Police seek to solve a decades-old mystery of man's body found in car

Mystery still surrounds body of man found in car in NSW almost 30 years ago Wed 5 Aug 2026 at 1:41pm In Short: The identity of a man found dead in a car near Glen Innes in 1999 remains a mystery. His car had unregistered plates, with all other identifying features removed. What's next? Police have urged families of long-term missing people to provide DNA they may help identify the man. Mystery still surrounds the identity of a man whose body was found in a car in northern NSW almost three decades ago. A police investigation began after officers were called to a beige Holden Commodore parked off the Gwydir Highway near Glen Innes on September 1, 1999. Almost 27 years later, the identity of the man whose body was found inside remains unknown, and although his death is not being treated as suspicious, police are keen to solve the mystery. Crime manager for New England Police, Detective Inspector Kingsley Chapman, said it was unusual for a body to go unidentified for so long. "This went before the coroner in 2000 and the investigators did a number of inquiries … unfortunately the coroner could not identify the identity of this man," he said. "Here we are 27-years later still seeking those answers to identify this man and hopefully give the family some answers as well." The mystery deepened when it was discovered the car's Western Australian licence plates were from a completely different vehicle that had been written off three years earlier. All other identifying features had been scratched off or removed. The man himself had little on him aside from a pair of faded blue denim jeans, light-coloured sneakers, and a blue-and-white chequered shirt with a grey nylon jacket. He was believed to have been travelling south, possibly from Queensland. Even after releasing an image of the man's appearance, police still have no answers. As part of Missing Persons Week, police have renewed calls for any information that may help identify the man. His remains are among 283 unidentified remains found in NSW since 1961. With 875 long-term missing persons cases also on record, Detective Inspector Chapman said he hoped advances in DNA technology would help provide some answers. "We encourage any families of any long-term missing people to come forward," he said. "Provide us with a sample of DNA so we can compare that to the national data base and hopefully provide identifications and hopefully provide closures." Police believe someone may still recognise the car and help identify the man. "A beige Holden Commodore with Western Australia plates usually stands out in the area, particularly if you're local," Detective Inspector Chapman said. "We're hoping someone has that little bit of information … and may answer some of the questions the investigation team has and so does the family."