Trevor John Tascas was born in 1978 and grew up in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, where he developed a reputation as a lively and likeable individual. Trevor had a cheeky, playful side that endeared him to family and friends, despite occasional brushes with authority during his youth. He enjoyed the outdoors, particularly surfing, and was well-known in the Whittington community. At the time of his disappearance, Trevor was twenty-seven years old and sharing a home on Thatcher Court with his roommate, Lawrence Alexander Butler.
Trevor’s contact with his family was sporadic in the weeks leading up to October 2005. His mother became increasingly worried when she hadn’t heard from him for several weeks.
But it wasn’t until April 1st, 2006, that she reported him missing at the Geelong police station. By then, red flags were abundant: Trevor’s phone had last been used on October 7th, 2005, and a series of unauthorized withdrawals were made from his bank account in July and August of 2006. Additionally, his personal belongings—including his car, furniture, and even his dog—had been sold or given away in the aftermath of his disappearance.
Investigators quickly treated the case as suspicious, handing it over to the Homicide Squad. Police believe Trevor was involved in a dispute with his roommate shortly before he vanished, pointing to interpersonal conflict as a potential motive. Despite extensive searches, no body was ever found, fueling speculation and deepening the mystery.
The case took a dramatic turn in July 2008 when Lawrence Butler and his girlfriend, Jodi Harris, were charged in connection with Trevor’s death. Butler was accused of murder and, in 2009, was convicted and sentenced to twenty-three years in prison. Harris faced charges of being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter and obtaining property by deception, receiving a three-year sentence the same year.
However, Butler appealed his conviction, and in 2011, it was quashed by the courts. A retrial for manslaughter followed in 2013, where a jury found him not guilty. This left the case without a convicted perpetrator, despite police allegations that Trevor had been dismembered and burned in a barrel—a gruesome detail that emerged during the coronial inquest.
In February 2020, the Coroners Court launched an inquest into Trevor’s disappearance, ultimately confirming that he had been murdered. The ruling provided some validation for the family but no closure, as the perpetrator remained at large.
In July 2022, Victoria Police announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of those responsible for Trevor’s death. As of 2025, the investigation remains active.
Crime Immemorial 