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Megumi Suzuki
On August 3rd, 2001 a 18yo Japanese student in Adelaide was obviously mugged and either kidnapped or murdered. The details of her disappearance were not publicised till the 15th August.
Why the delay?
At no time did any missing persons unit or police publicise her picture or ask for assistance in finding her. Her details went up immediately an this site and through Crimenet appealing for the public to offer any assisance. Unfortunatley her body was found a few months later.
This was the news coverage at the time.

15/08/2001 07:20:47
Police prepare for worst in search for Japanese student
Police have prepared for the worst after finding a missing Japanese student's school bag near an Adelaide bus station. A senior policeman said concern had heightened for Megumi Suzuki, 18, who was last seen 12 days ago at a city shopping mall.
Asked if he believed Ms Suzuki was still alive, Acting Superintendent Neil Tank said: "I can't say, I have got an open mind on the matter. "Every day that goes on, we get more concerned. It has been 12 days, we can only speculate. "We hope for the best, but we obviously have to be prepared for
the worst."
As her mother flew into Adelaide from Tokyo today to assist police investigations, it was revealed Ms Suzuki's school waited a week before alerting police to her disappearance. "Obviously if we had known about it earlier, we might have been able to progress a little bit faster," Supt Neil Tank said today. Ms Suzuki, who was studying at Eynesbury College in Adelaide's inner city, was known to frequent city nightclubs but was "no more out of step than anyone else", he said. "She carried out the activities of a normal 18-year-old student," Supt Tank said.
Police were no closer to her whereabouts despite the discovery of Ms
Suzuki's school bag, student identification and wallet among other items at
Campbelltown in Adelaide's north-east. The items were discovered by a
maintenance worker below a bridge on the Obahn public bus route. Other
items, including Ms Suzuki's bank card and school papers, were discovered
within a 500 metre radius. The items were believed to have been at the scene
for days, Supt Tank said.
Police today searched the area using horses, a helicopter, and emergency service volunteers, but failed to find any trace of the teenager. Ms Suzuki, who began studying in Adelaide last October, was last seen at Rundle Mall on August 3 and her bank account had not been accessed since August 6, police
said. She was residing at student quarters within Modbury Hospital in Adelaide's north.
Supt Tank said it was possible Ms Suzuki had caught an Obahn bus but added "its probably the long way around" from the city school to the northern residence. "We are still no further advanced as to her location," he said.
Police were continuing a search and doorknock of the Campbelltown area and also at Westbourne Park in Adelaide's inner south-east, where Ms Suzuki's bank card was last used.

Search for Japanese student
By Police Reporter MATTHEW BOWMAN
16aug01
PERSONAL items found next to the O-Bahn transport link have heightened fears missing Japanese student Megumi Suzuki has met with foul play - and possibly been murdered.
Last night police declared her disappearance a major crime.
A maintenance worker discovered Ms Suzuki's bag containing books, an identity card, make-up and a pencil case. Her ATM card was found in a nearby street. Police said Ms Suzuki's mother, who arrived in Adelaide this week, was "extremely distressed" when shown the items. "Every day that goes by we get more concerned," Acting Superintendent Neil Tank, of Sturt police, said yesterday. "We hope for the best but we obviously have to be prepared for the worst.
"It's now been 12 days since we know she was seen - 12 days since she used her mobile phone." Ms Suzuki, who attended Eynesbury College's Academy of English in Franklin St, city, has not been seen since shopping with friends on August 3 in Rundle Mall. The maintenance worker first noticed some of the items under the Hill St bridge several days ago but thought they were only trash. It was only after hearing of Ms Suzuki's disappearance that he decided to check and found the ID card. Police believe the items - which were strewn over 500m - were thrown from a bus on the O-Bahn or from the bridge.
Police yesterday launched an extensive search of the area using the police helicopter, mounted police and State Emergency Services volunteers - but found no further clues. Officers also door-knocked houses in the area as well as houses near the Westbourne Park BP service station, where Ms Suzuki's ATM card was twice used in the days after she was last seen.
"Our main line of inquiry now is to find out how the bag got to where it was and how the property became distributed along the O-Bahn track," Acting Supt Tank said. Police have found no evidence that Ms Suzuki was ever in the area under the Hill St bridge. Footage from surveillance cameras in the city and at O-Bahn stations will be examined in a bid to trace her movements after she was last seen on August 3.

Photo Source: Crimenet