As Queensland’s first law officer waits until after a petition for a coronial inquest closes in July to comment on the disappearance of Bruce Schuler, the sister of one of those convicted of the gold prospector’s murder (Dianne Wilson-Struber, pictured) says she will not give up on having the case reopened until she has “run out of options”.
The state’s top law officer will not comment on whether she would consider intervening in the Palmerville Station murder case until a current petition calling for a coronial inquest into the 2012 disappearance of Bruce Schuler has closed.
Sharon Ferguson, the sister of Dianne Wilson-Struber, who is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2015 of Mr Schuler’s murder with her husband, Stephen Struber, launched the ePetition with the Queensland Parliament in March, and is hoping to gather about 10,000 signatures before it closes on 28 July.
Mr Schuler, 48, was last seen on Palmerville Station, about 70 kilometres south-west of Laura, on 9 July 2012 while gold prospecting with Daniel Bidner, Tremain Anderson and Kevin Groth.
His body has never been found, and there was no physical evidence linking the former Palmerville Station leaseholders to his disappearance.
Cape York Weekly put four questions to Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington regarding the case, but understands she is unable to make a public statement until the petition closes.
The questions included:
- Are you satisfied that the jury in the 2015 trial of Mr Struber and Ms Wilson-Struber had all the evidence required to be confident beyond reasonable doubt – the standard of proof in a criminal proceeding – to find the pair guilty, despite the absence of Mr Schuler’s body or any physical or forensic evidence linking them to his “likely” murder?
- As Attorney-General, are you satisfied beyond reasonable doubt Mr Struber and Ms Wilson-Struber murdered Mr Schuler?
A spokesperson for the Coroners Court of Queensland said State Coroner Terry Ryan could be approached to order an inquest doing so was deemed to be in the public interest.
“The family of Stephen Struber and Dianne Wilson-Struber can formally request the State Coroner to order an inquest if it is determined to be in the public interest,” the spokesperson said.
“If this request is declined, parties can also apply to the District Court for an inquest within 14 days of receiving the coroner’s reasons.”
Ms Ferguson said she had no doubt taking a new look into Mr Schuler’s disappearance was in the public interest, given the absence of a body or forensic evidence, and the more than 140 discrepancies with the Crown case identified by former detective Graeme Crowley in his Where is Bruce Schuler podcast.
“I wasn’t aware that if they (Coroner Ryan) refuse, I could take it further,” she said.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of people who want to know, I mean, who wouldn’t want to know what happened to Bruce?
“I just believe it’s not right; the coroner in Cairns can just write him off as being shot and disposed of, and that’s just the end of it, without going deeper.
“I won’t give up on my sister until I’ve run out of options.”
In her findings following a 2018 non-coronial inquest, Northern Coroner Nerida Wilson said Mr Schuler was “likely to have died from shotgun wounds inflicted by Stephen Struber and/or Dianne Rose Wilson-Struber” and “likely to have died at Palmerville Station”, “likely … on 9 July 2012”.
Residents of Queensland can sign the petition by going to Queensland Parliament ePetition website.
