Josh Warneke: WA Police commissioner says ‘significant persons of interest’ remain after Coroner’s findings

WA’s top cop says there are “significant persons of interest” regarding the 16-year-old mystery killing of Broome tradie Josh Warneke after a coroner found several failures of the force’s initial investigation. Commissioner Col Blanch made the comments after State Coroner Ros Fogliani delivered several adverse findings against WA Police when publishing her inquest findings into Mr Warnke’s death on Old Broome Road on February 26, 2010. The case has since been referred back to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Mr Blanch on Tuesday said the investigation had always remained open by WA Police and that all of the four recommendations made by the coroner has been implemented for “some time”. “Firstly, to Josh’s mom, Ingrid, this has been a very long journey for her, no doubt, full of grief, and always searching for answers, and she will continue to search for those answers,” he said. “We are committed to continuing the investigation into bringing whoever was responsible for this to justice. “The investigation was never closed. We have obviously provided the brief for the coroner to conduct an inquest, but we have always investigated and reinvestigated with new teams since the beginning, and we will continue to do so. “There is a $1 million reward out for anyone that can give us information that will lead to a prosecution to an outcome, and we hope someone comes forward.” The coroner found the initial police investigation was “beset with difficulties” from the start, including a mismanaged crime scene that led to significant forensic failures. “It is likely that critical evidence was lost due to some of the failures that I have outlined in this finding regarding forensic analyses,” Ms Fogliani wrote. Among these was a failure to dispatch a forensic team to the scene on the day Mr Warneke’s body was found, resulting in a “failure to obtain samples from the scene for comparative testing”. Responding police also failed to recognise that placing an “unsterile white sheet” over Mr Warneke and rolling him over “risked the forensic preservation of the scene and forensic evidence”. Gene Gibson was first charged with murder over Mr Warneke’s death before it was downgraded to manslaughter partly due to failures by WA Police to use an interpreter when questioning him in 2012. While Gibson pleaded guilty to the lesser offence, the Court of Appeal later overturned his 7 and a half year jail term after finding the “integrity of the plea was impugned”. He was awarded a $1.3m WA Government compensation payment. A Corruption and Crime Commission investigation lead to recommendations addressing the failure by officers to follow proper procedures during the original police inquiry, including that Mr Gibson was not given access to an interpreter during interviews with police and that they did not caution him on his right to silence during an initial, unrecorded, interview. Mr Blanch, on Tuesday, said there was still “significant persons of interest” regarding Mr Warneke’s suspected murder. “I‘m not going to comment on the status of the investigation. There are significant persons of interest, and there always has been, but it is about reaching a significant or a set threshold where we’re happy to proceed with charging, and the DPP has to be happy to proceed with the prosecution, and until that day happens, then I don’t want to stop anything (by making any comments),” he said. Mr Blanch acknowledged that any evidence which had to be discredited previously could impact further investigations into Mr Warneke’s death. “Police always face those challenges, particularly where evidence cannot be used, and that does hinder future investigations. We do know that, hence why we do have a $1 million reward out.” “I think all cases can be solved, whether it relates to technology advances, whether it relates to someone coming forward, or just good old-fashioned police work. . . I’ll never give up hope on any case.” Ms Fogliani made four recommendations geared towards WA Police, including a review of current internal guidelines and training for regional and remote police to “emphasise the need for preservation of forensic evidence” before forensics or homicide detectives arrive at a scene. Mr Blanch said the recommendations had been adopted prior to the findings. “We’ve adopted those for some time, in fact, that investigation resulted in significant changes in the way we investigate homicide, particularly in regional WA. So we’re very confident that we’ve made significant changes,” he said. “It relates to the investigation and the interview of vulnerable Aboriginal people in remote communities, and also crime scene management in remote areas — those were two of the major criticisms of that investigation.” Mr Warneke died amid mysterious circumstances after spending the night out with friends before he walked home. The 21-year-old had suffered severe head injuries when his body was found on the side of Old Broome Road. An inquest into his death was part heard in Broome from September 16 to 18, 2024, and then in Perth from September 19 to 27, 2024. Mr Warneke’s death was initially thought to be a hit-and-run before it was considered a murder. WA Police provided material to the court after the inquest — as recently as April — regarding their investigation, “directed towards potentially identifying and/or excluding persons who may have been responsible for Josh’s death”. That evidence has been passed on to the Director of Public Prosecutions as part of the coroner’s report, but has been suppressed to prevent any prejudice of a trial of any person in the future. “My findings on cause and manner of death are not inconsistent with these additional evidentiary materials,” the coroner wrote. Ms Fogliani found Mr Warneke’s death was likely the result of blunt force trauma with a weapon, and that it occurred by way of homicide. “I am satisfied that, whether caused by a vehicle, or a weapon, or both, the manner of Josh’s death is Unlawful Homicide,” she wrote. “I consider it more likely that Josh’s fatal head injury was a result of blunt force trauma with a weapon.” Anyone with information is urged to contact crime stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.