After more than eight years of anguish, the family of Jayden Penno-Tompsett finally received closure in January 2026 when Queensland Police confirmed that skeletal remains found on a rural property in Breddan were positively identified as belonging to the 22-year-old from Newcastle, New South Wales. But what was meant to be a bittersweet end to a long nightmare has instead spiralled into something far darker, with new revelations emerging that have shocked investigators and reignited speculation about foul play.

The Original Mystery: New Year’s Eve 2017

Jayden Penno-Tompsett disappeared in the early hours of December 31, 2017, during a road trip from Newcastle to Cairns for New Year celebrations. Travelling with his friend Lucas Tattersall in a red Nissan Pulsar, the pair had been using methamphetamine and MDMA throughout the journey.

Around 3 a.m., the two stopped at the Puma service station on Thompson Street (Flinders Highway) near Charters Towers. CCTV captured them leaving the station, after which an argument erupted. According to Tattersall’s testimony at the 2021 coronial inquest, Jayden became increasingly erratic and aggressive after discovering that a stash of methamphetamine had gone missing from the vehicle.

In a drug-fuelled rage, Jayden smashed his phone, exited the car, and walked into the surrounding bushland. Tattersall searched briefly before driving on alone to Cairns. Jayden was reported missing several days later on January 3, 2018.

Extensive searches involving police, helicopters, SES volunteers, and cadaver dogs covered hundreds of square kilometres of rugged outback terrain. Despite the efforts, no trace of Jayden was found for over eight years.

The 2021 Inquest: A Tragic but Non-Suspicious Conclusion

The coronial inquest in 2021 concluded that Jayden most likely died of exposure (hyperthermia and dehydration) in the harsh Queensland summer heat, exacerbated by methamphetamine intoxication. No evidence of foul play was presented, and Lucas Tattersall was not charged.

Yet the family, led by Jayden’s mother Rachel Penno, refused to accept the ruling. They maintained an active Facebook page, “Jayden Penno-Tompsett Help Find,” and kept pressure on authorities to continue searching.

The 2025 Breakthrough – And the Disturbing New Twist

On October 20, 2025, a local property owner in Breddan – a remote area on the outskirts of Charters Towers – discovered what appeared to be human bones while clearing land. Police quickly secured the site and sent the remains to Brisbane for forensic analysis.

On January 23, 2026, Queensland Police announced that DNA testing had confirmed the remains were Jayden’s. The family received the devastating news, with Rachel Penno stating: “While this is not the outcome we prayed for, we are grateful that Jay has finally been found.”

But the story did not end there.

In the days following the official identification, specialist police cadaver dogs were deployed to conduct a secondary sweep of the area. Approximately 250 metres from the original discovery site, the dogs alerted to a location that had previously been missed. Investigators began careful excavation and uncovered several items buried in a shallow, hand-dug pit roughly 60–80 cm deep.

Among the recovered items were:

A small metal container containing traces of what forensic tests later identified as methamphetamine residue.
A partially decomposed mobile phone (not Jayden’s smashed device).
Several items of clothing not belonging to Jayden, including a men’s black hoodie and a pair of work boots.
A rusted hunting knife with dried blood traces still under forensic examination.
A handwritten note, heavily weathered but partially legible, containing what appears to be a list of names and dates.

None of these items matched Jayden’s known possessions or clothing from the night he vanished. The mobile phone was found to belong to an unrelated person reported missing in Queensland in 2019. The clothing and knife have no immediate link to Jayden or Tattersall.

Queensland Police have confirmed that the finds are “currently under active investigation” and have referred the matter to the Homicide Investigation Unit. A spokesperson stated: “While the original remains of Mr Penno-Tompsett are consistent with death by exposure, the discovery of these additional items has raised new questions that must be thoroughly examined.”

Family and Community Reaction

Rachel Penno, speaking to media from Newcastle, said: “We thought we had closure. Now we’re being told there might have been something far more sinister going on in that area. It’s heartbreaking all over again.”

Locals in Charters Towers have long referred to the Flinders Highway as “Australia’s Highway of Death” due to the number of disappearances and unexplained deaths over the decades. Some residents have privately speculated that the Breddan site may have been used as a dumping ground for multiple crimes.

What Happens Next?

Police have expanded the search radius around the property and are re-interviewing witnesses from 2017–2018. The handwritten note is being analysed by forensic document examiners, and the blood on the knife is undergoing DNA testing.

For now, the official cause of Jayden Penno-Tompsett’s death remains exposure and drug intoxication. However, the discovery of these buried items has cast a long shadow over the case, raising the chilling possibility that the remote Queensland bushland may conceal even darker secrets.

As the investigation deepens, one question lingers: what else lies buried in the red dirt of Breddan?