattoo,
half left arm tattoo and a spine tattoo.
Anyone with
information which may assist in locating the whereabouts of Daniel are urged
to anonymously contact Crime Stoppers on their website or free call 1800 333
000.
Police have launched a land, air and water search for a 40-year-old man last
seen in northern New South Wales more than five months ago.
Daniel Copeland went missing since early September, when he was recorded by
a CCTV camera in a bottle shop at Maclean.
He was spotted the next day travelling in a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer to the
Wooli area, about 12 kilometres from Grafton.
Police have said they are treating the disappearance as suspicious.
Today strike force detectives, along with police divers, Marine Area Command
officers, the dog squad, PolAir and State Emergency Service personnel
launched a search of the Wooli Wooli River.
Foul play suspected
Homicide Squad Commander Daniel Doherty said Mr Copeland did not travel to
Wooli alone and could have "met with foul play".
"It's a suspicious disappearance," he said.
"He was supposed to go to work and hasn't accessed any accounts, so that has
led us to the conclusion that there is foul play involved.
"That's why we're treating this as a homicide investigation."
Detective Superintendent Doherty said investigations had led police to the
Wooli Wooli River.
"Homicide detectives will be combing the Wooli Wooli River area for the
coming two days, searching for any clues that may lead us to Daniel," he
said.
"As our inquiries continue, we're also continuing to appeal to anyone who
may have seen anything suspicious around the time of Daniel's
disappearance."
Search for answers
Mr Copeland was originally from Toowoomba, in Queensland, but moved to
Maclean to work as a labourer for a construction company.
"While the investigation has led us to Wooli, we also believe Daniel may
have ties to Queensland and we're appealing to anyone up there to also come
forward with information that could assist," Detective Superintendent
Doherty said.
"This is an effort to shine a light on the truth and find answers for the
family, friends and loved ones of Daniel Copeland."
Mr Copeland is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165
centimetres tall and of solid build.
He had a blond mohawk and a full sleeve tattoo on his right arm.
He was last seen wearing North Queensland Cowboys NRL shorts, a green
long-sleeve shirt and a black hoodie.
Police are still appealing for any information into the
disappearance of Maclean man Daniel Copeland who was last seen on
Father’s Day in 2023.
At 2.35pm on Sunday, September 3, 2023, 40-year-old Mr Copeland was
captured on CCTV at a bottle shop on Centenary Drive, Maclean.
The last time Mr Copeland was seen in Maclean was about 4.30pm when he
was seen getting into a silver 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer on River Street.
The next day he was reportedly seen travelling in the Wooli area in the
same vehicle.
When he didn’t arrive at his partners home at Maclean as expected or
didn’t turn up for work the following week, he was reported missing and
Coffs Clarence Police District officers commenced inquiries before the
State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad launched strike force Illfracombe
to investigate Mr Copeland’s disappearance.
In February 2024, Marine Area Command, Police Divers, the Dog Squad,
PolAir, Northern Region officers, and NSW SES volunteers conducted a
two-day land and water search at Wooli, of the Wooli Wooli River and its
islands but no breakthroughs into Mr Copeland’s whereabouts were made.
At the time, Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Daniel
Doherty, said investigations to this point had led detectives to the
Wooli Wooli River.
He said Mr Copeland didn’t travel to Wooli alone and could have “met
with foul play.”
“It’s a suspicious disappearance,” he said.
“He was supposed to go to work and hasn’t accessed any accounts, so that
has led us to the conclusion that there is foul play involved.
“As our inquiries continue, we’re also continuing to appeal to anyone
who may have seen anything suspicious around the time of Daniel’s
disappearance to come forward.”
Mr Copeland is of Caucasian appearance, about 165cm tall, of solid
build, with a blond mohawk, and a full sleeve tattoo on his right arm.
He was last seen wearing North Queensland Cowboys NRL shorts, a green
long-sleeve shirt, and a black hoodie.
Anyone with any information about Mr Copeland is urged to call Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
