Numerous members of Nathan Booth’s family attended court to hear the inquest’s findings on Wednesday, including (front, from left) his aunt Stancy, mother Rayleen and sister Deanne Booth. Photo: Albert McKnight.
CONTENT WARNING: Readers are advised that this article contains the name and image of a First Nations person who has died. His photo is used with his family’s consent.
Police will review the mysterious death of a First Nations man whose body was found in a remote stretch of the Murrumbidgee River several years ago.
The end of an inquest into the death of Nathan Daniel Booth heard questions remained about how he died, and his family were glad police will review the case as they still believe he was murdered.
Announcing the inquest’s findings on Wednesday (30 April), ACT Coroner Ken Archer said the 39-year-old died of hypothermia on the Murrumbidgee River.
He was unable to make findings as to the manner of his death, aside from the fact that his body had been found with his leg seriously injured and wedged between rocks.
Coroner Archer said it was most likely that he walked to the part of the river where he was found, his leg became trapped between the rocks and he died of hypothermia.
The average minimum temperature was -3 degrees at the time, and a survival expert stated that he wouldn’t expect someone to survive longer than a few hours under such conditions.
However, the coroner said it was still unknown why Mr Booth was at the remote location or how he got there, remarking it was not an inviting place to be in a Canberra winter.
Mr Booth was last seen alive on 27 June 2019 when he went to the methadone clinic at the Canberra Hospital, the inquest heard when hearings began last year.
There was no evidence of his movements after leaving the clinic and he was reported missing that September before police began a missing persons investigation.
On 1 December 2019, two boys trekking along the river, between Pine Island Reserve and Red Rocks Gorge, found his decomposed body in the water.
Family and supporters of Nathan Booth hold a banner showing a photo of him outside the ACT Courts on Wednesday. Photo: Albert McKnight.
Mr Booth’s family reported their “profound dissatisfaction” with the missing persons process as well as the “neglect” of the coronial system after having to wait for four years after his death before the inquest process could begin.
“The lack of transparency and the disregard for vital facts surrounding his death was a profoundly draining and painful experience for our family,” they said in a statement.
Coroner Archer said Mr Booth’s family had been forced to listen to rumours about the circumstances of his death for years.
The common theme of these rumours was that he had been killed by unnamed people he had wronged in some way.
The coroner said there was no evidence to suggest Mr Booth had been seriously assaulted before he died, but he also said the Australian Federal Police would conduct a review of his death.
Members of Nathan Booth’s family gather at Pine Island Reserve at the start of the inquest. From left, Rayleen Booth, Stancy Booth, Wilma Dalton, Deanne Booth and Coral King. Photo: Albert McKnight.
After the findings were delivered, Mr Booth’s sister, Deanne Booth, said she was glad the case would go back to homicide detectives.
“Our family still stands united, and our community still stands united, that Nathan was murdered here in the ACT and nothing’s been done about it until today, when we’ve pushed it to homicide now,” she said.
“As of two weeks ago, we’re still getting information about Nathan.
“People are still talking about Nathan’s death. There’s got to be some truth in it, that his name can still be mentioned six years later.”
Ms Booth said the reason her family thought he was murdered was because of where he was found.
“There’s no reason for Nathan to be down there,” she said.
“No one dies of a broken leg. So how did my brother die?”
She also thought the type of clothing he had been wearing showed he hadn’t gone to the location at night.
Ms Booth did say the coronial process had taken away a lot of the speculation around some of the rumours about Mr Booth’s death.
The coronial inquest did not start until 2023.
Police released this image when calling for information on Nathan Booth’s disappearance and death. Photo: ACT Policing.
Coroner Archer apologised to the family for the delay in progressing the case and thanked them for their bravery and openness.
He said the police, the chief coroner and attorney-general would be told about matters of public safety that the family had raised.
He also stated that police had devoted “considerable effort” to locating Mr Booth during their missing persons investigation, including speaking to “a vast array” of witnesses and conducting covert surveillance on some of them.
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