She told her mum she wouldn't be home late. A stranger in a white car made sure she never came home at all.
Jessica Small, 15, was abducted from Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, on October 26, 1997, after accepting a ride from a stranger. A 2014 coronial inquest formally found she had been murdered, though her case remains unsolved.
A Ride That Turned Violent
Jessica and her close friend Vanessa Conlan were at the Amuse Me amusement centre on Russell Street in Bathurst in the early hours of October 26, 1997, when they accepted a ride home from a man driving a white sedan. Partway through the drive, the man turned onto Hereford Street, switched off the headlights, and assaulted both girls, attempting to keep them in the car. Vanessa managed to escape and alert nearby residents, but the car drove off with Jessica still inside. Investigators believe the vehicle was last seen near Duramana Road and Willott Close in Eglinton, heading toward Hill End.
An Investigation That Fell Short
A 2014 coronial inquest revealed the original investigation into Jessica's disappearance was seriously inadequate. Detectives took little meaningful action in the hours, days, and months after her abduction, and physical evidence collected at the time was never tested and was destroyed by police in 1998. The inquest also heard that a worker at the amusement centre had described a man loitering there that night who'd asked about Jessica and made an unsettling remark about her — a lead police didn't follow up on for 15 years.
A Formal Finding of Murder
Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund found in 2014 that Jessica had been murdered. The following January, the NSW government announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to a conviction, later increased to $1 million in 2018.
Persons of Interest, Never Charged
During the inquest, two men — Andrew McBride and Craig Robertson — were named as persons of interest, both having reportedly worked at the Oberon Timber Mill and roughly matching witness descriptions of a man seen at the amusement centre that night. Neither has ever been charged in connection with Jessica's case. Separately, cold case detectives reinvestigating the file uncovered evidence connecting a different man to two unrelated sexual assaults in Bathurst in 1994 and 1996; he was charged over those incidents but not over Jessica's abduction.
A Mother's Ongoing Wait
Jessica's mother, Ricki Small, has spent more than two decades advocating publicly for her daughter's case, saying the grief remains as intense today as the day Jessica vanished. She's said her hope is simply to bring her daughter home for a proper burial.
Where the Case Stands Now
The case remains with the Homicide Squad's Unsolved Homicide Unit under Strike Force Carica II, which continues to investigate leads, including an extensive search for the distinctive white sedan involved in the abduction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Jessica Small's body ever been found?
No. Despite a formal coronial finding that she was murdered, her remains have never been located.
Has anyone ever been charged in her case?
No. Two men have been named as persons of interest, and a separate man was charged over unrelated sexual assaults uncovered during the reinvestigation, but no one has ever been charged specifically in connection with Jessica's abduction or murder.
Is there still a reward for information?
Yes, up to $1 million, offered by the NSW government since 2018.