Fire ripped through bushland in 2014 uncovering partial skeletal remains of a man that disappeared two decades earlier. On the 30th anniversary of his disappearance his family is calling for answers.
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Fishmonger Mark Jansen was last seen getting into an unidentified, beaten-up Holden Gemini in the carpark behind his fresh fish shop in Dandenong, in Melbourne's southeast, on November 12, 1994.
Missing Persons Squad detectives hope that the woman and two men spotted in the Gemini know what happened to Mr Jansen.
Investigators said they were "very keen to speak to them".
'My dad, my protector, my hero'
The 31-year-old had two daughters who continue to search for answers.
Mr Jansen's eldest daughter Lichelle is "begging anyone who knows anything to please come forward".
"No piece of information is too small. It could be the key to finding justice for my dad. Imagine if this were your family, your father, your pain. Please don't stay silent," she said.
The heartbroken daughter penned a tribute to her father on the 30th anniversary of his disappearance.
"Dad, losing you broke something in me that I don't think will ever heal. I was just a child when you disappeared, but the pain of not having you by my side has followed me every day since," she said.
"You were my dad - my protector, my hero - and someone took you from me in the most brutal way.
"We now know you're gone, but what happened to you still haunts us. Finding your body was devastating, but not knowing who did this, or why, is unbearable.
"Whoever took you away is still out there, and they shouldn't be. You didn't deserve this. None of us deserved this."
She said she hoped her father knew how much he was loved and vowed to continue fighting for justice in the mysterious death.
"Whoever did this to you must be held accountable. I promise I won't give up," she said.
Foul play
Police believe Mr Jansen "met with foul play" but the circumstances surrounding the disappearance remained a mystery.
No suspects have been charged over his death during the three decade investigation.
Mr Jansen declared bankrupcy in the months before his disappearance and police said he had incurred "a number of debts" to various people.
Investigators also believe Mr Jansen had low-level involvement in trafficking drugs in the lead up to November 12, 1994.
"There will absolutely be people who know what happened to Mark and who is responsible, and we are appealing for those people to come forward and speak to police," detective inspector Dave Dunstan said.
"Mark's two daughters have had to grow up without ever really knowing their father, and there are so many milestones in their lives he never got to be a part of. No family should experience that," he said.
"It has been 30 years, but it is absolutely not too late to do the right thing. Any new information provided to police will be thoroughly investigated. Mark's family deserves answers."
Anyone with information on Mark's disappearance or the three people he was with is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 33 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
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Anna Houlahan
Anna Houlahan is a journalist for the Courier, dedicated to uncovering the stories that shape the city. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au
