An excavation site near Newcastle is actively being searched in relation to the disappearance of a teenage girl from the same area more than three decades ago.
Police and archaeologists have been spotted by local media at an excavation site in Charlestown, just south of Newcastle, in the midst of what is understood to be an investigation into the suspected kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Gordana Kotevski in 1994.
An NBN News crew captured footage of investigators going about their work on Wednesday, with local papers picking up the story on Thursday.
Ms Kotevski had been walking to Charlestown Square Shopping centre to her aunt’s house when she was forced into a white Toyota HiLux by a pair of men who have never been formally identified on November 24 1994.
In April 2026, investigators searched several properties in Edgeworth and West Wallsend, “seizing items that are currently undergoing forensic examination”.
On May 4, NSW Police formally announced a renewed appeal into Ms Kotevski’s disappearance, offering a $1 million reward for anybody who could provide information which would result in a conviction.
At the time, Lake Macquarie Police District Commander Tracy Chapman said police knew “the missing piece” of information was out there, and they would likely be conducting “an excavation” to search for Ms Kotevski’s remains.
“We know people have information. It may be something that seemed insignificant at the time, or something someone has kept to themselves for years. That information could be the missing piece investigators need,” Superintendent Chapman said.
“With renewed investigative efforts, forensic examinations underway and a $1 million reward on offer, now is the time for anyone with knowledge – whether in Lake Macquarie, the Hunter, or elsewhere – to come forward.”
Gordana’s mother Peggy said her daughter was a “beautiful, gentle girl with her whole life ahead of her”.
“For more than 30 years our family has lived without answers about what happened to her,” she said.
“Knowing that her case has not been forgotten gives our family renewed hope after so many years. As a mother, you never stop waiting. You never stop hoping that one day someone will come forward and tell the truth about what happened to your child.
“Even the smallest piece of information could help us finally understand what happened to Gordana.”
Former police officer and The Missing Australia podcast host Meni Caroutas told NewsWire the recent developments were proof that “police don’t give up”.
“Police don’t have a crystal ball, but sometimes all you need is fresh eyes to go over things and have a different viewpoint,” Mr Caroutas said.
“They ask different questions, and it’s not a criticism of previous investigators, but over the years investigative techniques become more advanced.”
Mr Caroutas said he strongly believed the men responsible would be caught, and was quietly hoping it would be “very soon”.
“This was a young girl with her entire life ahead of her. She was excited the night she was taken because she was going to her first concert – a boy band, with her cousins,” he said.
“The pain of what happened all those years ago is even worse today because the family has had to endure years and years of no answers.
“Gordana’s family – and Gordana herself – deserve justice.”
When asked to confirm the nature of the excavation site, a police spokesman said they were unable to provide further information “due to operational reasons”.
