July 21 will mark 31 years since the murder of Narrabri’s Penny Hill.
Penny’s mother Jeanette Hill, now living in Toowoomba, remains hopeful that someone, somewhere will come forward with information to bring closure and justice.
Penny suffered severe head injuries when she was attacked on July 8, 1991, while living at Coolah, and subsequently died from her injuries on July 21 in John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle.
Now, 31 years on, Mrs Hill still hopes that someone will eventually come forward with new information.
A $1 million NSW government reward offered three years ago for information that leads to conviction still stands.
“I still believe someone knows what happened – someone has confided to someone about the murder,” Mrs Hill said.
“I never thought we would be still talking about it and no one has been apprehended.
“We always hope someone, somewhere will speak up,” Mrs Hill told The Courier.
“People say to me ‘do you think they will ever be caught and I say ‘well, you always have to have hope. Never give up hope.’
“Because someone out there somewhere knows something – if only they would come forward.
“The pain never goes away – we live it every day,” said Mrs Hill.
“I have said in the past, Penny was given a death sentence but we were given a life sentence.
“And someone is out there walking scot-free.
“You never forget, you just learn to live with it and live in hope someone will reveal some information.
“I find the July 8 anniversary, the impact and the brutality of the attack, is probably harder for us than the July 21 date when Penny passed away,” Mrs Hill said.
“We hope every day that someone will come forward with the piece of information for police that will bring the perpetrator to justice and some closure to our family.
“As I have always said, there has to be people out there who know. In a small town like Coolah there would be people who would know. Something so horrific that happened in your lifetime you would never forget.
“People might say ‘I can’t remember’ but you don’t forget these sort of things. There is simply no way to describe the immense agony of losing a child,” Mrs Hill said.
“Every day I am reminded of Penny, of the tragic way in which she was taken from us, and of the life she never got to live.
“It has been 31 years that we have been searching for answers and once again we ask that anyone in the community who might know what happened to our daughter, please come forward and help police.
“Our family, and our Penny need peace,” Mrs Hill said.
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