WA man likely met with foul play, but mystery tortures family five years on

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the names and images of people who have died.

Joanne Rivers says life has been hard since she found out her son, Jeremiah, had gone missing.

"Every day, every night, waking up all shaken and with tears, thinking of my son and wondering, thinking, 'What really happened? Where could he be?'" she says.

Jeremiah "Jayo" Rivers, a Gija man from Warmun in Western Australia's Kimberley region, was 27 years old when he was last seen on October 18, 2021.

He was on a trip with six other men when he disappeared.

Police restarted the search for Mr Rivers in May 2024 after receiving "new information" and extensive resources deployed to the remote Noccundra area in south-west Queensland.

Later that year a Queensland coroner found Mr Rivers was deceased and likely "met with foul play".

Many accounts and no answers

Coroner Donald MacKenzie found there was "a reasonable suspicion of homicide" but could not identify the person or people responsible.

He said the "consistent changing narrative of Mr Rivers's disappearance" resulted in a delayed response from police and redirected their search and rescue resources into different areas.

The coroner said Queensland police received at least seven different accounts of events from the group of men Mr Rivers was travelling with and that "incriminating inference can be drawn suggesting ongoing collusion" among the group.

During the inquest in 2023 witnesses gave different reasons for the trip. The seven men travelled from Victoria into New South Wales and then Queensland, towards the Northern Territory, flouting the COVID-19 border restrictions in force at the time.

Some witnesses described it as a hunting trip, but others said the purpose was to transport a large quantity of cannabis to Darwin to sell to remote communities.

During the inquest, the Rivers family's lawyer, Stewart Lewis, suggested "Jayo found out about the drugs and wanted out".

Ms Rivers said she "wanted justice" and would not stop looking for answers.

"We don't know the full story," she said.

"Me and my family, we all need answers. And we want it now. It's been five years."

Two of Mr Rivers's aunties described a feeling of numbness and anger within the family members he left behind.

"They made that statement he may have met foul play. Well, back your statement up," Belinda Rivers said.

"Obviously you've got to know something to make that statement."

Marcia Purdie said the family wanted a "court hearing, not an inquest".

"We want this case in court … where someone can get found guilty" she said.

"That will bring us closure."

Never forgotten

The police investigation into Mr Rivers's disappearance is still open, but his aunties are "angry" about the lack of progress.

They hope continued media interest and pressure will give them some answers.

"Our hope is to keep his name out there until someone finds it in their heart to come forth and tell the truth," Ms Purdie said.

She said the family could not go to the shops or another town without being asked whether they had any news.

"He's not a nobody. He is somebody," Ms Purdie said.

Joanne Rivers said it was hard to go on without her son in her life.

"I miss him every day," she said, fighting back tears.

"I see all these young people, even the football clubs he played in, and I see all these young fellas and [I'm] wishing that he is still there."

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.