Tracey Valesini pictured with her baby daughter Crystal.
Tracey Valesini pictured with her baby daughter Crystal.
Months after the last confirmed sighting of young mother Tracey Valesini, someone deposited and then withdrew money into her bank account.
It was just before Christmas in 1993 and the then-20-year-old hadn't been seen since January 20 that year, when she appeared at a custody hearing for her daughter at Campbelltown, in Sydney's west.
She failed to appear at another hearing in February and hasn't been seen since.
The mystery deposit of a cheque of almost A$500 in her St George bank account, and then withdrawn in the Blue Mountains from the same account five days later, is one of the few clues into what happened to Valesini. Ever since that time police tried to piece together her movements as they tried to work out what happened to her - was she murdered, and if so, by who?
An investigation spanning decades failed to locate her and no arrests were ever made. The closest her family came to answers was a coronial inquest in 2006 that concluded that she had died of injuries "inflicted upon her by another person".
Her family and police are hoping that could be about to change.
Her mother Sandra McSavaney today joined detectives from the Unsolved Homicide Team, in what would have been Valesini's 45th birthday, in a renewed effort to find her - and the New South Wales government has offered a A$100,000 reward for information that could lead to her killer.
Tracey in a Christmas photo with her mum when she was around 12 or 13. Photo / Facebook
Unsolved Homicide Team Coordinator, Detective Inspector Stewart Leggat, said Valesini was a resilient, independent young woman.
"Unfortunately, these strengths have made investigating her disappearance difficult for police," Det Insp Leggat said in a statement.
"By all accounts, Tracey was very much in charge of her own life, even at a young age, and by her late teens, she would often go for long periods without visiting her family."
It was still out of character for her to miss a custody hearing though. When she failed to appear, her family tried to track her down but she couldn't be found.
"In addition to following up numerous reported sightings, police engaged with various agencies and financial institutions to gather information about her movements after December 1992," Det Insp Leggat said.
"Through these inquiries, police were able to determine that Tracey moved to a home at Wentworth Falls with her new boyfriend and his sister and partner, where they lived until May 1993, but they have since told police Tracey moved out earlier in the year when their relationships deteriorated.
"She hadn't accessed her bank accounts or government benefits since December 1992, with the exception of a single deposit and withdrawal more than 12 months later."
A review in 2001 by Homicide Squad detectives led to a search warrant being executed at Tracey's former home in Wentworth Falls.
A forensic examination of the bathroom revealed blood police believe belonged to Valesini.
Despite that, no arrests were ever made.
One of the last images taken of Tracey in October 1992. Her daughter has grown up not know her mum.
Then in 2006 the State Coroner returned a finding that "Tracey died between December 1992 and December 1993 at Wentworth Falls of injuries inflicted upon her by another person".
Det Insp Leggat said he is confident there are people out there who know what happened to Tracey but, for whatever reason, have been reluctant to come forward.
"We are thankful to NSW Government for offering this reward, which may just be the motivation for someone who knows something to get in touch with us," Det Insp Leggat said.
"It has been 24 years since Tracey was last seen - 24 long years for her family - and detectives are giving everything they've got to provide answers to them," Det Insp Leggat said.
Tracey's mum, Sandra McSavaney, appealed to the conscience of those who know what happened to Tracey but haven't yet provided information to investigators.
"Someone knows what happened to my girl, and enough is enough - please tell the police what you know and help put my mind at ease," McSavaney said.
"No one should ever have to bury a child, but I haven't even been given that opportunity.
"If anything, I want to be able to bring her home and say proper goodbyes - the least Tracey deserves is to rest in peace.
"We've had too many birthdays and too many Christmases without Tracey, and I am pleading for someone to come forward so that today - her 45th birthday - is our last without answers," McSavaney said.
In 2015 it emerged that a series of Facebook posts had appeared on a Facebook page set up by Valesini's family.
One message cryptically suggested people should 'look beyond on the mountains', while another suggested a possible murder suspect was a drug dealer who had bikie links.
