Unexplored Clue to Dad's Disappearance

Hi there Everyone,

I thought I would come here and ask a question because I just don't know what to do. My dad has been missing for about 20 years and although he has been certified as "dead" we still don't know where he is or what happened. He went missing from our isolated home in southern Tasmania and was last seen just outside the township of Dover heading home.

The communities are small down there and I had expected that eventually someone would say something to someone and we would, at last, find the remains. But so far nothing. Then a couple of years ago I got a call from a Detective that a man on his deathbed in Queensland had called the police saying he knew what had happened to my dad and wanted to tell them before he died. This man was an itinerant in the area and had gotten in with some of the more unsavory members of the community. Still, they interviewed him and then they went and spoke to the retired officer who had been the area's main force at the time. Apparently, he told the detective that the person named by the dying man to have knowledge of my dad's disappearance was "not capable of planning a murder". So the outcome was that they did not even as much as speak with this person at all.

Now my issues are these, firstly, whatever happened to my Dad was not planned at all, it was either an accident or opportunistic. Secondly, even if it the named man was not responsible or even if he was there are ways to speak to him so that he would tell what he knew without him thinking he was going to get into trouble.

I am really struggling to understand why they (the police) don't think it's at least worth asking the named man even if they think the dying man's information is wrong. I mean seriously, why would anyone who doesn't know the missing person at all and was only in the location for about 6 months and then many years later on his deathbed suddenly think he should tell someone, why would it all be false???

I tried to speak with the detective, I sent him a message on the mobile number he called me on but I have never received a reply. I just don't know what to do, I really, truly don't care how or why it happened, I just want to FIND him before my mum dies. Right now none of us can ever close that "book". I am sure I don't have to tell anyone on here how this all feels! It really sucks!!

If you, anyone can think of anything, anyway I might be able to move this forward or get hold of the case record, seeing as I know the named person's name is in there, it would be much appreciated.

Best Wishes Everyone for all your cases,

Irene