A mother, daughter, and son have gone missing along one of Australia’s most remote roads after promising to spend the night on the farm of a stranger.
Bonnie Edwards, 70, Eldride Edwards, 41, and Virginia O’Neil, 49, were last seen and heard from in Alice Springs on Saturday.
The three was believed to be on their way to Western Australia, possibly returning to their home in Halls Creek, where Ms Edwards is a Councillor.
Bonnie traveled to Alice Springs with her children to attend a gathering of Indigenous people from rural settlements.
Her husband, Halls Creek Shire President Malcolm Edwards, claimed the last he heard from the trio was from their daughter on Sunday morning.
‘My daughter told me they’d met a really wonderful guy and were going to stay at his house.’ We have no idea who it is. ‘I have no notion who that individual was,’ he said to ABC.
On Tuesday, Cr Edwards filed a police report after the trio failed to contact him after their travel deadline passed.
‘They usually call and tell us. ‘This is not in character,’ he said.
Cr Edwards said his daughter’s phone was pinged at a caravan park in Alice Springs at 2 a.m. on Monday, adding to his concerns.
‘We’re beginning to suspect it wasn’t Virginia who turned on the phone because if it had been her, she would have seen all of those texts,’ he added.
There has been no financial activity recorded on any of their accounts.
Bonnie is particularly concerned, according to police, since she requires frequent medicine.
Mr Edwards and Ms O’Neil have no known medical conditions.
The gang is traveling in a red Toyota Hilux with the WA license plate PH27156.
‘Anyone who has seen the car or knows where the travellers may be is encouraged to call police,’ said Watch Commander Michael Milde.