An abandoned panel van has re-emerged as a key clue for police investigating the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl from the West Australian town of Collie 44 years ago.

Lisa Marie Mott was last seen crossing a railway line to Forrest Street in Collie, more than 200 kilometres south of Perth, about 9pm on October 30, 1980.

A girl with pig tails and fringe smiling at the camera

Lisa Mott was 12 when she went missing in her hometown of Collie in 1980. (Supplied: WA Police)

As part of the ongoing investigation into her suspected murder, cold case detectives set up a mobile police facility on Forrest Street in November last year.

Based on information they received, detectives are reinvestigating a yellow Holden panel van that was found abandoned in bushland near Hoddell Road.

The vehicle was investigated at the time it was initially reported in 1996.

Lisa Mott was last seen by eyewitnesses crossing the railway line before getting into a yellow panel van, believed to be a Holden model produced between 1970 and 1978.

She had been at basketball courts on Throssell Street earlier in the evening and later went to a nearby pizza shop.

Car’s owner a mystery

Around 25 personnel, including police academy trainees and officers from the Emergency Operations Unit, are currently searching bushland near Hoddell Road.

It is expected to be one of many ongoing searches in the area in the coming weeks.

“If they come across anything they can do a probe,” Cold Case Squad Detective Sergeant Greg Dowding said.

“If there was anything of forensic value we can get a forensic team out here.”

He said the search would continue for around four hours, with the main goal finding any additional material connected to the van including number plates, roof racks, or other identifying material.

“There’s a reason it’s here and that’s what we need to find out,”

Detective Sergeant Dowding said.

“Once we find the owner, and we can find the history of the panel van, we can establish that.”

Police officers line up to search ground near where the yellow panel van was dumped as part of the Lisa Mott investigation.

Around 25 officers are searching forest south of Collie near where the panel van was dumped. (ABC South West WA: Jacquie Lynch)

He said any and all information from the public was critical.

“Every time a member of the public brings us relevant information we’re getting closer,” Detective Sergeant Dowding said.

“All information we get from the public just builds that jigsaw puzzle.”

Fresh push for information in WA cold case

Three men wearing a tie standing around a table

Lisa Mott was 12 years old when she disappeared from her home in Collie in October 1980. Cold case investigators have returned to the town in the hope of drawing out fresh leads.

‘Difficult to stop hoping’

Lisa’s sister Bernadette Mott was just three years old when Lisa went missing.

She said it would be hard to stop her mind racing with the renewed search.

“It’s very difficult to stop hoping, especially when this has come about,” Ms Mott said.

“I don’t know how to feel to be honest, I’m just trying to get through it.”

Ms Mott urged anyone that knew something about the vehicle to come forward, even if it meant ruling out it was the same yellow panel van Lisa was seen getting into.

“Somebody has to know other than the driver, they would have friends, family, suspicions maybe,” she said.

Police staff search forest south of Collie as part of the cold case investigation into the disappearance of Lisa Mott.

Police staff search forest south of Collie as part of the cold case investigation into the disappearance. (ABC South West WA: Jacquie Lynch)

“Someone out there has to know something surely.”

Ms Mott said the priority was to find Lisa’s remains.

“We just want to find her so that we can have some closure and put her to rest,” she said.

Police appeal for help

Sergeant Dowding said he believed the community could help police solve the case and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Sergeant Greg Dowding speaks to the media as part of the cold case investigation into Lisa Mott's disapperance.

Detective Sergeant Greg Dowding says police are hoping to uncover more detail around the van’s owner and history. (ABC South West WA: Jacquie Lynch)

“It’s a credit to the community, really,” he said.

“They’ve never forgotten Lisa.

“Numerous reports have been received at Crime Stoppers and directly to investigators at our deployment in Collie last year.”

Police said anyone who knew of the abandoned vehicle, had seen it or knew who may have dumped it should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

“Whether it is fresh information or information relating to avenues already explored, we are committed to assessing every line of inquiry,” Sergeant Dowding said.

SOURCE: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-25/lisa-mott-cold-case-police-investigation-yellow-panel-van-collie/105091974