Reward offered in bid to crack decades-old cold case of missing mother Pauline Sowry

A $500,000 reward has been offered in the hope of cracking the cold case of a Wollongong mother believed dead after her disappearance more than 30 years ago.

Pauline Sowry — also known as Pauline Lawrence by marriage — was last seen by her family in the northern suburbs of Wollongong, south of Sydney, in December 1993.

Despite extensive investigations, the 49-year-old’s whereabouts remain unknown.

A coronial inquest in 2008 found that Pauline had died, most likely after an unconfirmed sighting in 1994.

Detectives are looking for any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance or death.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley said she hoped the reward prompted members of the public to come forward with more information that would offer answers for Ms Sowry’s family.

“If you know something, there are now 500,000 more reasons to contact police,” she told reporters on Thursday.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Darren Brand was hopeful of a breakthrough in the investigation.

“We believe there are people in the community who know exactly what happened to Pauline,” he said.

“Maybe their personal circumstances have changed and they’re now in a position to come forward and provide that crucial piece of information we need to find Pauline.”

Pauline’s son Jason Lawrence said the family wanted answers.

“Mum has missed the birth of her five grandchildren and my niece ... there is a lot of happy memories that she has missed in the last 30 years and we want to bring her home, or know what happened to her,” he said.