Missing man's body found in car that crashed months earlier
When 21-year-old Gary Pearce went missing on April 23 his family set up a Facebook page in a desperate effort to find him.
“We just want him home,” the Facebook page read.
“Is he safe? Has he meet foul play?” his family asked.
On Thursday, their worst fears were confirmed.
His parents posted photos and videos of Mr Pearce and his car last seen in North Wollongong, counting the days since they had last seen him and pleading with the public to help find their missing son.
The family auctioned off items to raise a $10,000 reward for finding Mr Pearce and distributed thousands of ‘missing’ flyers.
"If he's alive let him come home, If he has passed away let us put him to rest, he doesn't deserve to be out there as though he is nothing," his mother, Jo Pearce told The Illawarra Mercury.
Seven weeks after he was reported missing the Facebook page posted that it was “destroying his family not knowing where he is.”
On June 9 a burnt out car with a man’s body was found in bushland off Boorowa Road, Narrawa, about 35km north west of Crookwell.
The car was the same make and model Mr Pearce was last seen driving.
In a statement released by NSW Police, it was confirmed that a toxicology report had identified the body found in the car as Mr Pearce’s.
“It’s believed the car left the roadway, travelled through a paddock, rolled onto its roof and hit a tree before catching alight, possibly some weeks earlier.”
On Thursday evening his family made a final post on the page.
“This page will be turned into a loving memory page for Gary ... the family really appreciate it, all the likes, shares, comments, messages,” they posted.
“Heaven gained another angel way too soon.” they added.
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