Remains of missing Australian woman Kellie Ann Carmichael discovered 23 Years after disappearance

The remains of Kellie Ann Carmichael, who went missing 23 years ago in the Blue Mountains, have been discovered.

Carmichael, a Victorian woman who was 24 at the time of her disappearance, vanished after leaving a hostel in Katoomba on April 29, 2001. She had travelled from Geelong to seek help from friends for her schizophrenia.

On April 30, during an unrelated police operation, human remains were found in bushland near Katoomba. Further remains were discovered at the same location on May 27. NSW Police have confirmed that these remains belong to Carmichael, and her family has been notified.

An investigation is ongoing, with evidence being prepared for the coroner.

Carmichael was last seen alive when she left the hostel, telling staff she would return later that day to collect her belongings. Days later, her parents contacted the hostel staff and learned that her belongings, including her personal ID, wallet, phone, camera, toiletries, and cards, were still unclaimed at reception. They reported her missing to Katoomba Police Station on May 5.

Initially, NSW Police suggested Carmichael might have taken her own life, but her parents never believed this.

Years later, officers received a tip-off suggesting she had been murdered. In 2011, police offered a $200,000 reward to help solve her disappearance. At the time, Margaret Carmichael, Kellie Ann’s mother, pleaded for any new information, expressing the profound impact of her daughter’s disappearance on their lives.

“Anything at all, you know, we will be thankful because our life is never going to be the same,” she said at the time.