Men Deny Involvement in 1998 Disappearance of Joanne Butterfield

Two men have denied any involvement in the 1998 disappearance of Far North Queensland mother Joanne Butterfield, under questioning at a coronial inquest in Cairns.

Concetto Anthony Tati, 67, and Michael Francis O'Donoghue, 66, were called to give evidence at the inquest into Ms Butterfield's disappearance. The inquest heard detectives had twice spoken to Mr Tati about Ms Butterfield's disappearance.

Ms Butterfield, then 37, was last seen hitchhiking along the Captain Cook Highway, south of Port Douglas, late on June 26, 1998. Her personal belongings, including clothing and identification documents, were found scattered around a rural lookout about 160 kilometres away on June 28.

Tati's Evidence

Mr Tati lived in the Mossman area and told the inquest he spent at least a night at Ms Butterfield's home. He met Ms Butterfield "a long time ago" at the Mossman Hotel and went to her home, where they slept together. Mr Tati estimated Ms Butterfield's disappearance "might've been a couple of months after that". However, he could not recall having met her on any other occasion.

"Did you consider her, at this time you stayed over, to be your partner?" counsel assisting the coroner Peter Ah Gee asked.

"No, I just met her," Mr Tati said.

"Did you kill Joanne Butterfield?" Mr Ah Gee asked.

"No," Mr Tati replied.

"Did you watch anyone else kill Joanne Butterfield?"

"No."

Coroner Stephanie Williams asked Mr Tati what he thought when he learnt Ms Butterfield had disappeared.

"I don't know what I thought about it at the time," he replied.

"Your Honour, can I just say, if I knew something about it, I absolutely would ring the police," Mr Tati said after concluding his evidence.

O'Donoghue's Evidence

Mr O'Donoghue also denied being involved in Ms Butterfield's death or having any information about her disappearance. Mr O'Donoghue said Mr Tati was "not a mate but I knew him well" and the inquest heard the pair had previously gone pig hunting together.

The inquest heard Mr O'Donoghue was spoken to after police received Crime Stoppers reports. Mr O'Donoghue had agoraphobia since suffering a nervous breakdown more than 20 years ago.

Coroner's Direction

The coroner directed the men to answer questions after their lawyers indicated they wished to refuse to give evidence that would tend to incriminate them. Ms Williams said she considered it in the public interest for the men to answer all questions put to them and "pursuing avenues of enquiry that have not already been pursued to their full extent".

The coroner's direction means their evidence, or any derivative evidence, cannot be used against them in other proceedings, other than for perjury.

Detectives' Emotional Connection

The inquest also heard from retired detective Trevor Perham, who became "invested" in the investigation after taking charge of it in 2002. Ms Butterfield's image was put up on scoreboards at NRL matches and her disappearance featured on national television.

The publicity generated "dribs and drabs" of information, but Mr Perham said no reported sightings of Ms Butterfield were ever found to be genuine.

In 2012, Mr Perham wrote a report for the coroner concluding Ms Butterfield was likely no longer alive.

"There's some jobs in a career that, um, hit home, excuse me," a tearful Mr Perham said.

"I met the family. They lost a loved one and I, I made a promise to myself, I guess, that I'd do everything I could to find Joanne for the family, and I couldn't."

"It wasn't for a lack of trying."

Investigation's Original Lead

The inquest is also examining the adequacy of the police investigation. On Tuesday, the inquest heard that in June 1999, a Missing Persons Branch officer queried whether Leonard Fraser — who came to be known as a notorious serial killer and rapist — "could be a suspect for murdering [Ms Butterfield]".

Fraser, who has since died, was later convicted of murdering three women and girls and the manslaughter of another woman, between 1998 and 1999.

The investigation's original lead detective Graeme Eaton replied to the officer at the time, saying it was "a long shot, but possible", noting Innisfail was "a long way away" from Rockhampton, where Fraser lived.

Mr Eaton told the inquest the fact Ms Butterfield had been a sex worker did not influence his investigation.

The inquest is due to run for another week.