Daniel Morcombe, The 13-Year-Old Australian Boy Who Was Kidnapped From A Bus Stop

On December 7, 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe of Queensland, Australia, set out for a local shopping center to buy Christmas gifts for his family. When the bus he was supposed to take broke down, he was stranded at the bus stop until a replacement arrived. Witnesses later recalled seeing two men standing near the boy, and by the time the next bus showed up, Daniel was gone. His family quickly reported him missing when he didn't return home that night, sparking the most extensive police search in Queensland history — but it came up empty.

For eight years, Daniel's parents continued to fight tirelessly for answers about what had happened to their son. But it wasn't until 2011 that a man named Brett Peter Cowan confessed to kidnapping and killing Daniel on that December day before dumping his body near a remote macadamia farm in the Glass House Mountains. Cowan then led authorities to Daniel's remains, and the boy was finally laid to rest on December 7, 2012, exactly nine years after his disappearance. On December 7, 2003, Daniel Morcombe of Queensland, Australia headed to the bus stop so he could catch a ride to the local mall to buy Christmas gifts for his family. When his bus was delayed, the 13-year-old boy was seen speaking with two unidentified men — and then he vanished. Authorities quickly launched the biggest police investigation in Queensland history, but they found no sign of the teen. Daniel’s case went cold for eight years.

Then, in 2011, an undercover operation finally led investigators to Daniel’s abductor and murderer. Brett Peter Cowan, a convicted sex offender, confessed to killing Morcombe on that December day in 2003. This is the tragic story of Daniel Morcombe, the young boy who lost his life to a monster while Christmas shopping. The Tragic Disappearance Of Daniel Morcombe Daniel James Morcombe was born on Dec. 19, 1989, in Queensland, Australia. One of three children of Bruce and Denise Morcombe, Daniel was especially close with his identical twin brother, Bradley. They grew up in a loving home on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. Because Daniel had a strong interest in animals, his family filled their home with pets, including a pony that Daniel adored. Neighbors knew the boy as a quiet, helpful child who would help pick fruit in the neighborhood whenever it was harvest time. On Dec. 7, 2003, Daniel and his brothers woke up early to help their neighbors harvest passionfruit.

After receiving his pay, Daniel decided to take a bus to the Sunshine Plaza shopping center to buy Christmas gifts for his family, per court documents. His parents were comfortable with him making the trip given that he had taken the bus to the mall at least 15 times prior. On Dec. 7, 2003, Daniel and his brothers woke up early to help their neighbors harvest passionfruit. After receiving his pay, Daniel decided to take a bus to the Sunshine Plaza shopping center to buy Christmas gifts for his family, per court documents. His parents were comfortable with him making the trip given that he had taken the bus to the mall at least 15 times prior. The teen walked less than a mile from his home to the bus stop — but he never boarded a bus. Later that day, Daniel’s parents came home from a work function to find that he had never returned from the mall.

They drove to the shopping center to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found. The Morcombes immediately reported Daniel missing — and the search began. The Case Goes Cold For Eight Years On Dec. 8, Queensland police officially opened an investigation into Daniel Morcombe’s disappearance. They began scouring CCTV footage at the shopping mall, monitoring the teen’s bank account, and interviewing known sex offenders in the area. After receiving numerous tips and collecting eyewitness statements, investigators made several important discoveries about Daniel’s disappearance. Witnesses described seeing a young boy that fit Daniel’s description waiting at the bus stop on Dec. 7. Some said they spotted a blue car parked nearby with one or two men inside who were speaking to Daniel. Authorities also learned that the bus scheduled to pick Daniel up that day had never arrived. It had broken down along the route, and its replacement skipped the stop because it was running behind schedule, according to the Brisbane Times.

A third bus did eventually stop, but by the time it arrived, Daniel was gone. Despite an extensive search and an in-depth investigation, the inquiry into Daniel Morcombe’s disappearance came up empty. Tragically, it would be eight years before the boy’s family got any answers about what had happened to him. From early on in the investigation into Daniel’s disappearance, police suspected a convicted sex offender named Brett Peter Cowan. In 1987, Cowan had lured a seven-year-old boy into a park bathroom and raped him.

He served just one year in prison for the crime. Then, in 1993, Cowan raped a six-year-old boy and was sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars. Continue reading

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