The case of the mysterious disappearance of alleged fraudster Melissa Caddick remains open but the New South Wales police commissioner believes the Sydney woman is dead.
Commissioner Mick Fuller acknowledges there are many conspiracy theories circulating about the fate of Caddick.
But when asked on Sydney radio 2GB if he was satisfied she was dead he replied: “I am.”
“There’s always a chance she cut her foot off and is still alive but that’s pretty fanciful but nevertheless we haven’t closed this case,” he said on Monday.
“We are still looking for her remains and we’re still looking of where the funds may be.”
Fuller all but dismissed speculation Caddick may have met with foul play.
“There’s a very slim chance that is the case but we haven’t closed this case,” he said.
The 49-year-old went missing last November, a day after corporate watchdog Asic executed a search warrant at her eastern Sydney mansion.
A report released last week into her financial affairs indicated she had likely misappropriated about $25m of investors’ funds.
The only remains that have been found are her decomposing foot, which washed up in a running shoe on a beach about 400km south of Sydney.
“I’ve never seen someone’s body or body parts wash up 400km south of Sydney and in reasonably good condition ... but that’s not to say it can’t happen,” Fuller said.
Other bones and remains found on surrounding beaches did not belong to Caddick.
Last week, police divers scanned 6000 sq km of water off Sydney’s South Head – near Caddick’s Dover Heights home – before the search was called off due to hazardous conditions.
“No other body parts have been found at this stage,” Fuller said.
The police are still investigating the case, which has so far identified a possible 68 fraud victims.
“We feel sorry for them but we are still looking at trying to recover funds and that investigation continues,” the commissioner said.