Finding into death of William Dixon

Rule 60(1)

Court reference: 249/11 (Associated Case 128/1965)

FORM 37

FINDING INTO DEATH WITH INQUEST

Section 67 of the Coroners Act 2008

Inquest inte the Death of WILLIAM DIXON

Delivered On:

Delivered At:

Hearing Dates:

Findings of:

Place of death/

Suspected death;

PCSU:

5 May 2011

Coroners Court of Victoria Level 11, 222 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000

5 May 2011

CORONER K.M.W, PARKINSON

Unascertained

Leading Senior Constable King Taylor

lof4

FORM 37 Rule 60(1)

FINDING INTO DEATH WITH INQUEST Section 67 of the Coroners Act 2008

Court reference: 249/11 (Associated Case 128/1965)

In the Coroners Court of Victoria at Melbourne

I, KIM PARKINSON, Coroner having investigated the death of: Details of deceased: Surmame: DIXON First name: WILLIAM Address: Flat 9, 125 Riversdale Road, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 AND having held an inquest in relation to this death on Sth May, 2011 at Melbourne find that the identity of the deceased was WILLIAM DIXON and death occurred on or after 2nd September, 1964 at an unknown location

from 1a, UNASCERTAINED

_In the following circumstances:

1, This is an application made by Victoria Police for reopening of Case Number 128 of 1965 in relation to unidentified remains of a male person and also in relation to an application in Case Number 249 of 2011 for a finding of death or likely death in relation to Mr William Martin Dixon, date of birth 25 October 1906, My decision in these matters was delivered in transcript on 5 May 2011 and this written finding has been settled from the transcript.

2. I am satisfied that it is appropriate to treat the matter as an application pursuant to s.77 of the Act for re-opening of an inquiry and I waive all formal requirements in that regard.

2o0f4

3, The unidentified remains, which are the subject of this application, have been subject of a coronial inquiry and finding in case number 128 of 1965. The remains of a male person were found by a farmer, Mr Bruce Kendall, beside a dam on his ptoperty located 10 miles north of Charlton in Victoria on 24 December 1964, At an inquest conducted on 14 October 1965 no conclusion was made as to identity, cause or location of death. However there were no suspicious circumstances, The remains were then interred at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery Trust at an unknown location.

4. The contents of the brief prepared by the Belier Taskforce, identify the circumstances in which Mr William Martin Dixon was recorded as being a missing person on 2 September 1964, He was reported as missing by his wife, Mary, known as Molly Jane Dixon. A report was taken by way of letter at the Hawthorn Police Station and he was described as being 57 years old, five

foot eight inches tall, bald, with grey eyes, reddish complexion and having false top and bottom tecth. At the time he went missing he was described as wearing a grey gabardine overcoat, green

and white shirt, grey tie, grey trousers, single breasted sports coat, grey in colour, shoes and a grey felt hat.

5. He was understood to have been upset over financial matters. He was also a person who was described as a keen punter and usually attended course meetings, including regional course meetings. Investigations were undertaken by Belier Taskforce, which identified that a number of regional course meetings were being undertaken at the time around when Mr Dixon was said to have disappeared, and that he was apparently in possession of a reasonable sum of money at the time that he disappeared.

6. The evidence is that Mr Dixon disappeared at or around the same time as the unidentified male in Case Number 128 of 1965; there was nil suspicious in relation to either the disappearance or in relation to the circumstances of the death of the unidentified male; that Mr Dixon met the physical profile of the unidentified male and the clothing as described him as wearing at the time of his disappearance, was similar to that of unidentified male,

7. Mr Dixon wore dentures, both top and bottom, and the unidentified person recovered was also reported by the forensic pathologist and the odontologist, to have full dentures, however they were not present with the body.

8. No other person has been identified or described as fitting the profile of the unidentified male and no further information or contact has been made or discovered in relation to Mr Dixon

since the date of the report of 2 September 1964,

9. In these circumstances I find that Mr William Martin Dixon, Case Number 249 of 2011 is deceased.

3 of 4

10. Tam also satisfied on balance that more probable than not, that the unidentified remains relating to Case Number 128 of 1965 and which were interred at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery are those of Mr William Martin Dixon and I so find,

11. Having regard to these findings it is appropriate to set aside that part of the finding in 128 of 1965 relating to identification and to substitute with a finding that the remains are those of Mr William Martin Dixon, whose date of birth was 25 October 1906.

12, In view of my decision in relation to the finding in 128 of 1965, I direct that a copy of this

decision be placed upon that file,

Signature:

(2

Kim M, W., Parkinson Coroner

Sth May, 2011

4 of 4