Australian police offered a record AUS$6 million in rewards to catch the serial killer or killers behind the murders of six Melbourne women in the 1980s.
The women, ranging in age from 14 to 73, disappeared in separate incidents as they travelled on foot around Melbourne over an 18-month period in 1980-1981.
Their remains were found in scrubland in several locations on the outskirts of the city and efforts had been made to conceal their location and identity.
The six victims were named on the website of Victoria Police as 59-year-old Allison Rooke, 73-year-old Bertha Miller, 14-year-old Catherine Headland, 18-year-old Ann-Marie Sargent, 34-year-old Marumol Stephenson and 55-year-old Joy Carmel Summers.
Police announced six rewards of AUS$1 million each for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was behind the murders.
"Investigators are seeking public assistance to help solve these six murders, and are appealing directly to any persons with knowledge of these crimes and of those responsible to come forward and contact police," the department said in a statement.
It said the AUS$6 million was the largest reward amount ever offered by the department.
Over the years, investigators have spoken to around 2,000 people as part of the investigation and a new taskforce was established in 1998 to review the cases.
No one has ever been charged in relation to the murders.
