Detectives have arrested a 16-year-old boy as part of an investigation after human remains were discovered during a search for a missing teenage girl in western Victoria.
Thirteen-year-old Leila Jeffrey was last seen on McCracken Street in Donald on July 4 and was reported missing the next day.
Police found the remains in the bush. (ABC News: Rebecca Lowe)
A large-scale search was carried out in nearby bushland off Byrne Street, involving local police as well as the dog squad, AirWing and search and rescue teams., and the State Emergency Service.
Police said human remains were discovered late Thursday and have not been formally identified but are believed to be those of the missing girl.
The death is being treated as suspicious and police said missing persons unit detectives are leading the investigation.
David Dunstan says the investigation is just beginning. (ABC News: Rebecca Lowe)
Detective Inspector David Dunstan, from the Missing Persons Unit, said a 16-year-old boy had been arrested and remained in custody.
He said a 53-year-old woman from Donald and a 55-year-old woman from Melbourne were also assisting police with the investigation.
Detective Inspector Dunstan said the investigation into what happened to Layla was still ongoing.
“We’re relying on a post-mortem examination to determine how long she was potentially there and the time of death,” he said.
“We are confident that the perpetrators are now in custody. “We don’t think anyone else could be involved in this situation, this is a tragic outcome for the Donald community and we would urge people to seek support if they have been affected by this.”
Police say the investigation is still ongoing. (ABC News: Rebecca Lowe)
Detective Inspector Dunstan said the family was mourning Layla’s death.
“They are devastated and obviously for any parent who has lost a child in these circumstances it is heartbreaking how you would actually cope with it,” he said.
He urged local parents to talk to their children about what happened.
“I would also like to reach out to parents of local youth in the area who may not see this coverage in the mainstream media,” he said.
“Speak to your children and any contacts they may have had with Layla or the friendship group on social media, we can take any information and upload it anonymously to CrimeStoppers.”
Police said an extensive search was carried out. (ABC News: Rebecca Lowe)
As part of the investigation, a warrant was executed around 11 a.m. today at a property in Donald.
The community is in shock
Donald resident Shane O’Shea said Layla’s disappearance had upset the community.
Shane O’Shea says the disappearance has shocked the town. (ABC News: Rebecca Lowe)
“When you’re the population of Donald (sic) and everyone knows each other, when something like this happens, even if you’ve been in Donald for five minutes and it happens to you, it really upsets the community,” he said.
“There is a certain amount of fear in the city before they find out what really happened.
“You think this doesn’t happen in Donald or can’t happen in a small community like Donald, but suddenly you come across it.”
Bullock ward councilor Charmaine Delaney said it came as a shock to everyone in the town.
“As a community we are truly devastated and are just wondering how we can come together to support family, friends and acquaintances and wondering what services we can offer them in the future,” she said.
“As I was walking down the street the news came out and you could visibly see the impact on the community because we are a very close-knit community and not these types of incidents that clearly shocked them.”
Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.