$500,000 reward offered for unsolved murder of Canberra mother Laura Haworth

A $500,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the alleged murder of Canberra mother Laura Haworth more than 16 years ago.

The woman, then aged 23, has not been seen since leaving her friend’s house in Queanbeyan in January 2008.

Last month, ACT and NSW police launched a joint taskforce to investigate Ms Haworth’s disappearance, revealing they believed she had been the victim of foul play.

Now the New South Wales government is offering half a million dollars to try to find out what happened to him.

“We hope this reward will help provide some answers,” NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said.

“My appeal to the public is this: if you know something, there are now 500,000 more reasons to report it.”

“Someone out there knows something”

Ms Haworth was last seen at her friend’s house in Collett Street, Queanbeyan on Saturday, January 5, 2008.

After telling her friend she was going to work, the mother of two drove off in her red Mazda 121.

But she has never gone to work and has had no contact with family or friends since, which her family says is very unlike her.

His car was found a week later in the Kanangra Court car park in Reid, in Canberra’s north.

The weekend Ms Haworth went missing coincided with the 21st Summernats in Canberra, prompting police to appeal for information from attendees of the car festival earlier this year.

NSW Police Chief Inspector Neil Gray said he hoped the reward would lead to a breakthrough in the case.

“The $500,000 reward may jog the memory of some people who are aware of Laura’s disappearance,” he said.

He said the focus of the investigation had shifted from the ACT to across the border and that was why the NSW government decided to offer the reward.

“We believe there is someone who knows something about Laura’s disappearance,” he said.

“During the summer holiday period, Queanbeyan and Canberra are transit areas where people travel back and forth from the coast.

“Also, with Summernats the weekend that Laura went missing, there could be people from other parts of the state who may have been in the ACT and have information.”

Two men wearing suits and ties standing next to a missing persons sign by Laura Haworth. — Last month, ACT Police Acting Inspector Adam Rhynehart and NSW Police Chief Inspector Neil Gray launched Strike Force Viking to investigate Laura Haworth’s disappearance. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)

Chief Inspector Grey said Laura’s family deserved closure.

“Laura’s family has now been forced to celebrate 16 birthdays and special holidays without Laura,” he said.

“They deserve to know what happened to their daughter, their sister and their mother.”

Anyone with information on Laura’s whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.