Coroner's Court of Western Australia

Inquest into the Suspected Death of Jorn Jesper JENSEN

Inquest into the Suspected Death of Jorn Jesper JENSEN

 

Delivered on : 2 October 2020

Delivered at : Perth

Finding of : Coroner Jenkin

Recommendations : N/A

Orders/Rules : N/A

Suppression Order : N/A

Summary : Mr Jensen is last known to have been alive at about 3.30 pm on 25 June 2017. Nothing has been heard from him since that time and his body has not been discovered. Mr Jensen was 68 years of age when he went missing. 

Mr Jensen lived by himself in Ocean Reef. His wife had died suddenly at hoke several years previously and together, they had two daughters. Mr Jensen had significant health issues including peripheral neuropathy, and experienced pain in his back and feet. In the 12-months prior to his disappearance, his health reportedly deteriorated and he was unable to continue playing golf, which was his passion. In January 2017, Mr Jensen was treated by his GP for depression, which appeared to resolve. He had repeatedly expressed suicidal ideation in the period before his death, but his daughters felt this was related to one of his medications, which he stopped taking about three weeks before he disappeared. 

At about 11.30 am on Sunday, 25 June 2017, Mr Jensen was collected from his home and taken to lunch with his daughters and a golfing friend and the friend’s partner. Mr Jensen appeared to be in a good spirits and was talking about attending a Christmas in July function. His daughters dropped him home at about 3.00 pm and after a brief conversation they left his home. 

When Mr Jensen’s neighbour left home for work at about 6.45 am on Monday, 26 June 2017, she noticed that his garage door was open and his car was missing. His car was still missing when the neighbour came home from work and at about 7.02 pm, she called one of Mr Jensen’s daughters. A family member went to Mr Jensen’s house and found the front door open. There appeared to be blood spots on the floor of the kitchen/dining area and a glass pane in an internal door was smashed. Mr Jensen’s personal items, including his wallet with a large sum of money were inside the house. A forensic examination of Mr Jensen’s home found that the blood spots were his and appeared to have resulted from an injury to his foot. There was no sign of forced entry and a police investigation concluded that there was no evidence of any criminality related to Mr Jensen’s disappearance. 

Mr Jensen was reported as a missing person and police conducted an extensive search in the area around his home, including a patrol of beach carparks, shopping centres and other areas it was thought he may have visited. On 27 June 2017, Mr Jensen’s car was found in the carpark of the Lancelin Beach Hotel. Police examined the car and found was unlocked and that the keys were in the ignition in the “on” position. Police found nothing of significance in or around Mr Jensen’s car and during the period 27 - 30 June 2017, they coordinated an extensive land, sea and air search. No trace of Mr Jensen was located. 

The coroner found that the evidence established beyond all reasonable doubt that Mr Jensen had died on or about 25 June 2017. On the basis of the evidence before him, the coroner was unable to determine how Mr Jensen died and made an Open Finding as to the manner of death.

Catch Words : Missing Person : Land, Sea and Air Search : Open Finding


Last updated: 13-Oct-2020

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