The months-long search for missing Sydney grandfather David Johnston has ended in tragedy, with police confirming the discovery of human remains believed to be his.
Mr Johnston, 81, was reported missing from his North Rocks home in March after failing to contact family members. Concerns quickly grew due to his age, medical conditions and limited mobility. Relatives said it was unlike him to go far from home, usually only driving his grey Nissan Qashqai to local shops.
However, CCTV footage later placed him more than 550 kilometres away at a service station in Halfway Creek, between Grafton and Woolgoolga. He was last sighted driving west along Kungala Road in Kungala. His sudden and unexplained journey puzzled both investigators and his loved ones, who described his disappearance as completely out of character.
For months, family and police issued urgent calls for public assistance, clinging to the hope of finding him safe. That hope was shattered when a member of the public recently discovered his car hidden in thick scrub. Officers searching the surrounding area located human remains, which are yet to be formally identified but are believed to belong to Mr Johnston.
In a heartfelt statement, his family expressed their grief and confusion. “He was not the type of man who would leave without saying goodbye,” they said. “Due to his age and medical conditions, we do understand he may no longer be with us. The hardest part is not knowing what has happened and going each day with no closure.”
Police have confirmed a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Images: NSW Police
Tags: Caring, David Johnston, Missing person, NSW Police