The coronial inquest into the disappearance of Josephine Jennings has commenced, 27 years after she was last seen. The 33-year-old Goldfields woman was last seen in Kalgoorlie in April 1997 and has not contacted family or friends since. She was not reported missing to police until 2010, due to what police describe as family circumstances.
Detective Sergeant Jude Seivwright is appealing for public assistance, noting that investigators have reached a dead end. 'Anyone who is aware of Josephine and can offer any information about her disappearance and movements around Kalgoorlie in 1997, please come forward,' she said. 'There could be someone who, for whatever reason, wasn't aware that Josephine was reported missing and may have information that could help.'
Ms Jennings is remembered by her family as a 'lovely, funny lady who just loved hunting and telling stories, and being with the community,' according to Detective Sergeant Seivwright, who spoke with Ms Jennings' brother and daughter in Warburton. Ms Jennings also has two adult children living interstate.
The case is one of 342 long-term missing person cases in Western Australia, where individuals have been missing for 90 days or longer. The Goldfields region accounts for 14 of those cases, dating from 1968 to 2012. Another notable case is that of Lisa Govan, last seen outside the Foundry Hotel in Kalgoorlie in 1999, with a $1 million reward offered for information leading to the apprehension of those responsible for her suspected murder.
