DETECTIVES have uncovered new information about a brutal double-murder at Caves Beach 16 years ago, revealing one of the victims appeared to have links to bikie gangs.
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Fresh details have led to a breakthrough in the cold case of the killing of Robert Pashkuss and Stacey McMaugh, and police and family have made a heartfelt appeal for the public's help in their quest for answers.
The man and woman, aged 50 and 41, were found brutally beaten inside a home on Macquarie Grove at Caves Beach on the morning of January 6, 2008.
Their killer seemingly escaped without a trace.
Homicide squad detectives, backed by Lake Macquarie officers, launched Strike Force Chuter to investigate the suspicious deaths but no arrests or charges have been laid.
Lake Macquarie Superintendent Tracy Chapman said police had new lines of inquiry open after "receiving new information".
"Police have information which suggests their deaths are linked to organised crime networks including outlaw motorcycle gangs operating in both NSW and in Queensland," she told reporters on Thursday.
She revealed the strike force now had information that on the afternoon before the gruesome discovery, on January 5, 2008, Mr Pashkuss was seen outside the Caves Beach home with a number of other people.
One man was wearing a black leather vest, she said.
Senior police could not be drawn on how many persons of interest had been identified in the matter at this stage.
The strike force is continuing its investigation across NSW and Queensland.
Superintendent Chapman said detectives did not suggest Mr Pashkuss was directly involved in bikie gangs, but had some links through the drug trade.
It appeared that he wanted to turn his life around before his murder, she said.
"Robert's desire to withdraw from any criminal activity certainly appears to have had, I guess, some impact on the incident," Superintendent Chapman said.
Police believe there are people in the community who were involved in the double-murder.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A $250,000 reward remains in place.
"It's never too late to come forward," Superintendent Chapman said.
"No piece of information is too small, no piece of information is insignificant. What you may think is insignificant may be that final piece of the puzzle that police need to allow us to progress that investigation"
The homicides were very violent and possibly even frenzied, Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon told a coronial inquest into the murders in 2016.
He found it was surprising and unfortunate that evidence like fingerprints and blood stains, or the murder weapon, had never been found at the scene or during searches.
There has been 16 years of advancement in technology since then.
"We have no updated information in relation to forensic material but that's not necessarily to say that's won't be forthcoming in the future," Superintendent Chapman said.
A family representative, known only as Georgia, made a heartfelt plea for anyone with information about the deaths to come forward.
"It will be 16 years this week without any answers, 16 years without knowing who murdered Robert and Stacey and why," she said.
"We knew the true people who Robert and Stacey were - they were warm, kind, caring and family-orientated, the type of people who would give you the shirt of their back and the first ones to lend a hand to anyone who needed it.
"This incident for so many years now has left both families devastated, and we can't understand why anyone would want to do what they did to them
"We know someone knows what happened to Robert and Stacey that day."
She thanked their police for their ongoing commitment to solving the double-homicide.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
