Adam Matthews was twenty-five years old and led something of a troubled existence, having spent some time living on the streets and using illicit drugs. He had one child, but in the fall of 2000, he was living with his mother in Fawkner, Victoria, Australia, and trying to get his life back together.
On October 24th, 2000, Adam left the house, telling his mother he’d be back by dinnertime and to order some Chinese food for him. According to reports, he was seen later that afternoon on the corner of Sydney Road and Queens Parade not far from his home, but after that, he disappeared.
His whereabouts were unknown for the next eleven days. Then, on November 4th, the residents of the Chinaman’s Bridge Caravan Park in Nagambie noticed what they thought was a pile of trash tangled among some fallen tree branches in the Goulburn River. A closer examination revealed that it was the body of Adam Matthews.
The victim’s remains had been wrapped in a blanket and partially weighed down with bricks. An autopsy determined that Adam had been violently assaulted and had died from a stab wound to the neck.
Authorities were puzzled as to how Adam had ended up in Nagambie in the first place, as he didn’t seem to have any friends or family there and had no obvious reason to be in the area. Investigators also wondered if Adam’s substance abuse might have been a contributing factor in his murder. It seemed clear that whoever had killed him had taken extra care to ensure that his body would not be discovered.
Despite pleas for information, no one came forward claiming to know where Adam had been between the time he vanished and the time his body was found. In 2006, an anonymous caller gave police a tip about a possible suspect, but this individual never followed up with further details.
Since then, there has been no movement on the case, and the murder of Adam Matthews is still unsolved.
Crime Immemorial 