Pauline Sowry: NSW Police arrest man 30 years after disappearance of Illawarra mum

A man has been arrested 30 years on from the disappearance of Pauline Sowry.

The shock breakthrough in the cold case was announced on Thursday morning and follows the formation of Strike Force Anthea in 2022 that was set up to examine the circumstances surrounding Ms Sowry’s disappearance.

Ms Sowry, also known by her married name Pauline Lawrence, was 49 years old when she was last seen by her family in the northern suburbs of Wollongong in December 1993.

On Thursday morning, police attended a unit in Murphys Ave, Gywnneville, about 8.30am and arrested a 64-year-old man.

He remains in custody at Wollongong Police Station.

NSW Police Southern Region commander Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar praised what he called the “tireless commitment” of officers to find answers for Ms Sowry’s family.

“I commend the tireless commitment of our officers in finding answers for Pauline’s family and they continue to work hard to bring this matter before the courts,” Assistant Commissioner Cassar said on Thursday.

Assistant Commissioner Cassar and Wollongong Police District commander Superintendent Karen Cook police will address the media on the arrest on Thursday.

Ms Sowry’s son, Jason Lawrence, also released a short statement following the arrest.

“We welcome today’s news that a person has been arrested in relation to the suspicious disappearance of our beloved mum,” he said.

“We have waited more than 30 years to hear today’s news.

“We miss her every day and her disappearance has taken a huge toll on myself and our entire family.

“We thank the police officers for never giving up hope and we look forward to the outcome of this investigation,” he said.

The arrest follows an earlier breakthrough in October last year when the taskforce discovered items of clothing in bushland in the Illawarra region related to the case.

Searches in Mary and May 2023 and October 2024 in the area of Figtree near Wollongong turned up a cream button-down long sleeve blouse with a coloured stitching design and black pants.

Mr Cassar, speaking in December, said the discoveries could prove crucial in determining Ms Sowry’s final movements.

“We are releasing these images to try to jog someone’s memory. The clothing includes some hand stitching in coloured cotton and we know Pauline was known for altering both her and her children’s clothing, ” he said.

“We are not ruling out further searches as we continue to investigate the circumstances of Pauline’s disappearance.

“Pauline’s family deserve to know what happened to her and to get some closure following her disappearance.”

In a statement from December, Jason said he hoped the clothes could lead to a breakthrough in the investigation.

“We don’t want to spend another Christmas not knowing what happened to mum. We deserve to know what happened to her and to give her a proper send-off and lay her to rest,” he said.

“It’s been 30 years since my mother’s disappearance, she’s been sadly missed and this has been a devastating effect on our family, including the loss of her two sons, my brothers Paul and Adam, to mental health and her parents, Bill and Pat, who have also passed away not knowing what’s happened to their daughter.”

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

In May 2024, police issued a call for information on a white 1968 Holden HK Kingswood sedan said to be in “pristine” condition that police believed Ms Sowry may have travelled in south of Wollongong.

More to come...