No charges will be laid over the disappearance of a man who vanished from a tiny outback town without a trace almost seven years ago.
Irish-born Paddy Moriarty, 70, and his red kelpie cross Kellie were last seen leaving the Pink Panther Hotel at Larrimah, in the Northern Territory, on December 16, 2017.
Mr Moriarty, who had been engaged in a feud with his nearest neighbours, was headed for his home 280m away from the pub.
Only 12 people lived in the town at the time of his disappearance with the population since shrinking to just seven.
Interest in the case was reignited after HBO created a documentary called ‘Last Stop Larrimah’ – with the feature screened on Netflix in 2023.
In a major update in the cold case, the Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) announced on Wednesday that it will not lay any charges.
No charges will be laid over the disappearance and suspected death of Paddy Moriarty, the Northern Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions announced on Wednesday
Paddy Moriarty, 70, and his red kelpie cross Kellie were last seen leaving the Pink Panther Hotel in the Northern Territory town of Larrimah, on the afternoon of December 16, 2017
‘The DPP has determined that there is insufficient evidence to make out a charge against any person in relation to the disappearance of Paddy Moriarty,’ it said.
‘No further comment will be provided by the DPP at this time.’
In April 2022, NT Coroner Greg Cavanagh referred the suspected death to the DPP after finding Mr Moriarty’s disappearance was likely the result of criminal offences.
Mr Cavanagh said Mr Moriarty’s death was ‘not able to be determined’.
‘In my opinion Paddy was killed in the context of and likely due to the ongoing feud he had with his nearest neighbours,’ his findings read.
‘He likely died on the evening of 16 December 2017.’
Following the announcement this week, NT Police said they would continue to investigate the death with a $250,000 reward for information on offer.
Police immediately suspected foul play when Mr Moriarty disappeared and installed recording devices on local man Owen Laurie’s home within two weeks.
In 2022, an inquest heard alleged recordings from Mr Laurie’s Larrimah home.
‘F***ing killed Paddy, hit him on the head,’ a voice was heard saying.
‘Smacked him on the f***ing nostrils with my claw hammer’ and ‘I killerated old Paddy… I struck him on the f***ing head and killerated the bastard… basherated him’.
Mr Laurie denied the voice was his.
He had worked as a caretaker and gardener for Frances Hodgetts and lived on her property where she ran Fran’s Teahouse, across the road from Moriarty’s house.
Police immediately suspected foul play when Mr Moriarty (pictured) disappeared
Mr Moriarty, who had been engaged in a feud with his nearest neighbours in the town, was headed for his home 280m away from his local pub (pictured) when he disappeared
In a major update in the cold case, the Northern Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) announced on Wednesday it will not lay any charges
Ms Hodgetts, who has since left Larrimah, allegedly had a long-running feud with Moriarty who she suspected of repeatedly poisoning her plants, the inquest heard.
The inquest heard that she had warned Moriarty off, saying: ‘If anyone touches my garden, it will be the first murder in Larrimah.’
The cold case inspired the Netflix documentary Last Stop, the TV show Last Stop Larrimah and the award-winning podcast, Lost in Larrimah.
Mr Moriarty’s house was sold for $32,000 at an auction on May 7.
The rundown fibro home in Larrimah, located on the Stuart Highway 498km south of Darwin and 999 km north of Alice Springs, was sold as-is.
Auctioneer Daniel Harris had hoped its connection to the notorious cold case may trigger an unlikely bidding war – but there was little interest.
It eventually sold to a couple from South Australia who bid over the phone.
Mr Moriarty’s disappearance from such a small community sparked wild rumours of murder and a grisly end.
Stories about him ending up in local handmade pies, or in the belly of Sneaky Sam, the Pink Panther’s resident crocodile, have swirled around the mystery.
