Police seek to fill ‘four-day gap’ after body of mum found on popular Queensland beach

Queensland mum-of-one Payge Leembruggen was found dead near North Wall Beach near Mackay Harbour in Queensland on Tuesday morning, four days after she was last seen.

Now police want to piece together what happened in those four days.

Leembruggen, 31, lived in Mount Jukes, north of Mackay, and was last located in public at a hair salon on Celeber Drive in Andergrove, a northern suburb of Mackay, just before 9am on Friday.

Her cause of death has not been revealed, but Detective Inspector Emma Novosel said she had not been reported missing by her family or loved ones.

“[It was] not unusual in the sense that Paige would often travel from her Mount Jukes address to the Mackay city and take up with associates,” she told media on Wednesday.

“We’re trying to fill a four-day gap at this time, and that’s why we’re seeking information from members of the public.”

“We’re treating the death as unexplained, so we always treat an unexpected death as suspicious until proven otherwise.”

Leembruggen’s body was found in an area near the beach by a man exercising with his dogs, and Novosel said it wasn’t an easy area to access.

“There's various paths through that area, so the gentleman that located her had been using that path, hadn't been there for some time prior,” she said, confirming Queensland Police were working with the SES to search the surrounding area where the body had been found.

Novosel revealed Leembruggen lived with her extended family, including a five-year-old son, but did not have a partner.

She said police were supporting the family.

Read more

Heartbreak as TV anchor announces on air that colleagues were inside chopper that crashed in LA

“Understandably they're really upset at the loss of their loved family member, and our thoughts are really with their family,” Novosel said.

“We're assisting them as much as we can with respect to providing support to help them navigate these terrible circumstances.”

She appealed for anyone with information or who may have seen Leembruggen between September 11 and September 15 to come forward.

She is described as Caucasian, approximately 178cm, with brown hair. 

She was last seen wearing a white top, bright red trousers, and a red bow in her hair.