Key facts
- A coroner found the 1988 police investigation into the death of Indigenous teenager Mark Haines was flawed and hindered by racism.
- Haines' body was found on train tracks near Tamworth, NSW, with police initially ruling his death a suicide.
- Deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame stated the investigation was superficial and inadequate, influenced by the era's entrenched racism.
- Grahame ruled out suicide and suggested some individuals involved have not come forward.
- The case has been recommended for further investigation by the NSW Police's unsolved homicide unit.
A coroner has found that the police investigation into the 1988 death of Indigenous teenager Mark Haines was deeply flawed and hindered by racism, a finding that supports the family's long-held suspicions.
The Gomeroi teenager's body was discovered on train tracks near Tamworth, New South Wales, on January 16, 1988, near a crashed stolen car. Police at the time ruled the 17-year-old's death a suicide, attributing it to a traumatic head injury.
However, Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame stated that the initial investigation was superficial and inadequate, taking place against a backdrop of entrenched racism in the region. She found it inconceivable that such a limited investigation would have occurred if the deceased had been a young white teenager from a privileged background.
Grahame ruled out the initial suicide finding, noting the presence of a towel under Haines' head. While dismissing a rumour about local boxer Eddie Davis, she indicated that Haines' friend Glenn Mannion likely possessed more information. The coroner concluded that Haines' death was suspicious, with some individuals involved not having come forward.
Mark Haines' sister, Lorna Haines, shared the family's enduring pain, stating their parents died without knowing the truth about their 'shining light'. His uncle, Don Craigie, who tirelessly advocated for a reinvestigation, expressed that the family received a 'life sentence' while Mark received the 'death sentence'.
The inquest did not yield a definitive breakthrough for the family, a fact Grahame described as a deep personal regret. The NSW Aboriginal Legal Service, representing Craigie, credited his advocacy for the coroner's confirmation of compromised investigation due to racism.
As a result of the findings, Grahame recommended that the case be referred back to the NSW Police's unsolved homicide unit for further investigation, including DNA analysis of a cigarette lighter found near the tracks. A $1 million reward for information remains active.