It has been almost 40 years since a young Thomastown girl left home to go to work, never to be seen since.
Annastaes (Anna) Banitskas was only 15 when she disappeared and police have appealed for public help to solve the mystery that has haunted a family for decades.
The dark-eyed, brown-haired girl would now be 54 and may have a family of her own.
Detective Leading Constable Haydn Beale said police had information that Ms Banitskas was seen talking to a “person and may have disappeared with that person”.
“If someone has disappeared of their own free will and doesn’t want to be found, that is all right,” he said.
“But it would be nice to know that they are alive; the family and friends don’t need to be told the specifics.”
He said police now believed an “associate” of the missing woman was working for a company called Michael Brothers Builders at a building site in Kingsway Drive, Lalor. The building site was in the same street where Ms Banitskas was going to catch a bus at the time of her disappearance in 1974.
But because the information emerged years later, the records of this company or anyone associated with it, could not be found, he said.
Mr Beale said Ms Banitskas was 15 when she left home at 7am on August 27, 1974 to catch a bus to her factory job.
He said no one saw her board the bus and her bank accounts had been untouched. Despite numerous appeals by her family over the years, no one had come forward with any information, but the building firm might hold the key, he said.
Last week was the 25th anniversary of National Missing Persons Week.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
