Simon GURRIER-JONES
Simon GURRIER-JONES
Name: Simon
GURRIER JONES
Age when
missing: 25
DOB
- 1977
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Red
Height: 180 cm
Build: Average
Circumstances:
Simon was last seen at
Cocklebiddy Road House, Eyre Highway, Cocklebiddy (Nullabor Plain) WA
at 8 a.m. on Friday, June
20th, 2003 after leaving his home address in Langford, Perth on June 19th,
2003. He was driving a white 1991 Ford Falcon station wagon registered number
8OL948, which has also never been found.
A message from Andy to Simon -
If there is one thing my father would like to say to Simon, it is "Sorry". Simon will know what he is talking about.
Note from Nicole
- this is a case I feel very close to. I have been in regular contact with
Simon's family and most of the information contained on this page has come
directly from them.
Your family are desperate to have you back, Simon. Your Dad hired a plane to fly
over the Nullabor to look for you. They search for you every day and will never
stop looking for you. They just need to know you're okay.
The past doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is what we do now.
*Click here for link to Simon's Dad's blogs about Simon and also this one
These words are from David,
Simon's dad, written in June 2005 -
Simon's been missing since 20th June 2003. He
left Perth the 19th June, late afternoon.
I'm hoping he picked up some hitchhiker and that person can give me a clue where
he might be. Simon last fuelled his Ford Station wagon at Cockabiddy Western
Australia, the attendant did notice that the car was pointing West ...He was up
to this point heading east towards the WA/SA border approx 300kms away.
Furthur on at Ceduna SA there is a checkpoint for fruit fly etc and they record
every car that passes through, Simon did not pass to our knowledge.
Simon has an Australian accent and is quite shy at parties, clubbing,
crowds...if he knows you he is quite social. He had no girlfriend at the time.
Simon is very clever with computers,(building & repairs) he finds work fixing
ceilings on houses etc...
He surprised us all with his unannounced travel plans...he took off for a drive
heading east, he drove around 17 hrs that day/night(19_20 June 2003) arriving at
Cockabiddy at 8AM, he fuelled his car which should have enabled him to reach
Nullabour Roadhouse appox 550 kms away, we don't know if he turned around
heading west again or went exploring caves/cliff/beaches along the way.
Despite two air searches nothing has been found of Simon or his car in
Australia.
I'm trying to make a web site of mainly photos and a brief description.
He has brown/ginger hair, solid build, and sometimes grows a beard, he could be
overseas or in the next suburb from me?
Thankyou for all your efforts, this site does encourage us parents who after
nearly two years still haven't any clue where Simon is?
Our youngest son now 23 is still at home and at this moment he's playing Simon's
guitar, there is always a reminder of those near and dear to you eg my wife is
sorting out the family photos and marvel how we survived four spirited boys,
they were very close. Sometimes we think Simon is suffering as well, my gut
feeling is you can't abandon your family and not feel anything, maybe Simon is
so embarrased by disappearing he can't see how he could return home.
Australia is wonderful country however it is one of the most regulated countries
I know, civil liberties has frustrated us all, for instance if I go to the motor
registry I cannot find out who the previous owner of my car was, however the
insurance companies seem to access everyones traffic offences and use them
against you...
The individual hasn't a chance with the banks, insurance, registry offices
because of the privacy laws, surely they could make exceptions. I'm going to
write to the politicans and see if they can do something.
Earlier in the year I was determined to do another private search along the bush
tracks, especially some of the old fishing shacks scattered along the Southern
coast, after many inquiries from four wheel drive clubs, & police rescue I came
to the conclusion no one person could cover that vast area alone, assuming Simon
didn't refill his station waggon again after Cockabiddy it still meant I would
have an area roughly the size of Tasmania to search,there are no towns,no out
stations,most of the fishing vessels only fish that area a few months of the
year.
The fact that nothing has been found by the sheep station people who send at
least four aircraft to muster the sheep every year and the occasional four wheel
adventurer nothing much happens,occasionally fishing parties venture about a
quater of the way along that rugged coast from Esperance when they encounter
huge 80ft sand dunes ,some of the time you spend hours travelling along beaches
at the base of huge cliffs, Ive done a bit of bush wacking when surveying very
remote country east of Esperance West Australia.
If you look at the map near Cockabiddy the coast is roughly 100 Kms away,some of
the locals travel down the few tracks to the coast,satellite images show about
three tracks heading toward the coast however I'm told only one can be used.
I just trying to show the difficulty in searching for a lone vehicle amongst
large trees and overgrown tracks,the police did a search east of Ecula along the
road & coast, meantime I drove from Perth and placed pamphlets at service
stations at Norsman, Esperance and Ceduna after that.
I hired a plane from Kalgoolie and searched the area while tracking toward Ecula
we then followed the coast at 1,000ft towards Ceduna
Everywhere I went radio stations and newspapers ran the story,on the flight a TV
station sent along a camera man along,unfortunately they didnt run the
clip...that was dissapointing because that station targets the entire south west
of Western Australia right across the Nullabour.
When I returned I sent emails to thousands of backpacker hostels, many replied
...one of the problems of getting older is your level of energy plus a medical
condition. the doctor said "you have to stay out of the wind because your immune
system is not as stong as it used to be..." I had a laugh at that as I conducted
the search in the middle of winter,the car heater didn't work, I broke down in
the middle of nowhere in howling gales & driving rain, the wipers quit as
well...locals said that winter was the worst one for many years.
I've told you this to demonstate how difficult it is in the Australian
outback...let some of the backpackers note ...if you're unprepared this country
will kill you, you either freeze or you expire from heat, do not hitch hike,
it's very dangerous, criminals think they can escape justice by going bush, many
have simply vanished, there are many stories from motorists that have
encountered some wild boys out there, recently my wife was travelling from the
east. I put her and the car on the train from Adelaide to Perth... I've spent 20
years as a trucker on that road and I never camped alone at parking bays...Simon
may have encountered some ferals, he could be dead... we don't know and that's
the hard part.
Simon left home six months earlier, we thought that was a good move, however his
friends said he was moody. Simon knew that road well because I was trucker for
20 years, all the boys travelled extensively around OZ with me, I think he chose
the east /west road because he knew it...one trucker I spoke to was certain
Simon was heading back home, his description of the station wagon and the
contents inside was perfect however he couldn't see the driver for glare on the
car's windscreen.
The facts are, he appeared normal at the three service stations he refulled at,
he drove through the night (about 17 hrs) to reach Cockabiddy around 8AM which
is the norm for trucks however he would be very tired, I think he would sleep
until late afternoon which fits the trucker's story.
To my mind that is the most encouraging report to date, the police didn't think
much of it...however I know how it is on the road, you remember things, you take
notice of cars in your area, often you will see them having a meal and you say
gooday, sometimes they tell you how lonely it is on the road and appreciate the
truckies looking out for them...that's how it is.
- with deep thanks to The Lonely Planet online forum The Thorn Tree.
I also spoke with Simon's mum Anne who said how difficult it was for her going
through Mother's Day without Simon. Anne says -
"The photo on the Police Missing Persons file
(see above) was taken out of a film his friend he lived with was making only
about 3 weeks before he left. But he often got tired of shaving and quickly grew
a red(!!) beard. So quickly he was the envy of his brothers."
Simon, your brother Andy wanted to add these words -
If I can encourage people to help us get some
answers
to what happen to Simon in anyway, I would like them to let me know. I'm
not rich, but if it counts for anything, my gratitude would not be short
lived.
To anyone who thinks that killing themselves is a good idea, at least
let people know where you are to be found. This may be a bit morbid for
some, but honestly, we all have to live in the same world, and it makes
things worse for us all if we have to live with grief that never heals.
I'm sorry to Simon if there was something I didn't do as his brother
that would have made this world a better place in his eyes. I'm sorry
if something I did made it worse, but I can tell you I would have made
it better if I had been told. It's not easy to deal with the unknown.
One final word,
To all those who wish to check out early; if your legacy is to leave the
world a more confusing place than you found it, then congratulations on
the finding the ultimate prize. Otherwise, I suggest that no matter what
you think is going on, only one thing remains; the choices we make about
those around us. Don't punish those who love you the most this way, even
if that love is not enough. There are more ways than this one to 'get
even', and the least you can do is to be around to see us suffer! We can
both come out the other side then, but as it is there is only darkness
waiting.
Thanks Nicole for a place to write something to Simon.
JURISDICTION ACT CORONER HEARD DELIVERED FILE NO/S DECEASED : CORONER'S COURT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA : CORONERS ACT 1996 : ROBYN MARY HARTLEY, CORONER : 3 JULY 2025 : 27 OCTOBER 2025 : CORC 3324 of 2023 : GURRIER-JONES, SIMON
RECORD OF INVESTIGATION INTO DEATH
I, Robyn Mary Hartley, Coroner, having investigated the disappearance of Simon GURRIER-JONES with an inquest held at Perth Corponers Court, Central Law Courts, Court 85, 501 Hay Street, PERTH, on 3 July 2025, find that the death of Simon GURRIER-JONES has been established beyond all reasonable doubt and that the identity of the deceased person was Simon GURRIER-JONES and that death occurred on or about 20 June 2003 in the south eastern part of Western Australia or the adjoining ocean, as a result of an unknown cause in the following circumstances:
INTRODUCTION
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Simon Gurrier-Jones (Simon) was 25 years old when he disappeared in 2003. Simon was last seen in person by someone known to him at his home address in Riverton in the early afternoon on 19 June 2003. When Simon failed to attend a planned social event the next day, his family and friends became concerned for his well-being. A Missing Person report was made and, despite an extensive search by his loved ones and the Western Australia Police Force (WAPF), Simon and the car he left home in have never been located. Based on information gathered by the WAPF, Acting State Coroner Linton determined pursuant to section 23 of the Coroners Act 1996 (WA) that there was reasonable cause to suspect that Simon had died and that his death was a reportable death. A direction was made that an inquest be held to investigate the circumstances of Simon’s suspected death.
4. 5. 6. Simon Gurrier-Jones (Simon) was 25 years old when he disappeared in 2003. Simon was last seen in person by someone known to him at his home address in Riverton in the early afternoon on 19 June 2003. When Simon failed to attend a planned social event the next day, his family and friends became concerned for his well-being. A Missing Person report was made and, despite an extensive search by his loved ones and the Western Australia Police Force (WAPF), Simon and the car he left home in have never been located. Based on information gathered by the WAPF, Acting State Coroner Linton determined pursuant to section 23 of the Coroners Act 1996 (WA) that there was reasonable cause to suspect that Simon had died and that his death was a reportable death. A direction was made that an inquest be held to investigate the circumstances of Simon’s suspected death.1 I held an inquest into Simon’s suspected death at the Perth Coroner’s Court on 3 July 2025. The inquest involved the tendering of documentary evidence compiled during the WAPF investigation into Simon disappearance, supplemented by oral evidence delivered by Detective Sergeant Jeremy Spivey from the WAPF Missing Persons Unit. Simon’s mother, Anne, attended the inquest and provided a valuable contribution to the process.
BACKGROUND
Simon was born in Derby on 19 October 1977 and had three brothers, David, Andrew and Daniel.
7. 8. 9. Simon went to Melville Primary School and then on to Thornlie Christian College. He struggled with academic work due to having dyslexia. Simon left school before finishing year 12 and worked as a plasterer. It is evident that Simon enjoyed a loving relationship with his mother. He was also very close with his brothers. Sadly, his brother David passed away in 2017. Family members describe Simon as quick witted but reserved. He had a small circle of close friends who meant a lot to him. Simon had a talent with computers and liked playing computer games. He also enjoyed swimming in the ocean and playing his guitar.
10. At the time of his disappearance Simon was living with a couple he knew through his sister-in-law and the church.
SIMON’S DISAPPEARANCE
11. On 19 June 2003 Simon behaved inappropriately towards his female housemate. The details do not need to be set out in this finding. Suffice to say, Simon likely felt ashamed as a result of the interaction.
12. His housemate left for work shortly after the interaction and walked past Simon sitting on the couch on her way out. Simon asked his housemate where she was going, and she told him she was going to work.
13. Simon’s female housemate told her boyfriend, who also lived at the Riverton address, what had happened. When the couple got home later that day neither Simon nor his car, a 1991 white Ford Falcon station wagon registration 8OL948, were there. The housemates assumed he had gone to stay with his parents overnight to avoid an awkward conversation about the earlier interaction.
14. Simon had arranged to meet a group of friends, including his housemates and his brother Daniel, at the movies on 20 June 2003 but never arrived at the cinema.
15. After the movie the group went to the Riverton house that Simon shared with his housemates.
16. A member of the group went to check the football scores on Simon’s computer. He returned to the group with a startled look on his face and asked Daniel to go with him to look at the computer.
17. When Daniel got to Simon’s computer he saw a note on the screen which read “Sory family and friends but i chose to end my life there is so much pain in me and in this world for me cope with i have tryed for years to live but it just isn t working and i am tied of trying ,simon”.3
18. Simon’s family made a Missing Person report at Palmyra Police Station at 9.00 pm on Friday 20 June 2003. In the report his family described Simon as being in an “emotionally upset or depressed state”.4
THE SEARCH FOR SIMON
19. At 8.40 am on Monday 23 June 2003 the WAPF Missing Persons Unit (MPU) created Operation “MPU 2003 GURRIER-JON” and spoke to Simon’s mother.
20. A fax was sent to Western Australian border checkpoints with a LOTBKF (Look Out To Be Kept For) alert for Simon.
21. Police contacted Simon’s bank and by 1.00 pm that day they were alerted to transactions dated 19 June 2003 at fuel stations in Langford and Southern Cross and transactions dated 20 June 2003 at fuel stations in Norseman and Cocklebiddy.5
22. The final fuel purchase in Cocklebiddy was recorded at the BP Service Station on the Eyre Highway at 8.02 am on 20 June 2003. The distance from Simon’s home address in Riverton to the BP Service Station in Cocklebiddy is approximately 1050kms.
23. CCTV footage from the Norseman service station dated 20 June 2003 was reviewed by police and the officers were satisfied that the person captured in the footage was very likely Simon.
24. Shortly after receiving the information about Simon’s fuel purchases, the MPU contacted Eucla police requesting their assistance in the search for Simon.
25. Eucla police put out a broadcast about Simon to all roadhouses along the Eyre Highway and the South Australian Police Station near the border with Western Australia.
26. The Quarantine checkpoint in Ceduna where vehicles cross from Western Australia into South Australia was alerted to Simon’s disappearance and details of his vehicle.
27. On 24 June 2003 Eucla police conducted patrols east and west of the Eucla townsite with particular attention given to truck bays and tracks leading off either side of Eyre Highway.
28. Also on 24 June 2003, Norseman police searched for Simon from Norseman to Cocklebiddy and back.
29. While these police searches took place, locals and even those travelling through the area assisted in the efforts to locate Simon. The Manager of the Cocklebiddy Roadhouse traversed the tracks and caves in the area surrounding the roadhouse and a cycling group travelling along the Eyre Highway spread the word about the search for Simon.
30. On 25 June 2003 photographs of Simon were faxed to roadhouses and a patrol was conducted in the Wilson Bluff area on the border between Western and South Australia.
31. The next day Eucla police conducted extensive patrols in the area from Eucla to the Cocklebiddy Roadhouse, again checking truck bays and any tracks leading off Eyre Highway. Police also called into a number of the pastoral stations adjacent to the Eyre Highway and requested that pastoralists keep an eye out for Simon and his vehicle.
32. On 27 June 2003 police officers from Eucla travelled 120km into South Australia searching for Simon. At the same time, South Australian police officers from Yalata (located 290 kilometres east of Eucla) conducted patrols from their station in a westerly direction to the eastern edge of the search area covered by Eucla police.
33. Police chartered a fixed wing aircraft which conducted an air search on 27 June 2003 in the area south of the Eyre Highway, covering ground from the roadside to the coast between Cocklebiddy and South Australia.
34. Simon’s father also chartered planes to do further aerial searches for Simon and his vehicle. His family continued to search tirelessly for Simon long after his disappearance.
35. Throughout the search for Simon, and in the years and decades following his disappearance, WAPF and his family have been assisted by the media who published newspaper articles, did radio broadcasts, ran TV news stories and featured Simon in three episodes of Without A Trace.
36. The online Australian Missing Persons Register has a lengthy post about Simon including six photographs of him, two photographs of the make and model of car he was driving when he left home on 19 June 2003 and heartfelt words from his now late father, his mother and one of his brothers, Andy.
INFORMATION FROM SIMON’S COMPUTER
37. Simon’s brother Daniel explained to police that the way Simon dragged the suicide note into the Start Up menu meant that it popped up the next time someone accessed his computer. Given how technologically savvy he was, it seems highly likely that Simon did this intentionally to ensure the note was found.
38. Daniel searched Simon’s computer and found the internet browsing history from the time shortly after Simon’s female housemate left for work in the early afternoon on 19 June 2003. It included “ways to kill yurself”, “3 ways to kill yourself”, “good suaside notes” and “dirctions great Australian byte map”. Daniel confirmed that the spelling mistakes in the search history accord with the way Simon wrote as he was known to struggle with spelling.
39. Further investigation of Simon’s computer by WAPF revealed that he sent a letter to ING on 19 June 2003 cancelling his income protection insurance with immediate effect.
INSIGHTS FROM SIMON’S FAMILY
40. Given how close Simon was with his family, particularly his brothers, I am greatly assisted by their insights into Simon’s mindset at the time of his disappearance and their thoughts on the reason he headed in the direction that he did after leaving home.
41. Daniel advised that the interaction with his female housemate on the day he disappeared would have left Simon feeling highly embarrassed. He thinks Simon would have worried he had lost everything in terms of friends and family.
42. Daniel also explained that it made sense to him that Simon would head to the Nullarbor to jump or drive off the cliffs there. The brothers used to go to those cliffs as children with their father when he worked as a truck driver and took them with him on interstate jobs.
43. Simon’s mother participated in the inquest and was candid in her acknowledgement that deep down she knows Simon is no longer alive.Understandably, in the absence of any physical evidence, she held out hope for some time that Simon had a change of heart after driving more than 1000 kilometres from home. However, as time has passed and there has been no trace of Simon living somewhere else, his mother has had to accept the heartbreaking inevitability that he is deceased.
‘PROOF OF LIFE’ CHECKS
44. As part of the police investigation, enquiries were made with a number of government agencies and other institutions across Australia to see whether there was any record which would suggest that Simon is still alive.
45. Ongoing searches of the following databases have revealed no new records for Simon after 19 June 2003:
WAPF
Electoral Roll
Telecommunication companies
Hospitals in Western Australia
Centrelink
Medicare
Immigration
Births, Deaths and Marriages for all states and territories
46. The last time Simon is known to have spent any money was when he purchased fuel at the service station in Cocklebiddy at 8.02 am on 20 June 2003. Repeated checks of Simon’s banking records have not revealed any further access by him.
47. Simon’s 1991 white Ford Falcon registration 8OL948 has never been located. Checks of the WAPF database, National Criminal Intelligence System and Department of Transport records have returned no results from the time since his disappearance.13
48. Detective Sergeant Spivey explained during his evidence that it was somewhat unusual, but certainly not unheard of, for extensive searching to fail to locate a missing person’s vehicle.
WAPF ANALYSIS
49. Having thoroughly investigated Simon’s disappearance and conducted extensive searches in a bid to locate him and his vehicle, police have ruled out the involvement of any criminality or suspicious circumstances contributing to him going missing.
50. Given wide ranging, ongoing proof of life enquiries have revealed no trace of Simon and there have been no credible sightings of him since 20 June 2003 the possibility of him having started a new life for himself away from his family and friends can be ruled out.
51. WAPF spoke to Simon’s family as they wound up their investigation for the State Coroner and the family agreed that he is deceased.
52. The WAPF report concludes with the opinion that Simon “…is deceased, having died on or soon after 20 June 2003, at an unknown location”.
CONCLUSION
53. Having considered the evidence on the coronial brief, listened carefully to the evidence of Detective Sergeant Spivey and taken into account the input from Simon’s family, including the view his mother shared at the inquest, I am satisfied that Simon’s death has been established beyond all reasonable doubt.
54. Given the interaction with his female housemate not long before he was last seen, the suicide note located on his computer, the action he took to cancel his income protection insurance and the search history on his computer from 19 June 2003, I suspect Simon died by suicide.
55. However, given Simon’s body has never been located and, therefore, no post mortem examination could be performed, I cannot rule out the possibility he got lost or had an accident and perished in the remote part of south eastern Western Australia that adjoins the border with South Australia.
56. On the evidence before me, I am unable to reach a conclusion as to exactly how Simon died. The only finding I am able to reach at this stage is that Simon is deceased. His cause of death must remain unascertained and I make an open finding as to the manner of death.
57. I wish to convey to Simon’s family and friends, on behalf of the Court, sincere condolences for your loss.
R M Hartley
Coroner
27 October 2025