Investigations reopen into 34-year-old mystery surrounding Lewis ‘Buddy’ Kelly’s death

The life of athletic teenager Lewis ‘Buddy’ Kelly was cut short on New Year’s Eve 1983 and the mystery surrounding the 16-year-old’s death continues today.

Buddy attended a party at the skatepark in West Kempsey with mates and as the celebrations dwindled, the teenagers began heading home.

Buddy was last seen alive walking up the stairs of the railway bridge which connects West Kempsey with South.

Buddy’s body was found on train tracks in South Kempsey the next day and despite initial investigations concluding the apprentice glazier was responsible for his own death, his family maintains he was murdered.

Buddy’s family have spent the past 34 years searching for answers, however, they may finally be close to justice.

Greens Aboriginal Justice spokesperson David Shoebridge, alongside more than 40 members of Buddy’s family, stood at the spot Buddy was last seen alive and announced on Monday the state coroner had referred the matter to NSW Police for further investigation and to interview witnesses who weren’t spoken to at the time.

Mr Shoebridge and Buddy’s family made demands to ensure this investigation, different to the 1984 and 2015 inquiries, brings justice for Buddy.

“The coroner has made the demand of police for fresh information, but the investigation needs to be genuinely independent, needs to be over watched by the homicide squad and we need a reward, so that people will come forward,” Mr Shoebridge said.

“A reward encourages those people in the community who we know have information to come out and give it to the police. The window to get justice for Buddy is fast closing.”

Mr Shoebridge claims it’s a step towards justice and closure for the family.

“There’s no doubt that this is a key development, the coroner has intervened again and requested the police to undertake further investigations,” Mr Shoebridge said.

“Going back to 1984, when the investigation and the coronial investigation was done, there were far too many questions that were left unanswered. Only a handful of witnesses who were here on the evening, were actually questioned by police.

“Many of the investigations were grossly inadequate.”

At the time of Buddy’s death, the world was at his feet.

Buddy was making all of the right choices a teenager can make. He had started an apprenticeship, purchased a car, was saving his money and making plans for the future.

The gifted sportsman was eight weeks away from travelling to America to compete in tennis tournaments.

Monica Kelly, the youngest of eight siblings of Buddy, believes there’s no way Buddy made the decision to end his own life that night.

“There was no real reason for him to want to take his own life, which is what is stated on his death certificate. He had everything going for him. There’s no chance that he would have done that, there had to be foul play,” Ms Kelly said.

“We will always fight for what we believe and what we know is right. We know the person that Buddy was.”

Ms Kelly, while holding back tears, made a plea to the public to come forward with information to help her family find closure, justice and for the people responsible to be held accountable.

“On behalf of my family, I am urging people of the community to please come forward. It’s 35-years this December, it is a long time to wait. We want answers and we want them now. There have been two failed investigations already,” Ms Kelly said.

Police encourage anyone with information on the events which led to the death of Lewis Buddy Kelly to come forward.

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