Pain of missing woman still felt

Mick Peet will never give up the search for his lost daughter Lateesha. Mick and his wife Jen are expecting another child which if it’s a girl will be named after his lost daughter.

Scottie Simmonds

Related links

• Fight to find Lateesha
• Lateesha missing for five years
• Lateesha's father will never give up
• Inquest will not give dad closure
• 900 days of hell
• Cops hunt for murder suspect
• Weather hampers murder manhunt
• Manhunt ramping up for suspect
• Quiet vigil marks seven years
• Search for most wanted scaled back

WHEN someone goes missing, more than one person is lost – that is the slogan for National Missing Persons Week and it is also Bundaberg man Mick Peet’s life.

Six years ago, Mr Peet’s daughter Lateesha Nolan went missing and every day since, he has wondered what became of her.

Lateesha went missing in January 2005 and her father said each day since had been a struggle for him and his family.

“It’s the worst feeling to have someone you love missing,” Mr Peet said.

“It’s a terrible feeling ... I think about it day and night.”

Ms Nolan, who would be 31 this year, was last seen in Dubbo.

Malcolm John Naden, who has been on the run since 2005, is wanted for the murder of Kristy Scholes who died on the same day of Ms Nolan’s disappearance.

Ms Scholes and Ms Nolan, both young mothers, were close friends.

“Until Malcolm Naden is found, I won’t have any answers,” Mr Peet said. “I’ve got a missing person and I know I’ll never see her again.”

Naden, who is one of the most wanted people in New South Wales, is believed to be living in the dense bushland of Barrington Tops.

Police are offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of the accused murderer.

There have been rare sightings of Naden and his fingerprints have been found at scenes of break-ins in the past.

“You never stop thinking about your missing child,” Mr Peet said.

“I just want to know what happened.

“I’ll never stop looking for her.”

This week is National Missing Persons Week and Mr Peet encouraged people to pay close attention to missing person posters.

“The number of people out there missing is surprising,” he said.

“Until it’s someone you love, you can’t imagine how it feels.”

About 35,000 people go missing every year – that is one person every 15 minutes.

Almost 95% of missing persons are found within a week but there are currently 1600 long-term missing persons in Australia.

“That’s a lot of people left wondering,” Mr Peet said.