On December 7, 2003, Daniel Morcombe left his family’s house, which is located on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. According to a report from the Coroners Court of Queensland that was acquired by PEOPLE, the 13-year-old traveled less than a mile to a bus stop with the intention of going to the Sunshine Plaza shopping complex to buy Christmas presents and get a haircut.
Daniel had traveled this route more than twelve times in the past, but this time, he was unable to board the bus.
According to the officials, the youngster was last seen wearing a red t-shirt and standing at the unofficial bus stop near an overpass soon after 2 p.m. The bus that he intended to take was out of order. But by the time a replacement bus came, it sped past the stop because it was late on its way.
Daniel’s family started looking for him when he didn’t come back after a few hours, and they began to worry. According to local news sources, Daniel was reported missing that evening, which led to one of the largest police investigations in the history of Queensland.
According to the article, “More than 100 police officers were involved in the investigation, and more than 10,000 people were interviewed.” In addition, authorities have identified more than 33 people of interest who may have been involved in Daniel’s disappearance.
Brett Peter Cowan, who was 29 at the time, was one of the people of interest. His car was seen on film driving in the vicinity of where Daniel went missing. At that time, however, the authorities did not have enough evidence to consider Cowan a suspect.
The investigation finally went cold and Daniel’s parents petitioned for an inquiry into his disappearance, which commenced in 2010. According to the report, “no account of Daniel’s movements from the Kiel Mountain Road overpass had proven sufficiently reliable to locate Daniel, or to commence criminal proceedings against any person” before the inquest.
Cowan was asked about his criminal background at the inquiry. His criminal history included sexual assaults against young children. According to the report, he said that none of the two earlier offenses included any violence.
The Queensland Police Service began a secret investigation against Cowan in July 2011, which led to his arrest and confession to undercover detectives. Cowan confessed to kidnapping Daniel when he saw him waiting at the bus stop. The report states that he parked in a parking spot at the Christian Outreach mall and went to the bus stop, where he offered Daniel a ride to the retail mall.
Cowan said that he then took Daniel to an empty residence and asked him if he wanted to come in for a drink of water. According to the complaint, Cowan said that Daniel sexually molested the youngster and strangled him when he attempted to leave and put up a fight.
According to the authorities, Daniel was abducted and murdered within an hour. They found that he passed away from asphyxiation.
Cowan told investigators he placed Daniel’s corpse in the back of his vehicle and disposed of the remains in heavy undergrowth near an old sand mining site, the report reads. Later on, he tossed Daniel’s shoes and clothes over of a bridge and into Coochin Creek. Cowan also said that he came back to the place a week later with a shovel to get rid of the rest of the evidence.
Cowan not only confessed, but he also showed the authorities where he had left Daniel’s remains. According to the report, investigators said that “[Cowan] offered no insight into his actions other than saying that he was a ‘opportunistic offender.'”
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According to the article, Cowan was arrested in August 2011 and charged with Daniel’s murder, indecent treatment, and tampering with a body. In March 2014, he was found guilty of the crimes.
Cowan was sentenced to life in jail, with a minimum of 20 years without the possibility of release, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company.
“You were aware that you would be caught if he fled away. So you were the one who murdered him. According to ABC, Brisbane Supreme Court Justice Roslyn Atkinson remarked during Cowan’s sentence, “You killed him because you didn’t want to get caught.”
The things you did to the youngster are really terrible and shameful. Atkinson said, “In the months that you have been in this court, I have not seen any evidence that you have ever felt any regret for what you did.”
In 2012, Daniel was ultimately buried during a memorial ceremony that was attended by hundreds of people from the area. According to the Brisbane Times,
Bruce and Denise, Daniel’s parents, have subsequently established the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to prevent others from going through the same tragedy they experienced.
According to its website, the charity “provides personal child safety education to children and young people to prevent abuse and promote lifelong health and wellbeing.” “We provide resources and education to support educators, parents, and caregivers, and we also offer direct assistance to young people who have been victims of crime.”
The group also pays tribute to Daniel’s memory by hosting an annual walk called “Day for Daniel.” This event has grown to become the biggest child safety and awareness event in Australia.