THE Southern Tasmanian setting of a missing person's case dating back more than 30 years has been declared a crime scene. Exhibits from the Tasman Peninsula property have been seized and taken away for forensic examination. Coroner Simon Cooper was scheduled to hand down his findings into the 1983 disappearance of Judah Zachariah Reuben Wolfe Mattathyahu this morning. However, news of a development in the police investigation has delayed the closure of the case. Mr Mattathyahu, 49, vanished without a trace in November 1983 from a remote rural property owned by John and Anne Rosyln Hull. He was working at the property as a farmhand. The inquest has heard Mr Mattathyahu and Mrs Hull were having an affair in the lead-up to his disappearance. Mr Hull has denied any involvement is the man going missing. The Coroner's Court heard police declared the Black Jack Road residence in Slopen Main a crime scene last Wednesday, with a number of items confiscated. Counsel assisting the coroner, Liz Avery, requested that the inquest's findings be postponed until the police investigation had run its course. Lawyer Greg Melick SC, who was appearing for Mr and Mrs Hull, objected to having the date pushed back. Mr Melick said police had long enough to conduct their investigations into the case, and it was highly inappropriate that it drag on for any longer. However, Mr Cooper agreed to adjourn the case while forensic examinations were ongoing. The inquest is scheduled to return to court on September 28.
THE Southern Tasmanian setting of a missing person's case dating back more than 30 years has been declared a crime scene.
Exhibits from the Tasman Peninsula property have been seized and taken away for forensic examination.
Coroner Simon Cooper was scheduled to hand down his findings into the 1983 disappearance of Judah Zachariah Reuben Wolfe Mattathyahu this morning.
However, news of a development in the police investigation has delayed the closure of the case.
Mr Mattathyahu, 49, vanished without a trace in November 1983 from a remote rural property owned by John and Anne Rosyln Hull.
He was working at the property as a farmhand.
The inquest has heard Mr Mattathyahu and Mrs Hull were having an affair in the lead-up to his disappearance.
Mr Hull has denied any involvement is the man going missing.
The Coroner's Court heard police declared the Black Jack Road residence in Slopen Main a crime scene last Wednesday, with a number of items confiscated.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Liz Avery, requested that the inquest's findings be postponed until the police investigation had run its course.
Lawyer Greg Melick SC, who was appearing for Mr and Mrs Hull, objected to having the date pushed back.
Mr Melick said police had long enough to conduct their investigations into the case, and it was highly inappropriate that it drag on for any longer.
However, Mr Cooper agreed to adjourn the case while forensic examinations were ongoing.
The inquest is scheduled to return to court on September 28.
