Gore toddler’s dad calls for reward

Paul Jones wants police to offer a reward for more information about his son’s death, in a bid to...
Paul Jones wants police to offer a reward for more information about his son’s death, in a bid to draw out those reluctant to come forward. Photo: ODT files
The father of the Gore toddler who drowned in an oxidation pond wants police to stump up with a reward for information.

Paul Jones will meet police next week over the death of his 3-year-old son, Lachlan.

Lachlan’s body was found by a police search team in one of the Southland town’s sewage oxidation ponds in January last year.

Lachie Jones’ mother said he loved to run off hide while his father maintained he was well...
Lachie Jones. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Police found Lachlan made it to the pond on his own, but Mr Jones has maintained there were nefarious circumstances.

He said he wanted police to offer a reward for more information about his son’s death, in a bid to draw out those reluctant to come forward.

"I’m going to put it to them, because I reckon someone would come forward straight away."

He strongly believed a reward would convince someone with information to contact police.

It comes as information released to the Otago Daily Times shows police have offered just two rewards for information in the South in the past decade.

One of those is the case of missing toddler Amber-Leigh Cruickshank, who was last seen on October 17, 1992, at property in Cornwall St, Kingston, at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu.

On April 13 police announced they were offering a $100,000 reward for information or evidence leading to the identity and conviction of anyone responsible for the 2-year-old’s disappearance.

At the start of this month, Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said more than 70 calls had been received from people offering information.

The offer of a reward will remain in place until October 13.

The reward money will be funded through the police budget.

The other is the cold case disappearance of Dunedin woman Tuitania Barclay.

Ms Barclay was last seen at her Wakari home on September 17, 2002.

In 2014, police offered a $50,000 reward for information about her suspected homicide.

No money was paid out in relation to that case, police confirmed.

Criminologist Greg Newbold said police rewards could be extremely effective tools.

"Those rewards, especially when they’re substantial, which they tend to be, can be very effective in getting people to come forward and divulge information.’’

But there was the potential for issues, he said.

For example, a teenage Teina Pora confessed to the 1992 murder of Susan Burdett because he wanted the $50,000 reward. His murder conviction was later overturned.

But generally, rewards tended to draw people out, Dr Newbold said.

daisy.hudson@odt.co.nz