Police suspect missing man is murdered

The family of a man missing for five months are at a total loss as to how or why he has disappeared, as police go public after a futile CCTV search and hunt for a distinctive car.

Melbourne man Adrian Romeo was last seen by his family on February 10, and police suspect he has been murdered.

Mr Romeo, 43, left the Craigieburn family home on Dempster Drive, saying he was going to visit people in Greenvale.

Family reported him missing two days later, and now police have revealed Mr Romeo’s phone and bank cards have not been used since. They are searching for a distinctive gold 2004 Toyota Camry which he drove off in that day.

A sweep of CCTV has not turned up any sightings of the Camry. Mr Romeo’s brothers and father are too distraught to speak to media, so his cousin Charlie fielded questions on Sunday as police make a public push for information.

“I just don’t understand how anybody could harm him. He’s just a nice bloke,” Charlie said of his cousin.

“Just a real nice, calm person. Would not harm anybody in any sense.

“We do believe there has been foul play … There’s always hope. But it doesn’t look good.”

A total void of phone or bank account activity served as a grim indicator for the cousin.

The cousins worked together concreting “years ago” and Mr Romeo worked security, Charlie said.

Police say Mr Romeo drove from the Craigieburn home and are confident he met with associates at a Greenvale house.

“The police are doing a great job,” Charlie said.

“This investigation will go on for a long while … If you know something or someone that’s involved, come forward.”

Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas suspects Mr Romeo has been murdered.

Disappearing was “extremely out of character”, and police had not turned up any information suggesting Mr Romeo would disappear of his own accord, nor were there any organised crime links.

“There is nothing in Adrian’s history that helps to explain why he has gone missing,” the Detective Inspector said.

“I’m of the view he is now deceased.”

Mr Romeo had “very, very little involvement with police. Nothing in his background that gives us an inkling … he needed to leave,” he said.

“And nothing to suggest anyone would want him harmed.”

The friends at Greenvale had given their account to police, which continued to be investigated.

“They may have been known to police,” the Detective Inspector said.

“But again, it’s nothing significant”.

He would not divulge the street in Greenvale which Mr Romeo visited. The 43-year-old had a lot of friends and police continued to canvas that social circle.

Anonymous information had “pointed to” Mr Romeo’s final movements and what happened to him, and the Inspector urged those tipsters to contact Crime Stoppers so they could be spoken to.

Inspector Thomas urged people to check their streets for the gold 2004 Camry, saying the car could have been dumped or sold.

“It’s been a difficult case to investigate … But we continue to be positive and we continue to explore avenues that come in,” the Detective Inspector said.

“We are really unsure as to where Adrian may be.”