Suicide unlikely explanation for Joanne Butterfield's 1998 disappearance, inquest told
A coronial inquest is investigating the 1998 disappearance of Joanne Butterfield in Mossman, Queensland. The inquest is exploring whether suicide is an unlikely explanation and examining potential conflicts involving local residents.
Why it matters
The inquest seeks to provide closure for the family and determine if the original police investigation was adequate.
An inquest is examining what happened to Mossman mother Joanne Butterfield. ( Supplied )
Link copied Share Share article When Joanne Butterfield suddenly disappeared without a trace in June 1998, some locals in her Far North Queensland town were quick to form suspicions.
As Colleen Brischetto, a long-time Mossman taxi operator, put it at a coronial inquest this week: "In a small town, everyone talks."
To some, Ms Butterfield appeared troubled in the lead-up to her disappearance, telling friends and acquaintances her children would be better off if she left town.
But some things appeared to be going well for her too.
Joanne Butterfield had told people her children would be better off if she left Mossman. ( Supplied: Queensland Police Service )
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