A CAUSE of death is yet to be determined as police investigations into the suspected murder of Chambers Flat school girl Tiahleigh Palmer continue.
The body of the 12-year-old, who was last seen about 8.10am outside Marsden State High School on Friday October 30, was discovered on the banks of the Pimpama River on Thursday afternoon.
Police, who on Friday night confirmed the body as Tiahleigh’s, are continuing to plead for public assistance in solving the case.
Superintendent Hutchinson has confirmed Tiahleigh was reported missing by her carers on the Friday.
He said police had spoken with the 12-year-old’s friends, family and associates in the days between her disappearance and the broadcasting of a public plea for information on Thursday November 5.
“Enquiries were ongoing during this period… (police) received sightings of Tia in various locations,” he said.
Superintendent Hutchinson said Tiahleigh was dropped off by a carer “further down” Chambers Flat Road near the primary school and walked up towards the high school.
He said police could not confirm whether any Marsden State High School teachers had seen Tiahleigh on the Friday morning.
“The information we have is she has been dropped off at the school about 8.10am that morning,” he said.
“Really as it stands at the moment that is last positive sighting we have of her.”
Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson said the case was being treated as a homicide investigation and police were following several lines of inquiry.
“(Tiahleigh) was last seen wearing Marsden State High Uniform, that uniform has not been located at this time so we are interested in speaking with anybody who may have come across the uniform,” he said.
He said Tiahleigh was also carrying a floral Mambo backpack with white writing at the time of her disappearance.
“We are asking members of the public who may have seen a backpack like this... to contact police,” he said.
“We also want to make the general appeal for everybody who has any information at all about Tia and her movements since Friday the 30th of October, to come forward.”
Superintendent Hutchinson said police were speaking with Tiahleigh’s family members and carers, as well as students she associated with at Marsden State High School.
“She is obviously a 12-year-old girl and she associates with other 12-year-old girls,” he said.
“We are reasonably confident that if she planned on going somewhere that day she probably spoke about it.
“We would ask parents at Marsden State High to speak to their children.”
He said police were also interested in speaking with residents of Chambers Flat and Muchow Roads who had CCTV cameras set up at their homes, or anyone who travelled along those roads on the Friday with a GoPro camera attached to their vehicle.
He said police also wanted to speak with anyone who had visited the area near the Kerkin Road North bridge over the Pimpama River in the last seven days, whether they had seen anything or not.
“We have not had a very good response (to this appeal) though the information we have is it is a popular area on weekends for people fishing,” he said.
SES crews are searching the river bank for clues today.
Anyone with information should phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.