Cold Case Files

Four decades have passed since Kevin Docherty lost his twin sister. But the pain he feels is still as raw as ever.As is his desperation for answers. Kay Docherty was asked by a girl at her school, Toni Cavanagh, to help her babysit on July 27, 1979. The twins’ mother Jean, who Kevin says was firm but fair, said no. Kay, 15, was bitterly upset – Toni was one of the popular girls at school and she wanted to fit in. “Toni had more freedom than any other girl at that age,” Kevin said. He has since found out that Toni had asked a few other friends at school if they wanted to go out that night for a disco. “Most girls weren’t allowed and my sister definitely wasn’t allowed out after dark.” Kay retreated to her room in tears when her mother refused her request. Kevin said his mother asked him what he thought. “I had band practice and I said to mum ‘I’ll take her there and I’ll pick her up in a couple of hours when I finish’,” Kevin said. Toni’s home was just around the corner from the family’s Warilla home. However, when Kevin returned to Toni’s place later that night, there was no sign of the girls. “Toni’s stepmother said ‘they’re not here, they went to the movies’.”

Kevin left the house, not knowing what to do. He was torn between alerting his mother and keeping his sister’s secret.” I rode around for a while wondering what to say to mum,” Kevin said. He decided to return home and tell his mum, who was instantly concerned. “She got straight on the phone calling the other girls’ mums and trying to find out what had gone on. Straight away she was in panic mode.” A few hours later Kevin accompanied his parents to the police station. “The cops basically said ‘treat it as a runaway and come back in 48 hours’,” Kevin said. But neither girl has been seen since.

Kevin said it haunts him that his parents went to their graves without answers. It is for this reason he has their ashes at his home. “I’ve still got them for the simple reason that I want to put them to rest with their daughter and it doesn’t look like that is going to happen.” Over the years there have been potential leads, including a suggestion that the two may have been victims of Ivan Milat. Kevin said whenever he heard a news story about bones being found in the Belangalo Forest, he would wonder if it was his sister.

Kevin said he had tried for the last 40 years to get on with his life, but it remains a struggle. “If I dwell on it every day I would probably be in the grave with my mother,” he said. “It’s something I try and put in the back of my mind while I can but it comes up every day.” Kevin said he doesn’t know whether to believe Milat may have been responsible for his sister’s death. But he will fulfill a promise made to his mother to never stop searching for answers.

He pleaded for anyone with information to come forward. “If they’ve got a conscience it would be nice for them to come forward and not take it to their grave,” he said. “Just give us some answers so we can put things to rest and try and move on.” Kevin said his life was forever changed after Kay’s disapperance. “We went everywhere together,” he said.