Ante "Tony" YELAVICH

*This person is widely believed to be Neville Tween/John Anderson, believed responsible, amongst many other crimes, for the series of rapes on Sydney's northern beaches in the 70's and 80's. Tween is now dead.

*Tony Yelavich's girlfriend Andrea WHARTON is also a missing person.

Minister for Police Michael Daley today announced a $100,000 reward to help find those responsible for the murder of Sydney man Ante Yelavich.

Mr Daley said the 29 year old was last seen leaving his parents' house in Manly on the evening of September 2nd, 1985 to meet with a male person in the Manly area.

"In November 2004, a new NSW Police Strike Force was established to re-investigate the disappearance and suspected murder of Mr Yelavich," he said.

"Police are not giving up on this case - Strike Force Bredin believes new information will assist them in identifying the perpetrators.

"Mr Yelavich's family deserves to know what happened to him, and I hope that the significant reward being offered by the NSW Government will encourage someone to come forward.

"If anybody has any piece of information, however small, it could prove to be the vital link Police need to find out what happened," Mr Daley said.

Detective Inspector John Lehmann, Unsolved Homicide Squad Investigator said Police continue to conduct inquiries into the incident and hope this reward will assist in bringing closure to the case. "We are keen to speak with anyone who has information about the incident and who has not yet spoken with police," he said. "Detectives are committed to thoroughly investigate this matter and stress that community information is valuable in assisting police to achieve an outcome," Mr Lehmann said.

Mr Daley said that any information will be treated as strictly confidential and may be given at any time of the day or night.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Gang may have been behind four murders

THE Government is offering a $100,000 reward for information about a suspected murder which might be linked to a group of organised criminals believed to be responsible for four murders and more than a dozen rapes.

Police say they are investigating the allegations that the disappearance of 29-year-old Ante ''Tony'' Yelavich in 1985 is linked to that of his girlfriend a year earlier, to the suspected murder of teenager Trudie Adams in 1978, to another killing, and to rapes on the northern beaches.

But the suspect in Yelavich's death, convicted drug dealer John Anderson, ''strongly denies'' the allegations of involvement in any murders or assaults, his lawyer said yesterday.

The brief is potentially explosive, given Anderson was a long-term law enforcement informant who was friends with a former law enforcement officer who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The Herald understands the Police Integrity Commission has received complaints about the potential for corruption and conflict of interest in the investigations, but decided not to pursue them. The commission declined to comment yesterday.

Yelavich, a convicted drug dealer, disappeared after leaving the Manly home he shared with his parents at 6pm on September 2, 1985. He was riding his bike to meet Anderson at the Manly Pacific hotel, but the bike was later returned to the home.

Yelavich was an outgoing man, who was involved in the Manly Life Saving Club and loved rugby, said detective David Willey, who is investigating the case. ''We don't really have much to go on,'' he said.

The reward - which is in addition to the $250,000 offered in relation to the disappearance of Trudie Adams - brings to $1.65 million the rewards announced by the State Government for 17 unsolved crimes in last year.

The Police Minister, Michael Daley, said Yelavich's family deserved to know what had happened to him. "Police are not giving up on this case … If anybody has any piece of information, however small, it could prove to be the vital link police need to find out what happened,'' he said.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000.

Crooked cop Mark Standen's mate a suspect in death of Trudie Adams

MARK Standen failed to tell a cop investigating the disappearance of teen Trudie Adams of his friendship with the man considered a key suspect.

An inquest into the teen's presumed murder in 1978 heard Standen was a close friend of career criminal Neville Tween, currently serving 18 years for cocaine importation.

Former Manly detective Jayson Macleod, who was one of those involved in the investigation into the disappearance of Ms Adams, told the inquest he had asked Standen for any information he may have had about Tween, and had been left unsatisfied by the response.

He later learned Standen's son Matthew listed Tween as a reference when he applied to join the NSW police prior to his father's arrest for conspiring to import pseudoephedrine in June 2008.

The evidence of Mr Macleod, who is now working for a federal government department, was subjected to suppression orders as it came on the eve of Standen's Supreme Court trial.

But following an application by The Daily Telegraph in the wake of the jury's guilty verdicts last week, Deputy State Coroner Scott Mitchell lifted the order that restricted publication of any evidence concerning Mark Standen. Mr Macleod - an officer of more than 10 years experience - told the inquest that Tween was brought to his attention when he was investigating the cold-case murder of Ante Yelavich as well as series of 14 unsolved rapes.

"I had a very strong suspicion Neville Tween was not just a suspect," Mr Macleod told the inquest.

"I have a strong suspicion he participated in several, if not all of them. I thought these matters should have been investigated."

The inquest heard that Mr Macleod had contacted Standen to discuss the possibility of merging the rapes and the Adams and Yelavich cases - but quickly became frustrated with the senior investigator as he tried to get background information on Tween.

He said Standen told him he had "dealt with" Tween on several occasions and that "he's softened up over the years".

But the inquest heard of a "close family connection" between the Tweens and the Standens, including "weekend getaways and scuba diving trips" and that Matthew Standen had stayed at the Central Coast home of Tween's estranged wife.

"I was concerned [because] it's not kid's stuff we're talking about. There's two murders and 14 rapes," Mr Macleod said.

Gold Coast cold case: What happened to Andrea?

ANDREA Wharton was just 23 years old when she vanished without a trace — she told her family she was going to visit friends in Byron Bay and was never seen again.

The Gold Coast woman had told her family she was going to visit friends in Byron Bay and was never seen or heard from again.

But police believe her frequent use of drugs and regular visits to Kings Cross were proof she fell victim to foul play in the 1980s underbelly of Sydney.

Andrea was just 16 when she had her first taste of heroin and for the next eight years the drug held her captive, controlling her life and ruining relationships.

Then in February 1984 the pretty blonde disappeared and one year later so did her boyfriend, Ante Yelavich.

There is believed to be a strong link between the disappearance of Andrea and Yelavich, who was also involved in drugs.

Until recently it had been thought Andrea disappeared from Byron Bay, the last reported location she was seen alive.

But it is now thought Sydney is probably where she vanished, a city she frequented to visit Yelavich.

Andrea met Yelavich in 1981. He was a few years older and, like her, was a heroin addict. He was also a criminal and known drug dealer.

The pair met on the Gold Coast and continued their relationship when Yelavich was extradited to NSW in September 1983 to serve a prison term in Long Bay Gaol.

NSW Detective Chief Inspector John Lehmann said at the time of her disappearance Andrea was under Queensland Probation and Parole supervision for drug-related offences.

“There is some information to suggest Ms Wharton’s involvement with heroin is a key factor in her suspected murder,’’ he said in 2011.

“There is information that persons Ms Wharton had associated with during her visits to Sydney were also known to Mr Yelavich.

“Investigators cannot rule out a possible link in the disappearance of Ms Wharton and Mr Yelavich, even though their respective disappearance occurred 19 months apart.’’

On February 19, 1984 Andrea stormed out of her parents’ Coast home after an argument.

She told her now-deceased mother she was travelling to Byron Bay with a friend and several days later called home to say she was not ready to return.

On February 29 the Wharton family received a letter from Andrea indicating she was still not ready to return. The letter was postmarked Darlinghurst, NSW.

New information obtained by police indicates Andrea had no intention of travelling to Byron Bay and flew straight to Sydney from Coolangatta to see Yelavich.

“There is suggestion that Ms Wharton was in contact with Mr Yelavich while she was in Sydney and that she was frequenting the Kings Cross area,’’ Det Lenmann told the Bulletin in 2011.

“It is believed that Ms Wharton was still using heroin at this time.’’

There have been no sightings or any other information regarding Andrea’s whereabouts following the letter she wrote to her mother.

According to one of her close friends, Andrea travelled to Sydney, not Byron Bay, because she knew where a “secret stash’’ of heroin was hidden and it is believed she planned to steal the drugs.

A 2007 coronial report into Andrea’s disappearance was unable to determine whether she was alive or dead.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.