Spike Jones, whose daughter Nina Nicholson was found dead at her Clunes home in September 1991, said a $1 million reward offered by Victoria Police for information to help solve the homicide would finally provide the answers his family needed.

Victoria Police has announced eight rewards of up to $1 million each in an attempt to solve eight homicides or missing person cold cases from between 1985 and 2002.

Three of the cold cases involve women from Ballarat and the surrounding district: Ms Nicholson in 1991, Tracey Howard in 1998 and Belinda Williams in 1999.

Mr Jones said the bounty would be a good thing if it encouraged a witness to speak up.

“If it can get a result, we will be quite happy with it. We feel someone knows something,” Mr Jones said.

“If someone knows something, I’d hope the reward might encourage them to speak up. 

“There’s no doubt it would help us (to get closure) if it gets resolved.”

According to Victoria Police, the rewards offered aligned to the maximum penalty for a particular crime following a review of the Serious Crimes Rewards matrix.

The $1 million is offered for a crime which delivers a life imprisonment sentence (rated at level one). 

According to a statement: “Each reward will be paid at the discretion of the chief commissioner for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of these persons”. 

Victoria Police Commander Doug Fryer said he hoped the rewards offered would draw out new information to help solve the cold cases.

“To lose someone you love in violent circumstances would be incomprehensible to anyone. To have the added factor of not knowing who was responsible, and what happened, adds to the trauma,” Commander Fryer said. “We believe the announcement of these $1 million rewards will hopefully bring a resolution to the family members and loved ones of these victims. 

“Someone out there will have the information we need to bring about this resolution. We need those people to come forward. 

“Put yourself in the position of these families and imagine the grief you would feel never knowing. Do the right thing. Help us to bring the person to justice.”

gavin.mcgrath@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Editorial, page 11