Perth boy found in mine shaft near Coober Pedy

This is just weird this, the father picked up the boy then drove from Perth to Coober Pedy and then drove all the way to Northern WA via Northern Territory. Who was then charged and sent back to Perth.

Its a fair hike from Perth to northern WA via SA and NT.

Body of missing boy Imran Zilic found in mine shaft near Coober Pedy
Article from: The Advertiser

NICOLE COX

May 09, 2008 03:00pm

THE body of missing toddler Imran Zilic has been found at the bottom of a mine shaft near Coober Pedy - and police will apply to extradite his father to SA.

Local police found the body this morning 47km south of the opal mining town, near a rest stop on the Stuart Highway.

Just over a rise at the back of the rest stop is a cluster of four mine shafts. Imran's body was found at the bottom of a shaft about 7m deep and 1m wide.

Detectives from the SA Major Crime squad returned to the town, 800km north of Adelaide, late yesterday. They and crime scene investigators remain at the site and the body will probably not be removed until tonight.



"Police investigating the disappearance of Imran Zilic have located the body of a small child in a mineshaft 47km south of Coober Pedy,'' Detective Inspector Doug Barr said today.

"While all indications are that it is Imran Zilic, formal identification is a matter for the State Coroner.''

Imran, 3, who did not speak English, had not been seen since April 21 when he and his father, Aliya Zilic, 33, checked into Poochera Hotel on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.

Mr Zilic had picked up Imran from his mother's home in Western Australia at 6am on April 20 for a two-day access visit.

It is understood that after a week of not co-operating, Mr Zilic, who is detained in Western Australia's Graylands Hospital on a mental health order, finally gave police a key clue. Moves are now under way to extradite him from Western Australia.

Imran's mother, Mirsada Halilovic, has been advised of the find and is distraught.

The find confirms the worst fears of police, who issued a public appeal for information after Imran and his father travelled to Outback SA from WA.

Det-Insp Barr said the grim find had disheartened investigating officers.

"This case has touched the hearts of all those involved in it,'' he said.

"Our hope was always to find Imran alive and return him to his mother. So this is a very disappointing end for us, quite frankly.

"The police services of Western Australia and the Northern Territory have been of exceptional assistance.''

On Tuesday, Northern Territory police said they were looking into several unconfirmed sightings of the boy, including one at the Timber Creek Hotel, about 600km south of Darwin.

- Additional reporting: PerthNow