Timeline of events in Matthew Leveson's death

The investigation into Matthew Leveson's disappearance has captivated the public for more than a decade now.

Here's a timeline of the major events that shaped the investigation. 

September 23, 2007

Matthew Leveson, 20, and his boyfriend Matthew Atkins, 45, go to ARQ nightclub in Darlinghurst together.

The couple are captured on CCTV leaving the club about 2am.

This is the last known sighting of Mr Leveson.

Texts sent by Mr Leveson to Atkins on the night suggest they’d had an argument.

Later that day Atkins is captured on CCTV buying a mattock and duct tape at a Bunnings Warehouse at Taren Point.

September 25, 2007

Mr Leveson’s parents, Faye and Mark Leveson, report their son as missing.

September 26, 2007

Atkins drives from his and Mr Leveson’s apartment in Cronulla to Newcastle where he meets up with a man he met online for sex.

September 27, 2007

Mr Leveson’s car is found at a park in Sutherland.

The car’s boom box had been removed and was later found in a garage at the unit block where Mr Leveson and Atkins lived.

A receipt for a mattock and duct tape from Bunnings Warehouse was found in the boot. It had Atkins’s fingerprint on it.

August 5, 2008

Atkins is arrested and charged with Mr Leveson’s murder, leading to the suspension of the coronial inquest into his death.

September 3, 2009

Atkins’s murder trial begins at the NSW Supreme Court.

A recording of a police interview with Atkins, in which he denied the Bunnings Warehouse purchases, is ruled as inadmissible because police had not told him he was a suspect at the time.

Atkins does not speak at the trial.

October 20, 2009

Atkins is found not guilty of Mr Leveson’s murder by a jury. He is also found not guilty of manslaughter.

January 15, 2015

The coronial inquest into Mr Leveson’s death resumes.

December 8, 2015

The inquest hears the police interview in which Atkins denies the Bunnings Warehouse purchases.

During the recording Atkins tells police Mr Leveson had struggled with depression and had been “distant” prior to his disappearance.

The September 23, 2007, CCTV footage of Atkins at the Taren Point Bunnings Warehouse is played.

In the police interview recording Atkins tells police he doesn’t think it is him on the CCTV.

February 23, 2016

A witness is called at the inquest. He tells the court that in September 2007, when he was 17, Atkins invited him to a gay and lesbian party for which he had a “spare ticket”.

The man said he inquired as to where Atkins’ boyfriend, Mr Leveson, was and was told he was “going separately with friends”.

The man said he only heard about Mr Leveson’s disappearance after this incident.

May 17, 2016

A recording is played at the inquest of Atkins apologising to Mr Leveson’s parents for not telling them their son was missing.

During the clip Atkins is hear saying he loved Mr Leveson.

“But you never contacted us,” Mrs Leveson says.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Atkins replies.

May 20, 2016

Atkins is ordered to be compelled to give evidence by Deputy state coroner Elaine Truscott. She points out that nothing he says at the inquest can be used against him in future criminal proceedings because of section 61 of the Coroner’s Act.

September 5, 2016

Atkins appeals the order to take the stand, asking the Supreme Court to overturn the order.

October 12, 2016

Atkins’s appeal is denied and Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum rules that he must testify.

October 31, 2016

Atkins takes the stand in a questioning that would last a week.

He is told that while nothing he says can be used against him in future criminal prosecutions, he is not immune from perjury or contempt of court.

Atkins says he thinks Mr Leveson may be living in Thailand and says he still holds a “tiny bit” of hope he’ll come home.

He says he never looked for Mr Leveson because he believed the search was the responsibility of police.

November 1, 2016

In response to question Atkins says he bought the mattock and duct tape because of an interest in gardening.

He tells the court he did not return to ARQ nightclub on September 23 after leaving about 2am, but he was caught on CCTV returning to the venue at 3.06am.

November 2, 2016

The court asks Atkins to demonstrate his gardening skills and is given a mattock, duct tape and various seedlings.

He takes the mattock and swings it over his head and down to the ground a number of times.

“Digging a grave, would you agree?” Counsel assisting Lester Fernandez asks, to which Atkins replied “Could be”.

The court is told that Atkins bought a new pair of shoes on September 24, 2007.

November 3, 2016

Atkins denies disposing of the mattock and duct tape, saying he doesn’t know where they went. Police never found them.

Atkins denies stopping to dig during his drive to Newcastle on September 26, 2007, despite arriving in “dirty and grimy” clothes.

November 24, 2016

Atkins admits to lying during the inquest, about the time he’d spent with Mr Leveson on the night of his disappearance.

He had previously told the inquest he’d spent 30 minutes with Mr Leveson before they left ARQ – a claim disputed by the time stamps of Atkins’s text messages.

Atkins says he lied to police when he reported Mr Leveson missing. He says he withheld information about Mr Leveson being on drugs on the night of his disappearance because he was worried his boyfriend would get in trouble.

Atkins tells Mr Leveson’s family he is sorry “if he’s gone” but denies killing him.

The court hears that the Leveson’s still spend time digging up various areas in Sydney hoping to find their son’s body.

November 10, 2016

NSW Police begin searching the Royal National Park south of Sydney for Mr Leveson’s remains.

Atkins assists with the search in exchange for immunity from perjury or contempt of court because he lied during the inquest.

Mr Leveson’s parents agreed to the deal.

November 17, 2016

The search for Mr Leveson’s body is called off.

May 25, 2017

The search resumes at the same location, with the search area expanded by five to 10 metres.

May 31, 2017

Bones are found at the search site just hours before the search was set to be called off a second time.

Police say they’re “very confident” the bones belong to Mr Leveson.

June 1, 2017

Police exhume the remains.

June 4, 2017

DNA testing confirms the remains are Mr Leveson’s.

August 23, 2017

Atkin’s told police he believes Leveson overdosed on drugs and he buried the body simply because he was worried about his reputation. 

December 5, 2017

A NSW coroner delivered an open finding at the long-running inquest.

Delivering her findings, deputy state coroner Elaine Truscott said Atkins was the only person who could provide the answers as to how Mr Leveson died and was given the opportunity to do so during his protected evidence at the inquest.

"For reasons unknown to me, he did not take that opportunity," Ms Truscott said, before adding the 54-year-old had not been a "witness of truth".