 Good afternoon, everybody. We're ready to go. We're up? Okay. Well, thank you. Good afternoon. We'd just like to advise that the search for evidence related to the Daniel Morkham investigation has been concluded following a thorough and extensive forensic search. We have been searching the scene since mid-August, interrupted only by bad weather. I'd like to thank the 850 SES volunteers who have come from throughout South-East Queensland as far away as the Gold Coast into Wumba to assist local SES on the Sunshine Coast in participating daily in the search. I'd also like to thank the 100 police recruits who assisted the police forensic experts and crime scene guards who have been engaged in the search throughout the entire period. I'd also like to thank the owner of the property for his unstinting cooperation with police. This gentleman has really been outstanding in making the site available and assisting every request from the police. We'd like to thank Griffith University who have also made a number of their experts available to the search team, and those experts have given freely of their time and expertise to assist in the search effort. I'd like to thank the Lions Club at Wumbai who have very generously provided on-site meals and refreshment to all of the workers, SES and police, and their support is appreciated. During the search, the search team has made a massive effort to cover the entire search area. That's included the removal and sifting of 500 cubic metres of sand, and the searchers have searched hands and knees over the entire search area, often in atrocious circumstances. Over the term of the search, we've recovered some skeletal remains, a pair of shoes, and some items of clothing. The items that we have recovered are subject to ongoing forensic testing. We were assisting the search, as I said, by a range of experts who gave freely of their time to ensure that the search was comprehensive and followed best practice. Without being exhaustive, the experts that we had came from a range of fields including hydrology, zoology, forensic anthropology, water channeling, soil experts, DNA profilers, and forensic pathologists. The decision to conclude the search was taken after an exhaustive internal and external peer review and the advice of the expert reference group that we had access to. The search area is on private property, and whilst the owner has been extremely cooperative with us, as I indicated, he would now like the property to come back to being under his exclusive control. It is private property, and we ask that people respect the wishes of the owner and that he has made it clear that should people not accede to his wishes, that he will take necessary action, including possible police action if required. The Morecom family have been kept updated on the progress of the search and they are grateful to everyone who has been involved in the search effort. As the items found are continuing to be forensically examined and may be subject of the ongoing criminal proceedings, I'm unable to answer any questions about that aspect of the search. Beyond that, I'm happy to answer what questions I can. The Morecoms indicated to you that they support this search coming to an end. Yes, the family has been constantly updated. The commissioner and other senior officers have spoken to them on a regular basis. They are comfortable with the decision that's been made and extremely appreciative of the scale of the search effort and the duration. So yes, they are comfortable with the decision. The search might be over, but are there other investigations going on in terms of gathering evidence? The search might be over, but are other investigations still continuing? Well, what I've indicated is the forensic examination of all of the items that we've found is ongoing, and it's likely to be for some time. Are there still interviews with any sort of witnesses or possibly people in the area at the time or anything like that? Yes, the investigation team is still pursuing further lines of inquiry and that's ongoing. How many people in the investigation team? There's a core group of about 15 at the moment, and that will be expanded if the need arises. And that's a joint team between the North Coast region and State Crime Operations Command Homicide Squad. I think this would probably rate as the largest external locality site that this department has probably ever undertaken in terms of a crime scene. As I said, it's been going continuously since mid-August up until today. So I can't think of a bigger and more intensive search that has been taken of an outdoor crime scene than this one. It's quite unprecedented. Have you nearly recovered all of Daniel's skeleton? Look, out of respect for the family and to preserve the dignity of Daniel himself, I don't think it's appropriate that I discuss any issues about the skeletal remains that have been found. Can you tell us when the last item of significance was found? Within the last week. Are you less confident that no more significant items were going to be found? Was that a determining factor? We had to make a decision in consultation with all of the experts and after the peer review that the search effort that we have undertaken to date is exhaustive and it's unlikely that any further searching is going to be viable or productive and we feel we've reached that point. Did the search at this site begin before a person was arrested over Daniel's murder? I'm not able to comment on that. The two shoes that have been found, do they fit to the same description as the shoes Daniel was wearing? The two shoes that we've recovered are the same brand and general appearance as the ones that Daniel was reported to be wearing at the time of his disappearance. Is there a time frame at all for the release of Daniel's remains to his parents so that they can see a whole funeral? We're very conscious of the family's wishes in this regard and we totally understand and sympathise with their position. That decision is not one for the Queensland Police Service to make. Is the search limited to the Kings Road property near Bearwell? It's limited to an area on that property, yes. What size was that area? It'd be difficult for me to quantify for you an actual landmass but there was the primary search scene and surrounding water courses were searched. Given how much interest there's been in this case and your involvement all for all the years, was it a difficult decision to make to call it off? To conclude it? When we started this search we were fully committed to doing whatever it took to do the most exhaustive search required to give us every opportunity to recover any and all evidence that was at that crime scene. We believe that as a result of the efforts that we have put in and the assistance we've received from a range of experts, we've achieved that goal. Is it possible to say that this is where Daniel also died? I'm not able to comment on that. It's in the public domain that it was a lead bone and I think another bone from the foot. Are you saying more parts of the skeleton have been found since that was made public, I think, months ago? Again, I don't think it's appropriate that I comment on the nature of the skeletal remains that have been found. I think it's a matter of respect for the family. When do police intend handing up a comprehensive brief of evidence to the DPP? The criminal proceedings are ongoing. They're subject to the usual disclosure provisions that apply to any criminal trial. The police will meet our disclosure obligations but the matter is being managed and conducted by the Director of Public Prosecutions and they are in control of all aspects of the criminal investigation process for the trial proceeding. You said, I mean, this has been an extraordinary case for Queensland history. Not only in terms of the size, the length of time the operation has been going, now the search. What was the mood of those involved in searching this crime scene when the decision was made to finish and how have they conducted themselves over the course of searching through this crime scene for what is a grisly crime? I think everybody, police, SES, everybody, the experts, everybody has come together as one to provide the most comprehensive and professional search effort that they could out of respect for Daniel and for his family. I think it would be fair to say that everyone who has been involved, whilst it was a sad and difficult task, have taken a measure of pride that they have been able to find things that are potentially of significance. Were you surprised that you were actually able to find these significant results given the passing of time and the flooding and everything else that's happened? I think it's fair to say that we were hopeful but not overly confident when we started the search of what, if anything, we might find. We had received expert advice that because of a range of environmental factors including the passage of time and other weather events that our chances of finding anything of significance was probably fairly remote. So we're very happy with what we found given the conditions in the intervening years. You said it wasn't police's decision to return Daniel's remains to the family for any potential funeral. Is that now in the hands of the DPP? Yes, with DPP and the state coroner. Both have an interest, ledger sort of responsibilities in that area so that'll be a matter for them to consider. You've in effect given the morcums Daniel back as much as you can. Is it a point now where you feel like you won't be able to rest now until the suspect is through the court system or will you feel that that will be the closure for police? It's like any criminal investigation. Any person charged retains the presumption of innocence and there is no difference in this case. We are now part way through the criminal justice process that the Director of Public Prosecutions is leading and we will go through with that process wherever it takes us until we get to a conclusion. Are there any other search sites anywhere on the Sunshine Coast in relation to this? I know that the people who own the property have said it's now our private space again. Are you worried that people will go there with the gruesome want to go and see where this site was? Or is there a way into the public? Well I certainly hope not. I can't imagine what sort of an individual would actually want to go to such a place whether it was a private place or a public place. But if anyone thinks that they want to for whatever reason they would just make it very clear that the owner does not want them. They're not welcome. If they go there they'll be breaching the law and the owner made it very clear that he will see appropriate action taken. So I would just encourage people to respect the family and the seriousness of this situation. It's not a terrorist attraction and the people should just respect the family and just stay away. Have there been any new results from the forensic testing or is that still ongoing? It's ongoing. Were any other items of clothing found? Like the red t-shirt or the book? Not able to comment beyond what I've said. Given the time of the weather conditions that you've mentioned do you believe that the remains of the substantial evidence for the case to bring to justice? As I indicated earlier because the criminal justice process is ongoing I'm not able to make any comment about what has been found. I'm going to ask you about a slightly different matter if you're happy to comment in terms of the Gold Coast. Speaking in terms of where there was a release issue the other day about a person wanted for syringe robberies. The suggestion has been put forward in some corners today just chasing your reaction. Operation Seymour was such a huge success for police on the Gold Coast in stopping the violent crime. Is there any thoughts, any process being gone through to whether Operation Seymour should be brought back on the Gold Coast and we've seen I guess these aren't robberies returned? Well I think it's been said many times we look at all aspects of operational policing in every region and if we think there's a need to provide additional or extra resources to a particular area to deal with a particular issue we will. We do that on a regular basis. We send specialists, police from all of the commands across the state to deal with various crime issues as they occur and we'll assess any issues on the Gold Coast as we would if they occurred in Cairns or anywhere else.