Rodney Stevens
Police are still appealing for any information into the disappearance of Maclean man Daniel Copeland who was last seen on Father’s Day in 2023.
At 2.35pm on Sunday, September 3, 2023, 40-year-old Mr Copeland was captured on CCTV at a bottle shop on Centenary Drive, Maclean.
The last time Mr Copeland was seen in Maclean was about 4.30pm when he was seen getting into a silver 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer on River Street.
The next day he was reportedly seen travelling in the Wooli area in the same vehicle.
When he didn’t arrive at his partners home at Maclean as expected or didn’t turn up for work the following week, he was reported missing and Coffs Clarence Police District officers commenced inquiries before the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad launched strike force Illfracombe to investigate Mr Copeland’s disappearance.
In February 2024, Marine Area Command, Police Divers, the Dog Squad, PolAir, Northern Region officers, and NSW SES volunteers conducted a two-day land and water search at Wooli, of the Wooli Wooli River and its islands but no breakthroughs into Mr Copeland’s whereabouts were made.
At the time, Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty, said investigations to this point had led detectives to the Wooli Wooli River.
He said Mr Copeland didn’t travel to Wooli alone and could have “met with foul play.”
“It’s a suspicious disappearance,” he said.
“He was supposed to go to work and hasn’t accessed any accounts, so that has led us to the conclusion that there is foul play involved.
“As our inquiries continue, we’re also continuing to appeal to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious around the time of Daniel’s disappearance to come forward.”
Mr Copeland is of Caucasian appearance, about 165cm tall, of solid build, with a blond mohawk, and a full sleeve tattoo on his right arm.
He was last seen wearing North Queensland Cowboys NRL shorts, a green long-sleeve shirt, and a black hoodie.
Anyone with any information about Mr Copeland is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.