POLICE are still to determine the exact circumstances of the violent death of former Millicent resident Josh Warneke at Broome a decade ago.
Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of his passing in the remote Western Australian fishing town.
Mr Warneke was found with extensive injuries on a roadside in the early hours of February 26, 2010.
The circumstances of the 21-year-old’s death has been the subject of extensive media coverage and it has been renewed as the anniversary approaches.
However, Western Australia police spokesperson Susan Usher has told The South Eastern Times there would be no comment on the latest media reports coming out of the state.
“I can advise the Western Australia Police Force is progressing a report for the Coroner,” Ms Usher said.
“As such, there will be no further comment on this matter at this time.”
Mr Warneke spent his formative years in Millicent, attended Millicent High School and graduated in 2006.
His grave is located in the Rendelsham Cemetery and is alongside his maternal great-grandparents.
Aspects of the police investigations and subsequent court hearings have regularly been in the headlines and screened on national television current affairs programs.
Several police initially involved in probing the circumstances of Mr Warneke’s death faced disciplinary action.
Officers had arrested Gene Gibson and charged him with murder.
However, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Hall subsequently ruled much of the police evidence inadmissible as the investigative actions of the officers had been flawed.
Prosecutors subsequently dropped the murder charge and Mr Gibson pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Gibson was sentenced to 7.5 years jail over Mr Warneke’s death with a non-parole period of 5.5 years.
However, the Court of Appeal in 2017 overturned this verdict and Mr Gibson was freed.
The WA government later awarded $1.3m to Mr Gibson as compensation for his time in custody lasting almost five years.
The death of Mr Warneke then became the subject of a special crime squad investigation with Western Australian Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan posting a $250,000 reward for information from the public.
