Gordana Kotevski was about 50 metres from the safety of her aunt's home in Powell Street, Charlestown when she was taken.
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Witnesses said they heard screaming and saw a white Toyota Hilux speed out of the street. The 16-year-old Cardiff High School student had been late night shopping with friends when she was bundled into the car about 8.45pm on November 24, 1994. Gordana was gone.
Two decades later, her family are still searching for answers. On Monday, NSW police announced they would review the decades-old case. Detectives will comb through 62 boxes of evidence over the next six months, which include artist composites of two men identified as people of interest, and a fingerprint discovered on a plastic bag containing Gordana's wallet.
Gordana's mother, Peggy Kotevski, said the review was unexpected.
"We have been waiting for this announcement for years," Ms Kotevski told the Newcastle Herald last night. "The news came as a complete surprise. All we can do is hope and pray for an outcome."
Gordana's parents had been critical of investigators in the years since the abduction, at one time alleging leads were not followed in the weeks after their daughter's disappearance.
At the time, they had told investigators that their daughter was concerned about a man who was following her - a man her mother called "The Spook".
On Monday, Ms Kotevski said that she had spoken to lead detective Kristi Faber, who will be one of four officers reviewing the case.
"She will be working on the review with three other detectives. That gives me hope that everything will be looked at with fresh eyes," Ms Kotevski said.
Detective Faber's career has been dedicated in part to investigating cases of historic child sex abuse. In 2015, she was recognised as one of the state's top police officers.
"We have been waiting too long for answers," Ms Kotevski said.
In December, Gordana's family ran a billboard campaign calling for information from the community. Ms Kotevski suspected it could have led police to review her daughter's case.
"Whatever it is we are grateful it's happening," she said. "We encourage the community to come forward if they have any information.
Despite detailed witness accounts from the night Gordana disappeared, describing the vehicle and two people of interest, the men have never been identified, and the case has remained unsolved.
"Whoever did this, put yourself in my shoes," Ms Kotevski pleaded. "How would you feel if someone did this to your child? No family should have to suffer this kind of pain."
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Simon McCarthy
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
