Jayden Penno-Tompsett: Discovery of human remains in QLD ends eight-year search for missing Newcastle man
Queensland Police have confirmed that human remains discovered outside of Charters Towers in October last year belong to missing Newcastle man, Jayden Penno-Tompsett.
Mr Penno-Tompsett, aged 22 at the time, disappeared near Charters Towers, North Queensland in the early hours of New Year’s Eve in 2017, sparking an eight-year search.
The discovery of human remains was made in Breddan, a rural area about 1.5 hours southwest of Townsville, in October last year and were sent away for forensic DNA analysis.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.A Facebook page dedicated to finding Mr Penno-Tompsett revealed on Monday that Mr Penno-Tompsett’s mother, Rachel Penno, had been informed by police that the remains belonged to her son.
“On Friday night police confirmed to Rachel that the remains have been forensically tested and identified to be Jayden,” the post said.
“Whilst this isn’t the outcome we were praying for, we are grateful that Jay has finally been found.
“Thanku to everyone that has supported Rach over the past 8yrs, whether that be by searching, sharing Jays story or sending love and warm wishes throughout this time.”
Queensland Police have confirmed the tragic news and said: “On 23 January 2026, forensic analysis supported findings that the remains were that of Mr Penno-Tompsett.”
Mr Penno-Tompsett disappeared during a three-day road trip from Newcastle to Cairns with his friend Lucas Tattersall to celebrate New Year’s Eve in 2017.
According to a 2021 inquest into Mr Penno-Tompsett’s death, the two friends carried a quantity of illicit drugs with them to Cairns, including crystal meth and MDMA.
CCTV footage shows Mr Penno-Tompsett and Mr Tattersall stopping in at a Puma service station just outside of Charters Towers at 3am on December 31, 2017.
Mr Tattersall said that upon leaving the service station Mr Penno-Tompsett became distressed after he lost his stash of meth, resulting in a frenzied attempt to locate it, according to the inquest.
After some hours, Mr Penno-Tompsett parked the car on a dirt road on the outskirts of Charters Towers and smashed his phone on the ground before leaving it there and walking off.
Despite Mr Tattersall claiming this occurred in the early hours of December 31, Mr Penno-Tompsett was not reported missing until January 3.
In 2021, Coroner Nerida Wilson found that Mr Penno-Tompsett “had little or no prospect of surviving the combination of 40 degree temperatures, the isolated and unfamiliar location, his drug affected state, dehydration and the associated physiological changes.”
It was ruled that he died from exposure sometime between 31 December 2017 and 3 January 2018.
After the recent discovery of Mr Penno-Tompsett’s remains, Queensland Police said a coronial investigation was underway.
