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Parents still hold hope for Kalgoorlie cold case breakthrough

Kate RyanKalgoorlie Miner
Ian and Pat Govan.
Camera IconIan and Pat Govan. Credit: Iain Gillespie

Lisa Govan’s parents have revealed she was suffering from an illness when she disappeared 20 years ago yesterday.

Pat and Ian Govan, speaking at a press conference at WA Police headquarters in Perth yesterday, said their daughter — who they described as a social butterfly who was nice to everyone, but took them at face value — had an illness, but would not be drawn on exactly what kind of illness, except to say she needed extra care.

“(She meant) everything, the other daughters, they mean the same, but Lisa was just different because she had an illness, so therefore she had to have more attention, more time,” Mrs Govan said.

“She had an illness. We won’t go into that. That’s a different story.

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“She was sick, but she lived life to the full.”

It has been 20 years since 28-year-old Lisa Govan went missing in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Two decades on, her devastated parents say the pain is still just as raw now as it was the day she disappeared.

“It doesn’t get any easier. We cope with it. We cope with it at Christmas, we cope with it at birthdays. We cope with the grandchildren asking us about Lisa, which we’ve only got photographs of. It is difficult,” Mr Govan said.

The Perth couple have never wavered in their determination to find their daughter.

They’re no closer to finding out what happened to Lisa than they were on the day she went missing.

A PHOTOGRAPH OF MISSING GIRL LISA GOVAN.
Camera IconA PHOTOGRAPH OF MISSING GIRL LISA GOVAN.

“I’m upset that it’s taken 20 years. We’ve got today, our chance to get it out there that we want Lisa found, we want her home,” Mrs Govan said.

Yesterday Lisa’s parents launched a fresh appeal for anyone who knows what happened to Lisa, on the anniversary of her disappearance.

They also revealed their daughter, who they described as a social butterfly who was nice to everyone, but took them at face value — had an illness, but wouldn’t be drawn on exactly what kind of illness, except to say she needed extra care.

"[She meant] everything, the other daughters they mean the same, but Lisa was just different because she had an illness, so therefore she had to have more attention, more time," Mrs Govan said.

She had an illness. We won’t go into that. That’s a different story. She was sick, but she lived life to the full

Pat Govan

Lisa was last seen alive at 7.45am on Boulder Road in Kalgoorlie on October 8, 1999. Security camera footage captured Ms Govan climbing into a taxi with a bald-headed man on Boulder Road about 4.45am.

She was later seen at the Club Deroes bikie gang clubhouse. Police say there are active lines of investigation they’re following.

“It might be that someone may have observed or may have seen Lisa at some place, didn’t think it was important, didn’t want to bother by calling the police,” Acting Commander Rod Wilde said.

“They may have information about a person or someone that’s linked to Lisa at the time in Kalgoorlie. Perhaps they’ve been reluctant to call. They’re the people that we would like to come forward and contact us.”

The family have launched a website for anyone with information on Lisa’s disappearance.

“If somebody knows what happened to Lisa, come forward, either to Crime Stoppers or, we’ve launched a website, it’s lisagovan missing.com.au,” Mr Govan said.

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