A PERSON of interest in the disappearance and suspected murder of an Armidale man has never been questioned by police after refusing to be interviewed by investigators.
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Fairfax Media can reveal Hamish Sproat was named as a person of interest into the suspicious disappearance of William 'Bill' Roach who vanished on New Years Eve, 1993.
Mr Sproat lived at the same property, Springvale, as Mr Roach before he disappeared, but in 2004, a witness contacted Crime Stoppers on three occasions with allegations about Mr Roach's killing.
The allegation triggered Strike Force Annan - an investigation set up by New England police in 2004 to probe the disappearance of Mr Roach and saw several searches and public appeals for help right up to a coronial inquest in 2009-2010 where Mr Sproat was named as a person of interest, along with fellow Armidale man, Martin Rummery.
Fairfax Media can further reveal the pair are now being re-investigated by detectives from Strike Force Annan, re-opened earlier this year.
The new investigation was sparked by fresh information into the disappearance and suspected murder of the 22-year cold-case and culminated in a search of a new property near Armidale which has never been combed in any previous police probe.
Any connections Mr Sproat and Mr Rummery have to the property are being investigated, along with other associates of Bill at the time.
“Strike Force Annan detectives are reviewing the persons of interest previously identified in the investigation and any connections that they may have to that property on the outskirts of Armidale that was searched on February 23 this year,” New England Detective Inspector Ann Joy said yesterday.
“Since our first appeal [on March 1] we have received some further information that is also being investigated by strike force detectives,” Detective Inspector Joy said.
“As a consequence of that our investigation remains ongoing. We would appeal for anyone with information on the disappearance of Bill Roach to come forward and contact Armidale detectives on 6771 0699.” In the initial investigation, Mr Rummery was interviewed by detectives over several hours in September, 2005, and also gave evidence at the inquest into Mr Roach's death after he was subpoenaed.
He denied any involvement in Mr Roach’s disappearance, and when questioned by counsel assisting if he helped anyone kill Mr Roach, he replied “that's ridiculous, no I did not.”
Mr Sproat has never been questioned by investigators on Mr Roach’s disappearance, or his movements around the Christmas-New Year period in 1993.
In March, 2010, Mr Sproat gave evidence at the coronial inquest after being subpoenaed by the coroner but denied any involvement.
“And either he’s very good at staying disappeared, or you know something’s happened. I don’t believe he met with foul play at Springvale,” Mr Sproat told the inquest.