MURDER MYSTERY ROCKS REMOTE NSW TOWN: Young Father, 26, Found Dead in Burnt-Out Car with Police Treating Death as ‘Suspicious’
- Joel Vrtacnik, 26, was found dead inside a burnt-out SUV on the Kamilaroi Highway in Brewarrina, NSW.
- Police are treating the death as ‘suspicious’ and have launched a renewed plea for public help to crack the case.
- A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Mr Vrtacnik’s family, who are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
- Tributes have begun to flow for the young father, who was remembered as a ‘loving, funny, stubborn and courageous man’.
A devastated family is searching for answers after a young father was found dead inside a burnt-out car in a remote NSW town. Joel Vrtacnik, 26, was discovered on the Kamilaroi Highway in Brewarrina, 100km east of Bourke, on September 28.
Emergency services were called to the scene after reports of a car fire, and firefighters extinguished the blaze only to discover Mr Vrtacnik’s body inside. NSW Police have launched a renewed plea for public help to crack the case, which is being treated as ‘suspicious’.
‘Due to the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body, we are treating the death as suspicious,’ said Central North PD Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Andrew Barnes. ‘We urge anyone with information to come forward and assist us in our investigation.’
Mr Vrtacnik’s family has been left reeling from the tragedy, with his sister Keiha taking to social media to pay tribute to her brother. ‘I just need your big tight cuddle right now Joely,’ she wrote. ‘How is this true? You should be still here with us, my baby brother.’
Mr Vrtacnik’s cousin, Tara Drew, has also spoken out, urging anyone with information to come forward. ‘My beautiful cousin, he didn’t deserve this,’ she said. ‘I’m sick to my stomach. If anyone has information, please report it. Justice needs to be served. We need justice.’
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Mr Vrtacnik’s family, who are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. ‘All donations will directly assist with the costs associated with seeking justice, grief counselling, and providing a stable environment for those most affected by this devastating loss,’ the page reads.
As the investigation into Mr Vrtacnik’s death continues, his family and friends are remembering him as a ‘loving, funny, stubborn and courageous man’. ‘He was a father, son, nephew, cousin, uncle, and grandson who will forever be missed by all who knew and loved him,’ said Ms Drew.