Police remained tight-lipped last night as reports surfaced that two hitmen dumped Mr Mackay’s body in a well at a property near Hay on their way back to Melbourne.

The theory, believed to be supported by fresh information from an inside source, suggested Mackay was shot in the car park of the Griffith Hotel, bundled into the boot of a car and driven 150 kilometres to a property at Hay before the killers drove to Echuca and on to Melbourne.

On the western outskirts of the town, in a paddock next to rows of lettuce, the hunt for Mr Mackay’s body continued yesterday.

Extensive resources from NSW Police, the Australian Federal Police and Unsolved Crimes Unit – including anthropology and geography experts – were focused on a small 50-metre by 30-metre patch of land on Willow Farm, in the search for Mr Mackay’s remains. 

Grey clouds lingered over the site as police battled muddy conditions in an investigation which could take another three to five days to complete.

This week’s activity is the result of a tip-off received back in 2011 and the search is the first time the property has been identified as a possible burial site.

Griffith local area commander, Superintendent Michael Rowan, who is in charge of the detectives covering the case, refused to fill hearts with hope as he addressed the media outside Hay Courthouse yesterday.

Supt Rowan said the information was anonymous and following extensive inquiries police were in the position where they couldn’t discount it.

Commander of the Homicide Squad, Detective Superintendent Michael Willing said police weren’t ruling anything out. 

“It’s early days, we’ll see what comes from the search over the next few days and we’ll take it from there,” Det Supt Willing said.

In Griffith, the community was holding on to hope that, after numerous fruitless searches, the mystery of where Mr Mackay’s body was dumped may come to an end.

Mr Mackay’s son, Paul, said he remained “hopeful but not confident” the search would uncover  his father’s final resting place.

“This sort of thing has happened before and we’re no more confident than we have been in the past,” Mr Mackay said. 

Griffith mayor John Dal Broi welcomed the news but was wary given the early stages of the excavation.

“It’s news, but at this stage there’s been nothing other than a tip-off to police,” Cr Dal Broi said.

“We would certainly like to see this come to some sort of finality, particularly for the Mackay family.”

It was a sentiment echoed by residents in Hay, where the main street is buzzing – a feeling that’s likely to remain until something is uncovered or the police leave.

– with The Age