Around 1pm on November 13, 1976, teenager Stephen Turvey told a family member he was going for a bike ride.
The 15 year old was seen leaving his home on Wattle Avenue, Macquarie Fields a few minutes later.
That was the last time anyone laid eyes on the Macquarie Fields teenager.
When he failed to return home as expected, officers from Macquarie Fields Local Area Command were notified and launched an investigation.
Throughout the investigation, there have been reports Mr Turvey, who would now be aged 56, was seen at a children’s home in Melbourne for a short period in late 1976 or early 1977.
At the time of his disappearance, Stephen was described as being of Caucasian appearance, 175cm tall, of a thin build, with shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion.
Police are now appealing for information as part of 2017 Missing Persons Week to help find a man who went missing 41 years ago.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Missing Persons Week is an annual national campaign to raise awareness of the issues and impacts surrounding missing persons and runs between July 30 and August 25.
The theme of this year’s campaign is “Still waiting for you to come home’’.
The campaign aims to highlight the high number of young people such as Stephen Turvey who are reported missing to police each year and the impact on family and friends following the disappearance of a loved one.
New statistics show teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 are reported missing to NSW Police more than any other age group each year.
In 2016, 13 to 15-year-olds accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the 10,909 missing person reports made to police.
So far in this year, there have been 5,790 missing persons reports, of which 49 per cent are under the age of 18.
Launching the 2017 campaign, Acting Superintendent Missing Persons Unit Commander Kristy Walters said the impact on families and friends was significant.
“For families of missing persons, not knowing if their loved one is safe is a traumatic experience that never goes away,” Acting Superintendent Walters said.
“When someone goes missing, it not only affects their immediate family, but it can have a ripple effect on their networks and wider community.
“The detectives who work tirelessly with families to try and locate their loved ones who are still missing are also profoundly affected by their plight,” Acting Superintendent Walters said.
The campaign also aims to promote awareness of the issues around young people going missing
Acting Superintendent Walters said it’s hoped by highlighting missing person cases throughout the week will generate new information that could help bring them home.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“I encourage people to reach out and check in with your loved ones – it could be that one simple gesture that gives someone the support they need to manage their situation.”[/social_quote]
For more information on the campaign members of the public are encouraged to visit the National Missing Persons website here.
