An extensive search involving police divers has been called off near Nudgee
Creek, in Brisbane's north, for a mother of four who has not been seen in more
than a week.
Natarn Cassandra Auld, 38, was last seen on December 13, when a man dropped her
to a home on Mount Cotton Road in Capalaba, in south-east Brisbane.
Police believe the woman left her home at about 3:00am the next day to travel to
Banyo on Brisbane's northside to buy cigarette papers.
Detective Inspector Stephen Hollins from Bayside CIB said Ms Auld had no family
or friends in the northside area, which is 25 kilometres away from her home in
Capalaba.
"The last contact she had was with an associate in the early hours of that
morning where she indicated she was off to buy some cigarette papers," he said.
Police will resume a search at several other locations today.
"We have been conducting inquiries in relation to her movements and we were able
to establish that she was in Capalaba in the early hours of the 14th of
December.
"In the early hours of that morning we have information she was in the Banyo,
Northgate area.
"We have no information beyond that time. That is what has brought us here today
to search the area."
SES volunteers searched a 25-kilometre area near Nudgee Creek on Wednesday
morning, while police divers scoured local waterways.
All search efforts have so far failed to find any sign of the woman.
The night before she disappeared, Ms Auld was seen at a BP service station on
Redland Bay Road in Capalaba.
CCTV footage shows Ms Auld buying food at the petrol station wearing grey pants,
a grey jumper, thongs and a gold necklace.
The alarm was first raised when Ms Auld missed appointments to see family
members last week, prompting her mother to report her missing on December 15.
Inspector Hollins said police held grave fears for the woman.
"[On] Tuesday and Thursday she was supposed to meet with family members and did
not show up," he said.
"This is very much out of character and that is one of the things that makes us
more worried about her safety.
"We are not speculating on whether she has been killed but we are very
concerned."
She has not accessed her bank account or been on social media since she was last
seen.
"We were able to establish that she was in Capalaba in the early hours of
December 14 and also in the Banyo and Northgate area but we have no information
beyond that time," Inspector Hollins said.
"We are very worried and so are the family — she is a mother [of four children].
"She has missed her mother's birthday, she has missed a couple of pre-arranged
family visits and that has all added to our concerns, especially in the lead
into Christmas."
Police described Ms Auld as Caucasian in appearance, about 170 centimetres tall
with long, brunette hair and a slight build.
Police said Ms Auld had no medical condition that could account for her
disappearance.
Anyone with any information about her whereabouts its urged to contact
CrimeStoppers.
Police are leading a search operation in Capalaba today to
locate 38-year-old Natarn Auld, who was last seen in the early hours of
December 14 in Capalaba.
Detectives have obtained CCTV footage of Ms Auld approaching a service
station on Redland Bay Road, Capalaba at 3.30am on December 14.
This is the last known sighting of Ms Auld before she was reported missing,
to date.
Following extensive investigations, a ground search has commenced of the
bushland area between Redland Bay Road and Moreton Bay Road.
The search is being conducted with the assistance of State Emergency Service
personnel, concentrating on the Coolnwynpin Creek area.
This is the fourth search to be conducted as part of this investigation,
following ground searches in the Nudgee area on December 23 and December 29,
as well as a ground search in Capalaba also on December 29.
Grave concerns are held for the woman’s safety as she has not been
contactable for more than three weeks.
Police are appealing to anyone who was travelling in the Capalaba area
between 3.30am and 4.20am who may have seen the missing person, or any other
person or vehicle that may have been acting suspiciously, to come forward.
Capalaba woman disappearance declared ‘non-suspicious’ by police
The disappearance of a woman that was at one point being investigated by
homicide detectives has been declared ‘non-suspicious’.
