Plea for authors of incriminating letters regarding Mark Gregory’s 1991 death to come forward as case reopens

Police are pleading for the authors of a series of letters “dobbing in” possible suspects in the unsolved Albany hit-and-run death of Mark Edward Gregory from 35 years ago to come forward, as new technology prompts the reopening of the cold case. Det-Sen. Sgt Hugh Le Tessier of the major crash investigation section, addressed the media on Tuesday and said three letters that included details of the 28-year-old’s death in 1991 were received by police, but more context was required for the information to be of use. The anonymous letters were sent in 2013, 2016 and 2018, naming people the authors believed were involved in the tragic incident. One letter was found pinned to Mr Gregory’s memorial cross located on the same strip of Mercer Road where he died in the early hours of April 7, after being hit by a vehicle while walking home from a party in Walmsley. The other two were sent to Mr Gregory’s son’s workplace and the Albany police station respectively. “We need to talk to them to enhance on what they’ve provided us with, to get further information from what they’ve said in their letters, and to then open up new lines of inquiry that haven’t been pursued.” He said it was unclear whether the letters were penned by a single author, but differing handwriting indicated multiple writers for at least two of them. Det-Sen. Sgt Le Tessier said the renewed investigation was sparked by the provision of additional resources and technology to the major crash division, which had allowed detectives to reopen unsolved cold cases. “In the last 12 months, we’ve had some success,” he said. “Recently, going back about eight months, we resolved a hit-and-run that was five years old. “In addition to that, there’s new technology that we lean on so additional enhancement of CCTV opportunity, telco-data assistance. “Mr Gregory’s matter just happens to be next on our list of unresolved cases that we want to work on.” Det-Sen. Sgt Le Tessier said he hoped the two prongs of inquiry can bear fruit for Mr Gregory’s family, who he said were “more than happy” for officers to reinvestigate the case. This week’s announcement was not the first time the cold case was reopened, with fresh information about an argument Mr Gregory may have had at the party prompting a re-examination of the facts in 2009, followed by his family issuing a public plea for information in 2011. In 2013, Albany detectives said they believed Mr Gregory’s death was most likely murder and multiple suspects had been identified from new lines of inquiry. Police revealed in 2015 they had been unable to locate a number of items relevant to the case to conduct further forensic tests. It is understood this included the clothes the 28-year-old was wearing when he died. The young father of two died from fatal injuries on the side of Mercer Road, between Towereroo and Lower King roads, having been found by a passing driver about 4.55am. He left behind his wife and high school sweetheart Leeanne and children Zane, then four, and Casey, then two. Albany’s coroner at the time Alison Robins determined the cause of death to be chest and abdominal injuries sustained when struck by a motor vehicle, but stopped short of calling for an inquest. The case struck a chord with many who knew the Albany local as a “hardworking, fun-loving family man”, and the wider audience who saw his family appealing for answers in a 1993 episode of the TV series Australia’s Most Wanted. Despite a multitude of leads, including the mysterious letters, doorknocks and anonymous phone calls, police were never able to determine the circumstances surrounding Mr Gregory’s sudden death. No person has come forward or been formally charged in relation to the death in the past 35 years, nor the vehicle in question ever been recovered or its make and model identified. Det-Sen. Sgt Le Tessier said police “haven’t been able to say categorically, one way or another, whether it was a deliberate act or whether it was an accident”. “One of the things that’s not lost on us, is that it has been 35 years since this occurred,” he said. “Now, during the passage of time, people may wish to now provide us information. “They may have been living with this for that 35 years. They might want to clear their conscience. They might want to come forward, provide us with some more information.” As part of their renewed investigation, police will be reinterviewing all attendees of the large Walmsley party Mr Gregory attended before his death as well as re-examining items relevant to the case.