By Samantha Ferguson Mandurah Mail. 

It is 11.30am and Private Investigator Mick Buckley pulls up at the Mail, folder of newspaper clippings in hand.

Mr Buckley has dedicated most of his life to bringing justice and closure to those who need it, after serving 14 years in the WA Police Force and now having accrued more than 20 years of experience as a Private Investigator.

The disappearance of Captain Neville Gordon Archer is a case that Mick Buckley has looked into extensively over the years.

Captain Archer disappeared August 9, 1991 after climbing into his gold Toyota between 7-8pm, leaving a home that he was visiting in Mandurah that he often frequented, never to be seen again.

Mr Buckley arrived at the Mail with evidence on the case that has been untouched for years, hoping to bring it back into the spotlight.

The Private Eye

Mr Buckley’s early career saw him gain considerable media attention after working on high-profile cases, including the murder of university student Siti Bahyah.

“The Siti Bahyah case was a big one,” Mr Buckley said. “I heard from Arthur Greer, who had been convicted of murder in a previous case that I worked on, that one of his cellmates needed help.”

Student Azizul bin Azaddin, 25, told Mr Buckley that he was ready to share the location of his victim Siti Bahyah’s body.

Mr Buckley and detectives were led to an area of bushland. Azaddin was handcuffed to Mr Buckley and took the team on a “dragged out, vague search”.

Later, when detectives were on a smoke break, they noticed soft sand that had been disturbed, which led them to discovering Ms Bahyah’s remains.

Buckley and the Captain

In the early 1990s, Mr Buckley was approached by Captain Archer’s mother Alice, who proposed a deal to him.

“She sat me down and handed me a bank book with $2000, saying she wanted me to take all the money she had and find out what happened to her son,” Mr Buckley said.

“I told her I couldn’t take that from her. She wouldn’t let me do it for nothing, so we struck a deal that she would pay a few hundred dollars for travel expenses, and I would take a team down to look at the site where her son’s car was found burnt out.”

Mr Buckley and his team arrived in Bullfinch, where the shell of Captain Archer’s burnt Toyota sat in the middle of scrubland.

At the site, the team surveyed the area closely. “We decided we needed to move the car,” Mr Buckley continued. “The sand was really soft and it was hard to move, but we managed to move it so we could look underneath for a body or any evidence that may be under there.”

Unfortunately, no evidence was found underneath the car, and the large expanse surrounding it, which included a number of mineshafts, meant it was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Alice has since passed away.

Reviewing the Timeline

Mr Buckley’s next move was to review the events of the evening of the Captain’s disappearance.

Captain Archer’s final movements led to a large pool of possible suspects.

“The night Captain Archer disappeared he withdrew $10,000 from an ANZ bank, booked a chalet in Fremantle and dropped off a bag full of canned food,” Mr Buckley told the Mail.

“His son Brett had been arrested for a bank robbery, and the plan was that he and his accomplice would be busted out of the Supreme Court building that night. Captain Archer organised a place for them to flee to and food for their travels.”

Years later, Brett showed up at Mr Buckley’s house to talk about his father’s disappearance.

“He asked me, ‘do I look like a bank robber?’ – and I said, no you don’t.”

The breakout plan, however, was foiled after an anonymous tip-off to police, who promptly shut it down.

“Captain Archer went back to the chalet to collect the money and food that he’d dropped off after he found out the plan wasn’t going ahead. Then he had planned to meet someone.”

Friends of Mr Buckley’s who were kangaroo shooting the night of Captain Archer’s disappearance had reportedly seen the gold Toyota 7km away from where it was eventually found burnt out.

“A couple of mates of mine saw the car that night – they went over and the key was still in the ignition. When they looked further afield they saw vehicles with Eastern State plates – and they knew who had recently occupied them.”

The two men were known to police, and the lead was followed up after it was reported.

“One of the guys had an alibi,” Mr Buckley explained. “And that pretty much cut off that line of enquiry – but my friends were sure they saw that car.”

The Next Step

When asked what it would take for this case to be solved, Mr Buckley said “reopening the investigation”.

“Back then, there wasn’t the technology available that there is today. Those mineshafts need to be searched – at least the closest few to where his car was found.”

Mr Buckley also told the Mail he believes there is still be someone out there who knows something. “When this story is shared, it could someone who has the missing piece needed to solve this case.”

In August, it will have been 30 years since Captain Archer’s disappearance – the more time that passes, the less chance there is to speak to anyone holding information that could be vital to solving it.

The Mail will be working together with Mr Buckley to get in contact with Captain Archer’s family members who have since moved.

“I still want to get that family, their answers,” Mr Buckley said.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Reference Mandurah Mail by Samantha Ferguson March 11 2021