Related
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
September 26 will be a particularly difficult day for the family of missing woman Allecha Boyd.
In a first, on what has always been a day to celebrate, the family are marking Allecha’s 28th birthday in sorrow; and in a desperate act, they are offering a $100,000 reward for her return.
What started as $50,000, quickly doubled as more family believed the reward could be the circuit breaker in finding Allecha.
“We are going crazy not knowing,” sister Rhiannon Boyd said.
Pressure has steadily mounted on the family in the six weeks since Allecha was last seen getting into a car in Wagga and travelling to Coolamon on August 10.
In this time, there have been no clues as to her whereabouts; her phone, bank account, and social media page haven’t been touched, and there’s been no contact with family, friends or workmates.
“Mum’s not coping. We’re all doing it really tough,” Rhiannon said.
“It’s her birthday and we just need to know. If she’s gone, let us find her so we can bury her.”
The family have been trawling social media for any clue that might reveal where Allecha could be.
A Facebook page set up for friends and family has discussed everything from the last people to see Allecha, where she could be now, and who isn’t disclosing everything they know; all lines of inquiry highly-trained police in Strike Force Amias are already investigating, yet the family say it’s impossible to just sit and wait.
“The detectives and the police have been amazing, just amazing,” Rhiannon said.
“We get updates every day, and even three o’clock in the morning they contact me saying, ‘get off Facebook, don’t respond to that comment as it’s just going to get you upset’, so they’re being so caring, and that’s helping us cope,” she said.
Last week, sisters Rhiannon and Tammara Boyd travelled to Wagga from Melbourne to make an emotional appeal for her return.
Detective Sergeant Phil Malligan said it must be stressed that the reward being offered by the family is not sanctioned by NSW Police, nor the state government.
“Police are not going to speculate on any comment made on social media,” Detective Sergeant Malligan said.
“What we are doing is following all lines of inquiry and staying in close contact with the family during this difficult time for them.”