WA Police dig up mine shaft in search of clues to solve Ray and Jennie Kehlet mystery

Police yesterday began the delicate operation of excavating the base of a mine shaft in the hope of solving one of Western Australia's most baffling murder mysteries.

A scrap of clothing found by a member of the public prompted police to return to the long-abandoned mine shaft, where the remains of amateur prospector Ray Kehlet were found eight years ago.

His body was discovered almost three weeks after he and his wife Jennie disappeared while camping 30km south of Sandstone in WA's Mid West region in March 2015.

Ms Kehlet has never been found.

Armed with mining and abseiling equipment, police vowed to carry out a thorough search of the area in the hope of solving the suspected double homicide.

Abseiling equipment was used to lower police down into the shadowy depths of the 12-metre deep, century-old mine shaft.

A large winch and bucket more commonly seen in mining operations were used to dig out the base of the shaft.

After being hauled out of the narrow space, the materials are then tipped onto a giant sieve in the hope of sifting out items that may hold clues to the case.

The debris are then placed on giant tarpaulins before forensic officers painstakingly look through mounds of pebbles and dirt in the hope they will discover a missing piece of the puzzle.

While the area was searched in 2015, they have returned to undertake a more comprehensive search of the area.

It has been triggered by the discovery of a garment found underneath Mr Kehlet's body by a family friend — an army veteran with experience in search and rescue techniques — who has helped scour the area for clues that could help take the case forward.

Police say they are not sure if the item of clothing is relevant evidence but they can't rule it out.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the special crime squad would stay on site as long as it takes to complete a thorough search.

"We'll be there as long as it takes to find what we need to find, or if there's nothing there, at least we're satisfied there's nothing there," commissioner Blanch said.

"The Kehlet family quite properly have never given up. They really want answers in this case, as do we."

In 2021 a coroner found Mr Kehlet's death was a homicide and Ms Kehlet was deceased, although her remains have never been found.

The pair had made camp at an old gold mining area known as Bell Chambers, where they were learning to prospect for gold in an area they apparently dubbed the "three million dollar patch".

When the Kehlets' dog, Ella, walked into the town of Sandstone hungry and dehydrated, family members raised the alarm.

Police initially treated their disappearance as a missing persons case, despite family members saying they raised concerns early on about foul-play.

The mine shaft was initially examined when police retrieved Mr Kehlet's body in April 2015.

But it took another month for the area to be treated as a potential crime scene and for a more comprehensive forensic examination of the shaft and surrounding area to be undertaken.

The police will be hoping their fresh search bears fruit, and that they can offer the family closure once and for all.

The WA government announced last month it would increase the reward for information that led to a conviction in their case to $2 million.