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NSW Police Lift Reward to $1 Million in 1995 Paul Murray Case

Police say the larger offer aims to draw witnesses after an inconclusive post-mortem followed by a fruitless 1996 inquest.

Overview

  • The reward, announced Wednesday by NSW Police and the state government, targets information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
  • Paul Murray, 40, was last seen on March 19, 1995 near Lightning Ridge and was found naked and decomposed on April 22 about two kilometres from his camp.
  • A post-mortem found no cause of death or signs of trauma, and a 1996 coronial inquest reached no finding, leaving the case with few forensic leads.
  • State Crime Command’s Unsolved Homicide Unit has led a re-investigation since 2012 under a strike force, after earlier rewards rose from $100,000 to $500,000 in 2022.
  • Murray’s brother, Simon, joined police to publicize the new offer as detectives highlight unresolved clues — a missing loan book, a towel near the body, burrs in his bare feet, and a rifle left at camp — and say the higher sum could bring new tips from locals and miners.