A man fled a 'bounty' in Canberra. Months later, he was dead in Brisbane

Neil Tracey fled Canberra fearing for his safety. Months later, he was dead in BrisbaneJBy Joshua McIntosh Link copiedShareShare articleWARNING: This story contains references to suicide and addiction. There was no knock at the door. No uniformed officer. No carefully crafted words of condolence. Instead, the news of Neil Tracey's death arrived on a scrap of paper. On the morning of May 9, 1989, a man walked into a butcher shop in Lyneham in Canberra's north and handed John Tracey a note, bearing the phone number of a Brisbane police constable. "Your brother's dead, ring this bloke," the stranger said. A photo of the Brisbane boarding house taken by a relative shortly after Neil’s death. (Supplied) The officer on the other end told him his younger brother Neil, 26, had been found dead hours earlier at a boarding house in the riverside Brisbane suburb of New Farm. Police believed he had overdosed on drugs. The death was quickly ruled non-suspicious. For investigators, it was an open-and-shut case. For the Tracey family, it marked the start of a relentless quest for answers that has spanned decades. Nearly four decades on, Neil's niece placed a notice in The Canberra Times appealing for information about his death. (Supplied) Reports of a bounty on Neil's head and potential ties to Canberra's criminal underworld cast a shadow over the formal finding. As the Traceys dug deeper, they uncovered an unusual obstacle — a police document regarding Neil's death is sealed in the Queensland State Archives until 2054. Neil's parents died with lingering questions about what happened to their son. Now, members of the Tracey family have mounted a last-ditch effort to have Neil's death reviewed by the Queensland coroner – hoping to finally get answers after nearly four decades. Neil Tracey was born and raised in Ainslie, one of Canberra's oldest suburbs – known for its leafy streets, heritage homes and parks and open spaces. "Everyone knew everyone," his brother John mused. "It wasn't a rough place by any means; it was just working-class people." Neil was the youngest of three siblings and his brother says he was "mum's little favourite." (Supplied) John said Neil was a talented athlete with a knack for footy. "He always was a good footballer … used to win best and fairest all the time," John said. "Growing up, he was a good sportsman and just a fun young fella that was a bit of a mischief maker, but other than that … he was a good kid, liked by everyone, Neil is remembered by family as a "fun young fella" who was "liked by everyone". (Supplied) Neil was the youngest of three siblings. "The baby — mum's little favourite," John said. Neil's niece, who asked to remain anonymous, said her uncle's death "absolutely devastated" his mother. In late 1988, Neil Tracey was experiencing financial problems and admitted to family members that he and a friend had stolen a safe from a house in Canberra. The Traceys believe the resident of the house was a man with links to organised crime. In the wake of the theft, John said he was warned by acquaintances on two separate occasions that his brother's life was in danger. "One bloke approached me and said to me: 'You know they've got a contract out … on your brother for a thousand dollars?'" John said. "Another fella told me that the outlaw motorbike gangs were looking for him." The then-25-year-old moved from Canberra to Brisbane in late 1988 because he "feared for his safety". (Supplied) Fearing for his safety, Neil's family said the then-25-year-old fled to Brisbane. John said the man Neil allegedly stole money from was the same person who later handed him the note in the butcher shop. "This bloke had prior knowledge of his death before even the family knew," John said. After John's call with Fortitude Valley police, Neil's uncle, who lived in Brisbane, went to the New Farm boarding house to try to piece together Neil's final hours. Two women who lived there told him a man had knocked on the door the night before Neil died and gave him a "brown drink", according to Neil's niece. Around this time, the residents saw Neil appearing very intoxicated. According to a sudden death police document seen by the ABC, Neil was heard making gurgling noises early the next morning. He was later found unconscious, his lips blue. He was rushed to the Royal Brisbane Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The house where Neil died still stands today. (ABC News: Erin Byrnes) "He had high levels of methadone and oxazepam in his system … really high levels," Neil's niece said. Methadone is a potent opioid commonly prescribed to treat heroin addiction and withdrawal. Oxazepam is a benzodiazepine, similar to diazepam, — a class of drugs regularly prescribed to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Neil's niece said the family had no knowledge of him using heroin or being prescribed powerful prescription drugs. She believes not enough questions were asked. "Were a

A man fled a 'bounty' in Canberra. Months later, he was dead in Brisbane

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