The desperate search for Shyanne-Lee Tatnell (pictured) took a tragic turn on Wednesday
A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the disappearance of Tasmanian teenager Shyanne-Lee Tatnell after a tip-off led detectives to her remains.
Ms Tatnell, 14, was last seen three months ago in Launceston in Tasmania‘s north when haunting CCTV footage caught her disappearing into the black of night on a lonely road.
But a vital tip-off from the public this week led police 50km north-east to remote bushland in Nabowla, 50km north of Launceston, where a huge ground and air search found the remains on Wednesday.
The man was arrested in Launceston on Thursday afternoon – just hours after police began scouring his property in rural Scottsdale, 15km from where the remains were found, with a cadaver dog.
He remains in police custody. No charges have been laid.
Police also confirmed that detectives believe the remains belong to the missing teen.
‘The remains have since been confirmed as human, and while we are awaiting further forensic results, we believe it is Shyanne-Lee,’ a police statement read.
Moments before police announced the arrest, Ms Tatnell’s mother uploaded a photo of her daughter on social media – smiling in her school uniform with a medal around her neck.
The caption read: ‘My baby girl I love you so much.’
Shyanne-Lee Tatnell’s mother uploaded a photo of her daughter on social media – smiling in her school uniform with a medal around her neck
Police and a cadaver dog investigated a shipping container (pictured) at the rundown property on the outskirts of Scottsdale in north-east Tasmania
Earlier on Thursday, Daily Mail Australia witnessed detectives are poring over the 36-year-old’s property – inspecting a shipping container dumped on the property and draining a dam.
Two police divers were seen inspecting the contents of a dam on the property, with work begun to pump water from a creek on the property.
Police earlier admitted the case may have a ‘criminal element’. No charges have been laid.
Logged trees, rusty motor vehicles, tin sheds, and old shipping containers were littered across the block of land, about 3km out of town, which has been declared a crime scene.
Cows grazed in a front paddock next as officers searched the grounds with two dogs – one for cadavers, another for drugs.
One dog was seen excitedly running through a paddock as officers took it down to a stream that runs along the perimeter of the property.
Forensic tents were erected over a ute parked near the house while officers unloaded equipment from their nearby cars.
The grim breakthrough comes just days after it appeared all leads had dried up for detectives searching for the teenager.
Police spent weeks trying to track down all the cars seen driving past Shyanne-Lee in CCTV footage from Launceston’s Henry Street Bridge, in the hunt for clues.
But on June 30, police admitted they had finally managed to find the driver of the last car, a silver Honda Accord, without it leading to any new developments.
This week though police were tipped off with vital new information that triggered the largest ground search in north Tasmanian history.
‘It’s as a result of the investigation, the inquiries we’ve made and information we’ve received from the public,’ Detective Inspector Andrew Hanson revealed.
‘We’re acting on that information in that specific area.’
On Wednesday afternoon, a search team of 160 police officers, SES volunteers and a cadaver dog found the human remains.
‘Police are following a specific line of inquiry, however, no charges have been laid at this stage,’ Police Commander Kate Chambers said.
‘It is with a heavy heart that I can confirm that remains were located late this afternoon during our extensive search.
‘While these have not yet been forensically confirmed, they are believed to be human remains.
‘We have been in regular contact with Shyanne-Lee’s family throughout the investigative process, and have notified them about this latest development.
‘Our thoughts continue to be with them and Shyanne-Lee’s loved ones during this difficult time.’
Human remains were discovered 50km from where the girl was last seen
Police sealed off the property near Scottsdale (pictured) on Thursday as forensic experts and search teams moved in
Police officers and SES volunteers staged a massive search of bushland at nearby Nabowla on Wednesday (pictured) which led to the discovery with of the human remains
Shyanne-Lee – who would have been 15 on August 8 – vanished after she left the home of her mother Bobbi-Lee Ketchell in Burnie, north-west Tasmania, after a series of rows.
She moved in with her grandmother who lived nearby but later left there to stay at a youth centre in Launceston and had been there for two weeks before she vanished.
She was last seen on the Henry St Bridge over the North Esk River where the search has been focused before this week’s tip off saw it switch 50km east to Nabowla.
Shyanne-Lee’s mother Bobbi-Lee Ketchell greeted the news of the grim discovery of the human remains with a series of broken hearts in a post on Facebook.
It came just 48 hours after she had lashed out at online trolls attacking her for not doing enough to find her missing daughter.
‘People these days are so cruel and quick to judge innocent human beings!’ she posted on Tuesday. ‘Like myself right now…’
She said critics had accused her of giving up on her daughter and not caring enough.
‘Stuff all you judgemental beings!’ she hit back. ‘Live one day in my shoes then happily judge – until then, shut your mouth.
‘You have something to say about me and my situation say to my face!’
The last three months have been a living hell for Bobbi-Lee Ketchell (left) as police investigated Shyanne-Lee’s disappearance
Detective admit the hunt now has a ‘criminal element’ as the search at Scottsdale (pictured) continued
She said she still hope of finding her daughter alive and backed the police investigation.
‘Just because my daughter isn’t headline news or on the media does not mean she is forgotten about or we have gave up on her.
‘[Detectives] are continuing to do all they can and more that you the public do not need to know, or my family and I need to share!
‘Shyanne’s case is still a priority 24/7. We will find my baby girl. No-one can feel my pain and understand how much I miss my daughter…every day is a struggle.
‘But I am still a fighting, grieving mother that is doing all I can for all my children, being strong in this situation is hard but I will never give up!’
