The lingering questions surrounding the disappearance of Queensland man Jack McLennan have seen a key figure, workmate Chris Duke, break his public silence. Mr Duke, the last known person to see Mr McLennan alive, has spoken out amidst intense community speculation about his involvement in the vanishing act.
Mr McLennan disappeared around 10pm on October 4, 2024, from Ficks Crossing, a remote location approximately three hours north-west of Brisbane. Mr Duke confirmed in exclusive interviews that he and Mr McLennan had spent at least eight hours together that day and evening, consuming methamphetamine and alcohol.
Despite the circumstances, Mr Duke vehemently rejects online accusations suggesting his involvement in Mr McLennan’s disappearance. He asserts his full cooperation with the Queensland Police investigation. “All that stuff on Facebook … I don’t even know where they come up with it,” Mr Duke stated, expressing frustration with the online discourse. “I’ve worked with the detectives and the CIB (Criminal Investigation Branch) as much as I can.” It is important to note that Queensland Police have not officially declared Mr Duke, or any other individual, a person of interest in their ongoing investigation.
The Night of the Disappearance
According to Mr Duke, at the precise moment Mr McLennan vanished, he was engaged in cleaning his vehicle. Upon looking up, Mr Duke found that Mr McLennan was no longer present. “At the end of the day I don’t even know where he went,” Mr Duke said, his voice conveying a sense of bewilderment. “I don’t know. He left me.”
A Trail of Scattered Belongings
Adding to the unsettling nature of Mr McLennan’s disappearance is the baffling discovery of his personal effects. His shoes, hat, wallet, and bank card were found strewn across more than 5 kilometres of predominantly rural terrain, arranged in what investigators described as a nonsensical pattern. Notably, his phone, shirt, and shorts have never been recovered, and no human remains have been found. The circumstances are further complicated by the fact that Mr McLennan had moved out of the home he shared with his girlfriend on the very same day he went missing.
Family’s Plea and Duke’s Defence
The family of Mr McLennan, along with his supporters and an active online sleuthing community, have directed criticism towards Mr Duke, expressing disappointment over his perceived lack of detailed information provided to Mr McLennan’s parents. Kellie Moody, Mr McLennan’s mother, voiced her anguish, stating, “There’s so many questions I’ve never had answered. I want to sit with Chris. I want him to look me in the eye. It would’ve been nice if he had said: ‘Look, I don’t want any anger. I want to help you with your questions.'”
Mr Duke countered these claims, explaining that his cooperation with the family ceased when he felt the discussions became repetitive, accusatory, and eventually threatening. He claims to have been subjected to targeted harassment within the community, with his family also facing repercussions. “I’ve lost work. It’s just been an absolute nightmare,” he lamented. “I didn’t get to see my kids for months at the start, all because of this. The way it’s been handled has not been good.” He reiterated his commitment to assisting the police, stating, “I’ve given the police absolutely everything whenever they’ve asked for it [including] my clothes, my cars, my computers, my phones, everything that they wanted.”
The emotional toll of the situation has been significant for Mr Duke, to the extent that he had planned to name his son, due in 2025, Jack, after Mr McLennan. However, he has since decided against this due to the ongoing public furore.
A Brief Acquaintance
At the time of Mr McLennan’s disappearance, his acquaintance with Mr Duke was relatively recent. They had known each other and worked together at the same building company for less than three months. “He was a good worker, a good bloke,” Mr Duke reflected. “I couldn’t imagine that anyone wanted to hurt him. It’s just a mystery to me.”
The ongoing investigation into Jack McLennan’s disappearance is the subject of the latest season of the ABC’s true crime podcast Unravel, which is now available on ABC Listen and other podcast platforms.
