Renewed plea to help solve Penny Hill’s murder 35 years on

JULY marks 35 years since the death of Penny Hill, who was murdered in 1991.

Penny, originally from Narrabri, had moved to Coolah to begin her first job as a nanny at the Black Stump Motel.

Just days later, the 20-year-old was found unconscious with severe head and facial injuries on Cassilis Road, near Coolah, about 8am on Monday 8 July 1991.

Penny was taken to John Hunter Hospital, where she died two weeks later on Sunday 21 July.

NSW Police have continued to seek information in relation to Penny’s murder, with a reward for information increased to $1m on the 28th anniversary.

A spokesperson said the investigation into the 1991 murder of Penny continues to fall under the responsibility of the Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide Team.

“It remains open and is monitored for any new information that may become available to progress the matter,” the spokesperson said.

“Detectives attached to State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad urge anyone that may have information that can assist the investigation to come forward.”

In 1992, a coronial inquest held in Mudgee returned an opening finding on the cause and manner of death.

Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad started further investigations into Penny’s murder under Strike Force Samdon, before a second coronial inquest was held in 2012.

The second inquest also delivered an opening finding and was returned to investigators, who pursued a number of new lines of inquiry, however no one has ever been charged in relation to Penny’s death.

Penny’s mother, Jeanette Hill, now living in Queensland, has previously told The Courier she remains hopeful that someone, somewhere will come forward with new information to bring closure and justice.

“I still believe someone knows what happened – someone has confided to someone about the murder,” Mrs Hill said in a previous interview with The Courier. “We always hope someone, somewhere will speak up.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

Do you have information that can help police with this case?

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You can provide information to police by calling Crime Stoppers any time on 1800 333 000, reporting information to Crime Stoppers any time via the website’s secure online form, or contacting your local police station.