On August 10, 1968, seven-year-old Linda Stilwell went missing from the St Kilda foreshore in Melbourne.
More than 40 years later, a coroner inquest pointed to a suspect—Derek Percy, a man known as one of Australia’s most notorious child killers.
Even with the coroner's findings and years of searching, Linda was never found.
To this day, her case remains one of the most heartbreaking and unsolved mysteries in Australia.
Let's get into the details
Who Was Linda Stilwell?
Linda Jane Stilwell was born on August 22, 1960.
She was described as a bright and affectionate little girl when she vanished.
She lived with her mother, Jean Priest (formerly Jean Stilwell), and her two older siblings, Karen and Gary, in a rented house on Beaconsfield Parade in Middle Park, Melbourne.
Her life was simple—centered around her family and school.
They had only recently moved to the area, so the children were still getting used to being allowed to play at the foreshore without adult supervision.
According to her mother, Linda was known for her warm and friendly nature.
She was the kind of child who showed affection easily, even toward strangers, regardless of their age or gender.
Shortly before her disappearance, Linda’s parents separated, which changed the dynamics of the family.
Her father, Brian Stilwell, later moved to New Zealand with Linda’s youngest sibling, Louise, just a month earlier.
Despite the challenges at home, Linda was described as a happy child.
Her sudden disappearance, which has left her family heartbroken, has now become one of Australia's most haunting unsolved cases.
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| Linda and her two older siblings |
The Day Linda Stilwell Disappeared
On Saturday, August 10, 1968, Linda Stilwell spent her morning at home with her mother and siblings in their Middle Park flat.
Around 9:00 AM, Jean Priest left to do the weekly shopping, instructing the children to stay inside until she returned.
By midday, she came back to find that Karen and Gary had already gone out to play.
After making lunch, Jean dressed Linda in dark blue jeans, a mustard-colored jumper, and black shoes.
She then asked her to go find her brother and sister and bring them back home.
Linda left the house around 1:00 PM.
At approximately 3:00 PM, Karen returned alone and told her mother that Gary and Linda were at St Kilda Pier, fishing.
Later that afternoon, Gary and three other boys took Linda to Little Luna Park, near the ice-skating rink.
At one point, Gary told Linda it was time to go home, but she refused—she wanted to stay and keep playing.
While Gary was distracted by one of the amusement park exhibits, he briefly lost sight of Linda and the other boys.
By 4:00 PM, he returned home alone and told his mother that Linda had stayed behind with the boys at the park.
By 5:00 PM, when Linda still hadn’t come home, Jean sent Gary to look for her.
He came back about half an hour later and said Linda might have gone to the St Kilda Police Station with some boys to pick up their fishing rods.
By 7:00 PM, with no sign of Linda, Jean called the police and was told that only two boys had come for the fishing gear—Linda wasn’t with them.
She immediately reported her daughter missing.
First Constable John Simon arrived at their home shortly after to take a formal missing person report.
The Search and Investigation
After Linda Stilwell’s disappearance, an immediate and extensive search was launched by Victoria Police.
Officers searched the St Kilda foreshore, including Little Luna Park, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda Pier, and nearby beachfront areas.
The Police Motorised Boat Squad helped in searching the shoreline and waters, while officers checked nearby yachts at the local marina and ships docked in Port Melbourne.
Sadly, the search came up empty.
Authorities alerted media outlets to spread Linda's description, while transportation hubs, including train and bus stations, were closely monitored for any sign of her.
The three boys who had been with Linda that afternoon were interviewed, but they offered no new information, only confirming that they had last seen her near Little Luna Park..
Other witnesses later came forward, saying they had also seen Linda in the park that afternoon.
One boy, Leigh Dix, remembered seeing her with a man who claimed to be her uncle before leading her toward Beach Road.
Another witness, twelve-year-old Angela Dyer, also spotted Linda with an older man near the amusement park that day.
On August 12, a third witness, Edith Jamieson, came forward after seeing media reports.
She recalled seeing a girl who matched Linda’s description around 4:45 PM on the day of the disappearance, rolling down a grassy slope near the Lower Esplanade.
Jamieson also noticed a man sitting on a nearby bench—thin, with sharp features and deep olive skin.
She later stated that he resembled the notorious killer, Derek Percy, after seeing his picture published in newspapers years later.
However, despite these witness testimonies, no concrete leads emerged at the time.
Police also verified the whereabouts of Linda’s father in New Zealand, eliminating him as a suspect.
Over the following days, search efforts expanded.
Officers checked hospitals across Melbourne for any unidentified young girls admitted that day.
Coordinated sweeps were conducted along the beaches from Elwood to Middle Park, and additional searches were carried out at Albert Park Lake, as well as the South Melbourne and St Kilda football grounds.
Despite these efforts, no trace of Linda was found.
By August 19, the Victorian government and Chief Commissioner of Police announced a $5,000 reward for information.
Detectives interviewed approximately 80 persons of interest, including known offenders with histories of crimes against children.
Over 500 information reports were compiled, but none led to a breakthrough.
The case eventually went cold until 2004, when it was reopened.
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| Linda's mother waiting for news updates on TV |
Renwed Efforts
In 2004, the Victoria Police Homicide Squad Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation into Linda Stilwell's disappearance, after it had remained inactive for 36 years.
Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne Newman was assigned to review the case, and he identified Derek Ernest Percy as a potential suspect.
At the time of the new investigation, Percy was already in prison.
He was serving an indefinite sentence after being found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of 12-year-old Yvonne Tuohy in 1969.
The cold case review revealed previously overlooked connections between Percy and Linda's disappearance.
Investigators confirmed that Percy had been on leave from the Royal Australian Navy on August 10, 1968, placing him in Melbourne at the time Linda vanished.
Witness statements from 1968 were re-examined, including accounts from Leigh Dix and Angela Dyer.
Both of them described seeing Linda with a man matching Percy's physical description near Little Luna Park.
Whe police searched Percy's belongings, they were able to uncover key evidence.
They found hand-drawn maps of Melbourne among his possessions, with the St Kilda foreshore area clearly marked.
His personal diaries contained disturbing writings about violent acts against children, though no direct references to Linda were found.
Investigators also located Percy's cream-colored Datsun sedan, matching witness descriptions of the vehicle seen near the abduction site.
In February 2005, detectives conducted a videotaped interview with Percy at the Homicide Squad offices.
When questioned about Linda’s case and other unsolved child murders from the 1960s, Percy said he had no memory of the events.
He claimed to have been in Newcastle on the day Linda disappeared, though naval records contradicted this claim.
Despite compelling circumstantial evidence, no criminal charges were filed before Percy's death from natural causes on July 24, 2013.
In 2014, a coroner officially ruled that Derek Percy was responsible for Linda’s death, bringing the closest answer to a case that had remained unsolved for decades.
However, he never revealed how, when, or where she died, leaving many painful questions unanswered.
While the finding brought some measure of clarity to Linda's family, the exact details of her disappearance and final resting place remain unknown.
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| Derek Percy |
Despite the coroner's 2014 finding that Derek Percy was responsible for Linda Stilwell's death, Linda’s body was never found.
Linda’s family is still hoping for closure and believes that someone out there might still come forward with new information.
The family particularly hopes someone might remember crucial details about the cream-colored Datsun seen near Little Luna Park that day.
Authorities encourage anyone with information - no matter how insignificant it may seem - to contact Crime Stoppers.
Even after more than five decades, detectives emphasize that a single new detail could be the key to finally solving this heartbreaking mystery.
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