Foul play feared

By Melissa Meehan
POLICE are keeping an open mind on the possibility that missing bushwalker Warren Meyer has run into foul play.
The 57-year-old father of two was last seen leaving the Dom Dom Saddle car park on the Black Spur for a 10 kilometre bushwalk on Easter Sunday.
The search for the missing and now feared dead Beaumaris man was officially suspended on Friday afternoon.
The six day search of the National Park by more than 100 police, State Emergency Services (SES) members and volunteers failed to find any clues to his whereabouts.
The case was then handed over to the police Alexandra Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU).
Senior Detective Stuart Walls of the Alexandra CIU said that parallel to the search police had been conducting another investigation into the missing man, but did not believe Mr Meyer was involved in his own disappearance.
“We’ve looked at the family, at the structures and the possibility that Mr Meyer could have been involved in his own disappearance – all those sorts of things are always looked at,” Sen Det Walls said.
Police are now focusing on other avenues and want to rule out people who were known to be in the Mount Dom Dom area at the time.
When asked if police suspected foul play, Sen Det Walls said police had not ruled anything out.
He said to not find a backpack or any other item belonging to Mr Meyer seemed very strange.
“We have never eliminated that Mr Meyer may have run into foul play.
“We have found no body, have no witnesses so we have to keep an open mind,” Sen Det Walls said.
“His disappearance is baffling.”
Over the weekend police identified and located a man in his mid to late 30s who was seen at the Dom Dom Saddle Area of the park around the time Mr Meyer went missing.
Police say that the man approached campers and got a lift with them into Warburton.
Sen Det Walls said the man was still a person of interest to police.
Relatives and friends of Mr Meyer’s, a Canadian national, were at the search base every day of the search.
Sen Det Walls said that Mr Meyer’s family were obviously extremely distressed.
“They are accepting of what has transpired, in the sense that everything that could be done has been done,” Sen Det Walls said.
Healesville SES Controller and SES Commander of the search Karen Picone said volunteers from all over the state joined in the search for Mr Meyer.
SES members from Healesville, Marysville and Alexandra were at Mt Dom Dom every day during the search.
“Volunteers took part in the search in very difficult conditions.
“There was extremely difficult terrain as well as cold winds, rain and even hail on one day,” Ms Picone said.
Police are seeking assistance from members of the public regarding information relating to the movement of any person in the Mt Dom Dom region during the Easter weekend.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Warren Meyer is asked to contact Alexandra police on 5772 1040 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.